The Push for a Shorter Workweek: Updates on 4-Day and 32-Hour Bills in Congress and California
The "Thirty-Two Hour Workweek Act" has been reintroduced in the House by Rep. Mark Takano, proposing to shorten the standard workweek from 40 hours to 32 for non-exempt employees. The bill would either mean shorter workweeks or more overtime pay for hourly workers. The bill needs to pass out of the House Education and the Workforce Committee to advance toward becoming law, but the committee's chair, Republican Virginia Foxx, signaled she's not a fan of the "top-down" legislation. Proponents say early studies of four-day workweeks have resulted in quality-of-life improvements for workers without sacrificing productivity.