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Thirty-Two Hour Workweek Act
“Working 9 to 5, what a way to make a living,” as the famous song by music legend Dolly Parton goes. But how many hours do you work a day? Would you rather work less? If you're an American, you may be working far in excess of 40 hours a week and so you may be surprised to learn that the U.S. was at the forefront of worldwide struggles following the Industrial Revolution to reduce the working day to first 10 then 8 hours a day, and to reduce the working week from 6 days to 5 days. This culminated in the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, a cornerstone of U.S. labor law that established the right to a minimum wage and overtime pay when working more than 44 hours a week. Congress amended the law in 1940 to reduce the work week to 40 hours, and it's stayed like that ever since.
HR 1332, introduced last year in the House by Democratic Representative Mark Takano, and its companion bill S 3947 introduced in March by Senator Bernie Sanders, aim to change that by reducing the work week to 32 hours.
If employees worked over the 32-hour threshold or longer than 8 hours a day, their employers would have to compensate them at least 1.5 times their usual per-hour rate; for employees working longer than 12 hours a day, the compensation rate would increase to double their usual per-hour rate. The Act would take effect in yearly increments; employers would have to lower their standard workweek by two hours per year.
Read the IssueVoter analysis of the bill here.
It's About Basic Human Dignity
Sen. Sanders believes the shorter working week is about redressing the balance. "While CEOs are making nearly 400 times as much as their average employees, many workers are seeing their family lives fall apart . . . as they are forced to spend more time at work." he said. Workers deserve to benefit from the huge gains brought about by new technologies, and a reduction in the work week would represent an effective pay rise while giving them more leisure time. Any cost can and should be paid for out of huge corporate profits and inflated management salaries.
Rep. Pramila Jayapal points out that data from recent pilot programs around the world show that it can be good for companies too. Employers report increased productivity, stronger talent attraction and retention and sometimes even lower overhead. A shorter workweek also gives employees time to develop new skills they can apply at work.
The current information revolution means the time is ripe for change. “Technology has brought humanity to a place where we can ask the question, ‘How much time does everyone need to work?’” Mark Takano said . “The shorter workweek is about the greater happiness of humankind. We have choices to make as a society about whether we are going to allow technology to put us in the service of it or whether it really serves all of us, and I mean all of us.”
It Would be Napalm on the Inflation Fire
Not everyone agrees that Thursday should become the new Friday. "The government mandating a 32-hour workweek while requiring businesses to increase pay at least an extra 25 percent per hour of labor will destroy employers, forcing them to either ship jobs overseas or dramatically increase prices to try and stay afloat." claimed Republican Senator Bill Cassidy. He believes it would threaten small businesses and exacerbate current labor shortages as companies are forced to try to hire more people. He also points out that businesses are free to change their own working practices now if they wish, there is no need for a federally mandated law.
This removal of flexibility is also cited by the Society for Human Resource Management. They oppose a one-size-fits-all approach, which may suit some companies but not all. "And it would undoubtedly be bad for business . . . , exacerbating staffing shortages, raising labor costs and making life more difficult for scores of businesses struggling to recover from the worst days of the pandemic." said Emily Dickens, Chief of Staff.
Could it be Beneficial?
The US, like other developed countries around the world, is facing a technological revolution that will change the nature of work for millions of people. At the same time, changing demographics due to an aging population is making current models of employment appear unsustainable, as fewer of us are actually working. In an ideal scenario, these two factors will cancel each other out to a certain extent, but it's too early to tell.
As AI changes the nature of work, new job categories are likely to emerge, many of which may require more creative and strategic thinking—areas where humans excel. This could lead to more fulfilling jobs that are well-suited to shorter, more focused work periods.
Reducing the workweek without cutting salaries can lead to improved work-life balance, reduced stress, and lower absenteeism. Happier, healthier employees are likely to be more engaged and motivated, which benefits their employers in terms of retention and reduced turnover costs.
While a 4-day workweek is generally proposed with no reduction in pay, businesses facing thin margins might struggle to adopt this model without cutting wages, which could negate many of the potential benefits for workers. There's a risk that a 4-day workweek could initially benefit primarily high-skilled, white-collar workers. Low-income and part-time workers might not see the same benefits and could face increased job insecurity or pressure to work multiple jobs.
For certain sectors, particularly service-oriented and customer-facing industries (e.g., retail, healthcare), a 4-day workweek could pose scheduling challenges and necessitate hiring additional staff to cover the same operational hours. This might increase labor costs unless productivity gains can offset these expenses.
It does seem that the current trend to more flexible work patterns will continue, and that shorter working weeks may become the norm for some but not all workers. The challenge is to ensure that the benefits do not only accrue to white-collar workers and that we all get to enjoy more time away work doing whatever it is that we enjoy. Personally, I say bring it on!
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