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New bill introduced in Congress could lower workweek to 32 hours
The measure would phase the overtime threshold down over three years and bar employers from cutting pay or benefits as hours shorten.
- Senator Bernie Sanders and Democratic Representative Mark Takano introduced the Thirty-Two Hour Workweek Act this week, proposing to gradually lower the federal overtime threshold from 40 hours to 32 hours per week.
- When Congress passed the Fair Labor Standards Act in 1938, it initially set the overtime threshold at 44 hours, which later fell to 42 hours and eventually the current 40-hour norm.
- Researchers at the University of Cambridge reported that during a 2022 United Kingdom trial involving 61 organizations and about 2,900 workers, sick days fell by 65 percent and staff departures dropped by 57 percent.
- By changing federal overtime law, the bill would make it more expensive for employers to require more than 32 hours of work, while also seeking to prevent employers from cutting workers' pay or benefits.
- Republican Senator Bill Cassidy argued that shortening the standard week could lead to higher prices, reduced hiring, or employers moving jobs elsewhere, countering the bill's intent to protect workers.
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32-Hour Workweek Bill: How Much Do Americans Work and Who Could Benefit?32-Hour Workweek Bill Returns to Congress as Americans Already Work Fewer Hours - FINCHANNEL
WASHINGTON — A proposal to move the United States toward a 32-hour workweek has returned to Congress as Americans report working fewer hours than they did before the pandemic and surveys show strong support for four-day schedules. Rep. Mark Takano, D-Calif., introduced the Thirty-Two Hour Workweek Act in the House on Sept. 8. Sen. Bernie […]
US congressmen recently introduced a new bill for a 32-hour workweek, hoping to lower the threshold for calculating overtime pay while enabling workers to benefit from increased productivity brought about by artificial intelligence (AI) and automation.
·New York, United States
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Total News Sources6
Leaning Left1Leaning Right1Center3Last UpdatedBias Distribution60% Center
Bias Distribution
- 60% of the sources are Center
60% Center
L 20%
C 60%
R 20%
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