California Rep Reintroduces Bill That Would Make a 4-Day Workweek the National Standard

Four day work weeks could be a national standard after California Rep Mark Takano reintroduced a bill to reduce the traditional 40-hour work week.

In Britain, almost 3,300 employees from 70 organizations participated in last year’s largest four-day workweek trial while working fewer hours for 100% of their salary.

According to the Post, 90% of those British organizations said they wouldn’t return to the traditional work week.

Earlier this month, the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), 4 Day Week Global, Service Employees International Union, and the United Food and Commercial Workers Union endorsed the bill.

“Workers across the nation are collectively reimagining their relationship to labor – and our laws need to follow suit,” said Takano.

“We have before us the opportunity to make common sense changes to work standards passed down from a different era,” he said.  “The Thirty-Two Hour Workweek Act would improve the quality of life of workers, meeting the demand for a more truncated workweek that allows room to live, play, and enjoy life more fully outside of work.”

The bill’s initial co-sponsor,  Rep. Pramila Jayapal, stated that workers’ welfare should take precedence before corporate profits.

“For too long, our country has prioritized corporate profits over working people, and Americans have been forced to work longer hours, sacrificing time with loved ones,” she said.  “While policies enacted by President Biden and Democrats have finally started to raise wages for workers across multiple industries, it’s vital that health, well-being, and basic human dignity are valued over employers’ bottom lines.  Establishing a 32-hour work week would go a long way toward finally righting that balance.”

Most workers would be “non-exempt, hourly workers,” but “some salaried workers fall under the scope of the bill’s provisions.”

Following the argument that “healthcare, education, and childcare are all affected by the number of hours employees spend at work,” the proposed change would primarily advocate for a healthier work-life balance.

“On average, U.S. workers work 200 hours more per year than workers in other developed countries,” Takano’s proposal noted.  “The COVID-19 pandemic transformed the conversation around the future of work.  It is time the United States equally prioritize the quality of life and productivity.”