New Bill Proposes 32-Hour Work Week—Here's How It Would Work

The Thirty-Two Hour Workweek Act, introduced by independent Senator Bernie Sanders and Democratic Representative Mark Takano, aims to gradually shift the United States toward a 32-hour workweek. The legislation seeks to benefit workers by capitalizing on productivity gains from artificial intelligence and automation. Currently, employees who work beyond 40 hours in a week receive overtime pay, but the new bill would lower this threshold progressively, reaching 32 hours after three years.

Employers would still be allowed to require longer hours, but once the new limit was fully phased in, an eligible employee working 40 hours would receive eight hours of overtime. The proposal also introduces nationwide overtime requirements based on the length of the working day, with covered employees receiving time-and-a-half after eight hours and double their normal rate after 12 hours.

However, the measure does not guarantee three days off each week, as businesses could arrange 32 hours over four days. The bill would amend the Fair Labor Standards Act, with exemptions for certain categories of employees, including some executive, administrative, and professional workers. While smaller experiments at the state and local level have seen benefits such as lower sick-leave use and cost savings, opponents argue that shortening the standard week while maintaining pay could increase labor costs for employers.