New Bill Proposes 32-Hour Work Week—Here's How It Would Work
Summary
A new bill in Congress proposes gradually reducing the standard workweek to 32 hours by changing federal overtime rules. This bill would make employers pay overtime for hours worked beyond 32 per week, aiming to spread productivity gains from technology to workers without cutting their pay or benefits.Key Facts
- The Thirty-Two Hour Workweek Act is introduced by Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Mark Takano.
- The bill lowers the overtime threshold from 40 hours to 32 hours over four years (38, 36, 34, then 32 hours).
- Employers must pay time-and-a-half overtime after 8 hours in a day and double pay after 12 hours.
- Workers’ pay and benefits cannot be cut just because their regular hours are shortened.
- The bill does not require a specific work schedule, only changes overtime rules.
- Some workers, like certain executives and professionals, may be exempt from the new rules.
- Similar ideas have been proposed before and tested in state and local places like Washington state’s San Juan County.
- The law amends the Fair Labor Standards Act, which has set overtime rules since 1938.
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