The 40-hour workweek could face a major shake-up as lawmakers revive a proposal to gradually reduce the standard workweek to 32 hours.
Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Rep. Mark Takano of California reintroduced the Thirty-Two Hour Workweek Act Sept. 8, arguing that workers should share more directly in the productivity gains generated by artificial intelligence. The bill, which was first introduced by Rep. Takano in 2021, would not automatically mandate a four-day workweek. Instead, it would make working more than 32 hours more expensive for employers by triggering overtime requirements
.“At a time when artificial intelligence and robotics will radically transform our economy, it is imperative that the financial gains from this new technology benefit working families, not just a handful of billionaires and corporate CEOs. One important way to do that is through a 32-hour workweek with no loss in pay or benefits,” Sen. Sanders said in a press release.
“A 32-hour workweek is not a radical idea. What’s radical is that, despite an explosion in technology and productivity over the last fifty years, millions of workers are working longer hours for lower wages while nearly $80 trillion in wealth has been redistributed from the bottom 90 percent to the top 1 percent. That has got to change,” he continued.
The legislation would amend the Fair Labor Standards Act to gradually lower the number of hours employees can work before qualifying for overtime. The threshold would drop from 40 hours to 38 hours in the first year, 36 in the second, 34 in the third, and ultimately 32 hours. Covered employees would receive overtime at 1.5 times their regular rate for hours beyond the threshold.
The bill also seeks to prevent employers from cutting workers’ compensation or benefits because of the new overtime rules. Ultimately, it aims to help “workers and their families to enjoy a better quality of life,” said Sanders.
Takano also pointed to the productivity gains of modern technology. According to his office, U.S. worker productivity has risen 93.2% since 1979, while wages have increased 33.7%.
“The 40-hour workweek was established in law nearly 90 years ago,” said the congressman. “Since then, cell phones, the internet, and now AI have increased worker productivity, but the profits have been largely concentrated at the top by billionaires and corporations.
The proposal has backing from several major labor organizations, including
the AFL-CIO, United Auto Workers, Service Employees International Union and United Food, and Commercial Workers. Still, the bill faces a difficult path through Congress. For now, the 40-hour workweek remains the federal standard. But as AI reshapes how work gets done, some progressive lawmakers are working so that Americans’ pay changes, too.RELATED CONTENT: Your Boss May Be Watching: How Workplace Surveillance Is Reshaping The Future of Work