Pro & Cons of a 32-Hour Workweek
Improving workers' quality of life vs. reducing US competitiveness
This spring, Rep. Mark Takano (D-Calif.) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) introduced bills in the House and Senate to shorten the standard workweek under federal law from 40 hours to 32 hours. The Thirty-Two Hour Workweek Act would phase in the shorter workweek over a three-year period and require overtime for workdays longer than eight hours. The 32-hour workweek bill is endorsed by over half a dozen unions and the National Employment Law Project, which advocates for workers’ rights. “The Thirty-Two Hour Workweek Act would improve the quality of life of workers, meeting the demand for a more truncated workweek…
