32-hour workweek? Here’s what we know about the proposed legislation

WASHINGTON - Could a 32-hour workweek become the new standard in the U.S.?

Rep. Mark Takano (D-Calif.) is trying to make it happen. Last year, Takano introduced legislation to reduce the standard workweek by eight hours.

"A shorter workweek would benefit both employers and employees alike,"Takano said in a statement last year."Pilot programs run by governments and businesses across the globe have shown promising results as productivity climbed and workers reported better work-life balance, less need to take sick days, heightened morale, and lower childcare expenses because they had more time with their family and children."

READ THE LEGISLATION: H.R.4728 - Thirty-Two Hour Workweek Act

Takano proposed the legislation in July 2021. The act wouldn’t necessarily mean a four-day workweek. Instead, the legislation would "reduce the standard workweek from 40 hours to 32 hours by lowering the maximum hours threshold for overtime compensation for non-exempt employees under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)."

Takano says a shorter workweek would also help more to get back into the workforce after the COVID-19 pandemic left so many unemployed.

MORE THAN HALF OF EMPLOYEES PREFER MIX OF IN-PERSON, REMOTE WORKING, SURVEY SAYS

According to the New York Times, the idea of a four-day shortened workweek isn't new – but over the years plans have never gone mainstream.

Cosponsors of the legislation include Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton from D.C. The proposal has yet to be heard in the House.