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Inside the 32-hour workweek bill Bernie’s trying to pass
Since the idea still doesn’t have bipartisan support
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
By
Molly Liebergall
16 March 2024
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less than 3 min read
The Vermont senator who loves democratic socialism and mittens introduced new legislation this week that would make all your weekends three days long without reducing your paycheck, citing the time-saving powers of AI.
The Thirty-Two Hour Workweek Act brought forward by Sen. Bernie Sanders and Sen. Laphonza Butler would:
Lower the federally recognized standard workweek and overtime threshold from 40 hours to 32 hours over four years, while ensuring employers don’t cut full-time worker pay by eight hours’ worth of wages.
Require 1.5x overtime when workdays are longer than eight hours and 2x pay when they surpass 12 hours.
Sanders presented growing evidence that the four-day workweek can lead to less burnout and more productivity.
Don’t get your hopes up. This is at least the third attempt in three years to enshrine the four-day workweek in federal law, and since the idea still doesn’t have bipartisan support, the bill will probably stall out. Republicans have voiced concerns that the proposal could hurt retail and small businesses—and one Louisiana senator even likened it to “napalm upon the fire of inflation.”
Still…JPMorgan’s Jamie Dimon, OpenAI’s Sam Altman, and other business leaders have predicted in recent months that advancements in AI and other emerging technologies will automate so many tasks that people could eventually work three days a week…or not at all.