32-Hour Work Week Act Reintroduced in Congress

Every time we have a three-day weekend, Chad and I go on and on about how amazing it would be if that were a reality every week. We come back refreshed and in a good mood after having plenty of time to do everything we need and want to accomplish.

After a jam-packed week, two days is just not enough time to get it all done. Ideally, a weekend consists of at least three things:

1. Being productive.

I don't know about you, but Monday-Friday is SO BUSY; there is no way we can keep up with all of the chores and cleaning and get any sleep. Running errands with an 8-5? LOL! yeah right! Hopefully you have an hour for lunch and don't need to go across town. So, the weekend is the time to "catch up."

2. HAVE FUN!

Working to live vs. living to work. Which one is the goal? Obviously none of us want to spend our lives at our jobs. Even if you love your job as I do, I still would always rather be with my family and friends. Playing games, enjoying the outdoors, doing hobbies, thrifting, attending community events, etc.

3. RESTING

If you don't take the time to rest, your body will make you do it one way or another. Plus, you can't tell me you don't enjoy cuddling up to watch a movie or binge-watching your favorite show. We can't do our best running on fumes, so you gotta take time to recharge.

At the beginning of the month, Representative Mark Takano from California and Senator Bernie Sanders from Vermont reintroduced a bill that was originally submitted in 2021. Takano is a senior member of the House Education and the Workforce Committee. He shares some facts on his website,

It’s time for labor law to catch up to the modern-day nature of work. Since 1979, American workers’ productivity has risen 93.2% while wages have risen only 33.7%. Though Americans are more productive than ever, their pay remains relatively stagnant and federal labor protections have not seen meaningful change for over 85 years.

 

The Thirty-Two Hour Workweek Act ensures that all American workers reap the benefits of their increased productivity by having more of their time back or receiving more time and a half pay.

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According to Congress.gov, "This bill shortens the standard workweek under federal law from 40 hours to 32 hours over a three-year phase-in period. It also requires specified overtime pay for workdays longer than eight hours."

Senator Bernie Sanders is also quoted on Takano's website,

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.

 

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. It’s time to reduce the stress level in our country and allow workers and their families to enjoy a better quality of life. It’s time to pass this bill.

Although I know that there is probably no possible way I could do my job in 32 hours a week, I'm sure there are some Americans who totally could! However, I would be willing to work overtime if it meant only working four days.

Did you know there is a school in Indiana that has been testing a four-day school week? It's actually going great. Students, staff, and teachers are all loving it and still getting everything accomplished. You can read more about that here.

What do you think about this proposed bill to shorten the workweek to 32 hours? I'm not sure I have hope that it will pass, but it sure would be nice!