Millions of Americans' Work Hours Would Change Under New Plan

Senator Bernie Sanders is introducing legislation that would change working hours for millions of Americans.

Sanders, an independent senator representing Vermont, announced he plans to file a bill that would establish the 32-hour workweek as standard across the United States, while mandating that workers do not lose pay. In a press release on Wednesday, Sanders argued fewer working hours would be necessary to ensure recent technological advances, such as automation and artificial intelligence "benefit the working class, not just corporate CEOs and wealthy stockholders on Wall Street."

"Today, American workers are over 400 percent more productive than they were in the 1940s. And yet, millions of Americans are working longer hours for lower wages than they were decades ago. That has got to change," Sanders said in a press release.

Moving toward a 32-hour workweek would be an "important step" in making sure that workers benefit from a "massive increase" in productivity, which reached a record high in 2023, caused by these new technologies, he wrote.

Senator Laphonza Butler, a California Democrat, is joining Sanders in introducing the bill in the Senate, while Representative Mark Takano, also a California Democrat, will introduce the bill in the House of Representatives.

"It is time to reduce the stress level in our country and allow Americans to enjoy a better quality of life. It is time for a 32-hour workweek with no loss in pay," Sanders wrote.

Still, it remains unknown how many Democrats in the Senate would support Sanders' bill, which would likely face an uphill challenge in the Republican-controlled House.

Newsweek reached out to Sanders' office for comment via email on Wednesday.

Support for four-day workweeks has grown in the U.S. in recent years, which have seen workers advocate for more flexibility in their jobs.

A March 2023 poll conducted by Redfield & Wilton Strategies on behalf of Newsweek found that 71 percent of Americans support the idea of a four-day workweek, while only 4 percent oppose it. That survey was conducted with a sample of 1,500 adults on March 7 and March 8 of last year.

The United Auto Workers (UAW) union pushed for a 32-hour workweek in negotiations for what they viewed as a better work-life balance.

The proposal ultimately did not take off during the most recent round of negotiations for the union, but the battle sparked discussions as to whether it may be time to move toward fewer working hours.

UAW President Shawn Fain told CNN in December that he believes a shorter workweek is a "very realistic goal."

According to a September 2023 report from the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans, about 5 percent of employers across the U.S. are offering employees a four-day workweek, while an additional 14 percent were considering it.

The report found that employers who did not offer a four-day workweek gave various reasons to not do so, such as the difficulty in implementing it across their workforce, potential negative impacts on business operations and questions about whether they would be able to support their customer base with reduced hours.

In Massachusetts, lawmakers have taken steps to explore the possibility of a shorter workweek. Last year, they proposed a new pilot program, Massachusetts Smart Week, which would give tax incentives to businesses that move to a four-day workweek and report their findings for experts to study, reported NBC Boston.