4-Day Workweek Proposed By Riverside County Congressman

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — A congressman in California is lobbying for a four-day, 32-hour workweek for Americans.

The legislation, which was introduced last month by Rep. Mark Takano (D-Riverside), would nix the 40-hour workweek by lowering the maximum-hours threshold for overtime compensation for non-exempt employees under the Fair Labor Standards Act.

"After a nearly two-year-long pandemic that forced millions of people to explore remote work options, it’s safe to say that we can’t — and shouldn’t — simply go back to normal, because normal wasn’t working," Takano wrote in a statement. "People were spending more time at work, less time with loved ones, their health and well-being was worsening, and all the while, their pay has remained stagnant.

"This is a serious problem."

The Congressional Progressive Caucus, made up of about 100 members throughout the U.S., formally endorsed the 32-Hour Workweek Act last month.

"For far too long, workers across this country have been forced to put in longer hours as their wages barely budge," said caucus chair Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), according to The Hill.

In California, a major tech company based in San Francisco became the first to permanently introduce a four-day workweek. Bolt initiated the change to transform corporate culture.

Several countries have tested the 32-hour workweek in the last decade, and the U.K. is gearing up to test its own four-day workweek in June. At least 30 companies have signed up for the trial, Bloomberg reported.

In Iceland, the four-day work week was considered a major success, according to a report by think tank Alda and Autonomy.

"[T]here is an established and growing body of evidence supporting the hypothesis that reductions in working time can increase productivity and improve workers’ wellbeing and work-life balance," researchers wrote in the report. "A key to this is the re-organisation of work and established working practices."