Senator Bernie Sanders has introduced the Thirty-Two Hour Workweek Act, a bill that would gradually reduce the standard American workweek from 40 hours to 32 hours over four years without cutting pay or benefits. The legislation would amend the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to lower the overtime threshold, meaning most employees working a standard Monday-to-Friday schedule would effectively gain an extra day off each week once the change is fully phased in.
Quick Answer
- What it does: Lowers the standard overtime threshold from 40 hours to 32 hours a week, phased in over four years.
- Pay impact: Employers would be barred from cutting pay or benefits to offset the shorter week.
- Who introduced it: Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), chairman of the Senate HELP Committee, with a companion bill from Rep. Mark Takano in the House.
- Legal basis: Amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, which established the current 40-hour standard.
- Status: Introduced in the Senate with a HELP Committee hearing held; it has not been voted into law.
What Is the Thirty-Two Hour Workweek Act?
The bill would amend the Fair Labor Standards Act to require overtime pay at time and a half for workdays longer than eight hours, and double pay for workdays longer than 12 hours, while lowering the standard overtime threshold from 40 to 32 hours a week. Employers would be legally barred from reducing employee pay or benefits to compensate for the shorter standard week, meaning a worker currently earning a salary for 40 hours would keep that same pay for 32 hours once the law fully phases in.
Why Is Sanders Proposing This Now?
Sanders has framed the bill around productivity gains from automation and artificial intelligence. “Today, American workers are over 400 percent more productive than they were in the 1940s,” Sanders said, arguing that gains from AI and automation should benefit workers rather than only “corporate CEOs and wealthy stockholders on Wall Street.” The current 40-hour standard traces back to the Fair Labor Standards Act, signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1938, meaning the underlying standard has not changed in more than 85 years despite major shifts in technology and productivity.
How Would the Phase-In Work?
Sanders says the reduction would not happen all at once. Instead, the workweek would be phased down from 40 hours to 32 hours gradually over four years, giving employers time to adjust staffing, scheduling, and operations rather than facing an abrupt change. Workers eligible for overtime would be paid extra for any hours worked beyond the new 32-hour threshold once it is fully in place.
What the Research Says
Supporters point to a widely cited trial of a four-day workweek among British companies, which found employees came to work less stressed and more focused, while revenues remained steady or grew. In a related 2022 trial organized by researchers and the nonprofit 4 Day Week Global, 61 companies reduced working hours for six months without cutting wages. Afterward, 71 percent of the roughly 2,900 workers involved reported feeling less burned out, and nearly half said they were more satisfied with their jobs. Twenty-four of the participating companies reported revenue growth of more than 34 percent over the prior six months, with roughly two dozen others reporting smaller gains. Boston College sociology professor Juliet Schor, a lead researcher on the study, told Sanders’ Senate committee that “the majority of employees register an increase in their productivity over the trial,” adding that they became more energized, focused, and capable.
What Critics Say
Opponents argue that a mandated shorter workweek would force many companies to hire additional staff or accept lower output, particularly in industries where a fixed physical presence matters more than flexible output, such as manufacturing and healthcare. Critics have noted that the studies cited by supporters mostly involved office-based, computer- or meeting-heavy roles, and that results may not translate cleanly to production lines, retail, hospitality, or other shift-based work where output is tied directly to hours staffed.
Who Is Involved in the Bill
Sanders introduced the bill as chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, with California Senator LaPhonza Butler co-sponsoring the legislation. In the House, Representative Mark Takano has introduced a companion bill that would similarly reduce the standard workweek from 40 to 32 hours over a phase-in period. Several labor unions have voiced support for the proposal.
What This Means for Workers and Employers
For employees, the bill’s core promise is more personal time without a corresponding pay cut, effectively adding a day to the weekend for many standard office schedules. For employers, the proposal would mean either finding ways to maintain output with fewer scheduled hours per employee, or absorbing higher costs through additional hiring. Because the bill has not passed, none of these changes are currently in effect, and no employer is legally required to adopt a 32-hour week under existing federal law.
What Happens Next?
The bill remains in committee following its introduction and an initial HELP Committee hearing, and it has not advanced to a full Senate vote. Given the current composition of Congress, passage is not considered imminent, but the proposal continues to generate national debate about work-life balance, and some states and individual companies have separately experimented with shorter workweeks regardless of federal legislation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Thirty-Two Hour Workweek Act?
It is a bill introduced by Senator Bernie Sanders that would lower the standard American workweek from 40 to 32 hours over four years, without reducing pay or benefits.
Would workers lose pay under Sanders’ 32-hour workweek proposal?
No. The bill explicitly bars employers from cutting pay or benefits to offset the shorter standard workweek.
Has the 32-hour workweek bill become law?
No. As of its introduction and initial Senate hearing, the bill has not passed and is not currently in effect.
Why does Sanders say a shorter workweek is affordable now?
He points to productivity gains from automation and artificial intelligence, arguing that American workers are over 400 percent more productive than in the 1940s.
What did the British four-day workweek trial find?
Employees reported being less stressed and more focused, and participating companies saw revenues stay steady or grow during the trial period.
Who supports and opposes the 32-hour workweek bill?
Several labor unions and lawmakers including Senator LaPhonza Butler and Representative Mark Takano support it, while business groups and critics argue it could force additional hiring or hurt output in certain industries.
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