Congress Considers Cutting Standard Workweek From 40 To 32 Hours
(KMDL-FM) Legislation has been introduced in the United States Congress; both the U.S. House of Representatives and the United States Senate will take up discussion and debate on the Thirty-Two Hour Workweek Act. The legislation, in a nutshell, proposes that the standard workweek in America be redefined as 32 hours instead of the current 40, while keeping the same pay and benefits.
If anyone should know more about doing less and still getting paid, that would be Congress. We kid because we care, and because most of you are shaking your head in agreement with that thought. The proposed legislation does suggest that, for nonexempt employees, the workday threshold be reduced by two hours per week every year over the next four years.
How Is Who Gets Paid Overtime Determined?
If you're not familiar with your labor terms, a non-exempt employee is a worker who is legally entitled to minimum wage and overtime pay under the Fair Labor Standards Act. To be classified as an exempt employee, a worker must earn a minimum salary of $35,568 annually. These workers do not receive overtime pay if they work more than 40 hours in a given workweek.
Under the Thirty-Two Hour Workweek Act, employers cannot reduce a worker's total weekly compensation or benefits, despite the 32-hour versus 40-hour scheduled workweek. It should also be noted that for employees who would qualify for overtime pay, the overtime threshold would begin at 32 hours instead of the current 40 hours.
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Those who support the legislation, introduced by Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Mark Takano, say that technology, artificial intelligence, and a host of other workplace improvements have vastly increased worker productivity. That means workers produce more in less time.
How Long Has 40 Hours Been The Standard Workweek in America?
Just for reference, the 40-hour workweek became a part of federal law in 1940. Needless to say, there have been significant changes in employee productivity in the almost 100 years that it has been the standard.
To put things in a global perspective, in France, the legal workweek is capped at 35 hours. Meanwhile, other industrialized nations such as Japan, Germany, Great Britain, and Australia all have the 40-hour workweek as the standard.
The Netherlands has the shortest standard workweek among industrialized nations. The standard workweek for the Dutch is between 29 and 32 hours. Those figures are a bit skewed because there is widespread part-time employment in the Netherlands, so those figures are more a function of that than a political mandate or standard.
Who Supports a Change to a 32-Hour Workweek?
Many labor unions support the legislation; many opponents of the legislation fear that the change in work hours could slow business growth or lead to increased costs. Similar legislation to this proposal has been introduced for debate in Congress every year since 2021. Most pundits see this as an uphill battle to get approved.
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By the way, the last time the minimum hourly wage was raised was in 2009. That's when it became the current $7.25 per hour. Perhaps that needs to be looked at, especially when you consider how much other things have increased in price since that time.
For example, a first-class stamp in 2009 was .42 cents and then raised to .44 cents by the end of that same year. If you wanted to buy that same stamp today, it would cost you .82 cents. Stamps have almost doubled in price while the wages of American workers have not. Food for thought; your choice if you choose to chew on it.
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Gallery Credit: Bruce Mikells