Overview
- The Thirty-Two Hour Workweek Act was reintroduced on Sept. 13–14 by Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Mark Takano and would amend the Fair Labor Standards Act to change the federal standard for nonexempt workers.
- The bill phases in overtime thresholds over four years, lowering the weekly trigger from 40 to 38, then 36, then 34, and finally 32 hours, and it adds daily overtime at time-and-a-half after eight hours and double pay after 12 hours.
- It applies to nonexempt employees while preserving existing FLSA exemptions for many salaried workers and explicitly forbids employers from reducing an affected worker’s total weekly compensation or benefits because of the shorter standard week.
- Labor unions and worker advocates back the plan as a way to spread gains from automation and AI, while business groups warn it could raise labor costs and prompt employers to reclassify workers, cut bonuses, split positions, or accelerate automation.
- The bill has not advanced in Congress and faces uncertain prospects because it would need approval by both chambers and a presidential signature, with passage likely to trigger extensive legal, administrative, and political debate.