Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Mark Takano reintroduced legislation on September 8 to establish a 32-hour workweek standard with no reduction in pay or benefits for covered workers. The Thirty-Two Hour Workweek Act would amend the Fair Labor Standards Act by gradually lowering the overtime threshold from the current 40 hours per week.

Under the proposal, the overtime threshold would drop to 38 hours in the first year after enactment, 36 hours in the second year, and 34 hours in the third year before reaching 32 hours. The bill would also introduce daily overtime requirements, mandating time-and-a-half pay after eight hours in a day and double time after 12 hours. Employers could not cut compensation or benefits to offset the shorter standard workweek.

Sanders, an independent from Vermont, argued that productivity gains from artificial intelligence and automation should benefit workers rather than corporate executives. He stated that American workers are over 400 percent more productive than in the 1940s yet many face longer hours and stagnant wages. The legislation has drawn endorsements from several labor unions, including the AFL-CIO, SEIU, and UAW.

The measure faces significant hurdles. Republicans currently control both chambers of Congress, making passage unlikely in the near term. Critics have noted that similar past efforts by Takano in 2021 and 2023 and Sanders in 2024 did not advance. Business groups have raised concerns that the changes would increase labor costs, potentially leading to reduced hiring, higher prices for consumers, or shifts in operations.

The bill was referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce after its introduction. It builds on earlier hearings and trials of shorter workweeks conducted in other countries, though outcomes in those experiments varied by industry and implementation.

Supporters claim the policy would improve work-life balance and reduce stress without harming productivity. Opponents counter that it represents an unrealistic government mandate that ignores market realities and the need for flexibility in a competitive global economy.