A new push in Congress could soon have millions of workers clocking out after 32 hours a week — without taking a pay cut.
Rep. Mark Takano (D-Calif.) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) reintroduced the Thirty-Two Hour Workweek Act last week seeking to slash the federal standard workweek from 40 hours to 32 for nonexempt employees.
The proposal would also require workers to receive overtime pay for hours worked beyond the new threshold — with the change phased in over four years.
But for California workers, the proposal would hit a little differently.
California already has some of the nation’s strongest overtime protections, requiring generally 1.5 times regular pay after eight hours in a workday or 40 hours in a workweek, and double time for hours worked beyond 12 in a day.
The federal bill would add another major protection: Once fully phased in, California workers would qualify for overtime after 32 hours in a week, rather than waiting until 40.
That means a traditional four-day, 10-hour schedule could become considerably more expensive for employers.
Under the proposed rules, the first eight hours of each workday would be paid at the regular rate, while hours eight through 12 would trigger time-and-a-half. Any hours beyond 12 would require double-time pay.
And the bill explicitly bars employers from cutting workers’ regular hourly rates, weekly compensation or existing benefits to offset the shorter workweek.
For example, a worker currently earning $1,000 for a 40-hour week could theoretically work 32 hours while maintaining the same weekly compensation — rather than simply seeing their salary reduced alongside their hours.
The change would not happen overnight.
If enacted, the bill would phase in the new overtime threshold beginning at 38 hours in Year 1, 36 hours in Year 2, 34 hours in Year 3 and 32 hours in Year 4 and beyond.
Takano, whose California district includes parts of Los Angeles, said the nation’s labor laws have failed to keep pace with technology and productivity.
“The 40-hour workweek was established in law nearly 90 years ago,” Takano said. “Since then, cell phones, the internet, and now AI have increased worker productivity, but the profits have been largely concentrated at the top by billionaires and corporations.”
Sanders argued that artificial intelligence and robotics make the proposal even more urgent.
“One important way to do that is through a 32-hour workweek with no loss in pay or benefits,” Sanders said.
The legislation has backing from major labor organizations including the AFL-CIO, SEIU, United Auto Workers, United Food and Commercial Workers and National Nurses United.
For California businesses, however, the measure could mean higher labor costs for overtime-heavy schedules and a major rethink of how shifts are structured.
The bill was first introduced by Takano in 2021.
It would need to clear both chambers of Congress and be signed into law before any of the proposed federal changes take effect. H.R. 10323 is currently under consideration by the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
