With advanced in robotics, artificial intelligence and automation, Senator Bernie Sanders, an independent from Vermont, says that the 40-hour workweek—which has been the standard for 80-some years—is no longer necessary. As such, he has introduced a bill to shorten the workweek to 32 hours, after which employees would be owed overtime.
If passed, employers would be prohibited from cutting a worker’s wages or benefits to match the lower number of hours worked. Critics, however, say that shortening the workweek would require companies to hire more employees or lose productivity.
Recent research of British companies that adopted a 32-hour workweek found that employees cam eto work more focused and less stressed while the company’s revenue stayed the same or improved.
“The majority of employees register an increase in their productivity over the trial,” said Juliet Shor, a Boston College sociology professor and a lead researcher on the UK study, told the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. “They are more energized, focused and capable,”
