California Four Day Work Week: New Bill Proposes Less Hours For Employees

Workers in California could be getting a four-day workweek if lawmakers are able to pass a new bill that proposes fewer hours on the job.

Assembly Bill 2932, which was authored by Assembly members Cristina Garcia and Evan Low, would impact companies with 500 employees or more by shortening the workweek from 40 hours to 32 hours.

The bill would allow eight-hour workdays to remain in place and prevent employers from decreasing staff wages over the reduction in work hours.

Employees in California who work more than 32 hours during the four-day workweek would eligible to receive compensation of at least 1.5 times their regular pay.

Garcia revealed lawmakers are still discussing how the bill would affect salaried employees, but the legislation would not apply to workers with collective bargaining agreements. “I like to think of this as a floor, and oftentimes our bargaining agreements are better,” she said.

It is believed that the bill would lead to more productive and happier employees, which would result in a healthier work and life balance.

The bill has garnered support from several lawmakers, including Rep. Mark Takano of the 41st Congressional District in Riverside, California.

“The 32-hour Workweek Act is exactly what our country needs after losing more than 900,000 lives to Covid. People are overworked, underpaid, and they need to reset their work-life balance,” a spokesperson from Takano’s office said in a statement.

Next up, the bill is expected to be reviewed by the Labor and Employment Committee. However, a date for the hearing has not been set.

“Now we have an opportunity for business and labor and workers to have an honest and frank conversation about what this looks like, and then we’ll make changes accordingly,” Low said.