California lawmakers are considering a bill that would shorten the workweek from five days to four for companies with more than 500 employees.
Assembly Bill 2932, co-sponsored by Democratic state Reps. Cristina Garcia, Bell Gardens, and Evan Low, would lower the workweek from 40 hours to 32 hours, according to KCRA. Employees who work in excess of 32 hours a week would be compensated for working overtime by a “rate of no less than 1 1/2 times the employee’s regular rate of pay,” according to the legislation.
“Existing law defines and regulates the terms and conditions of employment,” the bill’s text says. “Existing law generally defines ‘workweek’ for these purposes and requires that work in excess of 40 hours in a workweek be compensated at a rate of at least 1 1/2 times the employee’s regular rate of pay, subject to certain exceptions. Existing law makes a violation of these provisions a misdemeanor.”
IT’S TIME TO RETHINK THE FIVE-DAY WORKWEEK
The bill, which was re-referred to committee in late March, has not yet been voted on by the state’s Assembly.
Cutting into a five-day workweek is already something being explored in other countries, such as Belgium. Organizations in Europe have taken to shortening workweeks to decrease burnout and make workers happier, according to the Harvard Business Review.
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Critics of such a change warn that it would force companies to hire more people and pay more overtime, according to Axios.
In the United States, codifying a four-day workweek is also under consideration on the federal level. A bill was introduced by Democratic California Rep. Mark Takano in July 2021 seeking to lower the workweek to 32 hours.
