What A 32-Hour Workweek Could Mean For You

With legislation now proposed to make a 32-hour workweek standard in the US, here are the upsides of working less & working better

Last week, California congressman Mark Takano introduced proposed legislation to reduce the US national standard workweek from 40 to 32 hours.

Take a moment to let that sink in. A 32-hour workweek.

4 workdays. 3 leisure. No change to your salary.

It’s not law yet, but even the fact that it’s being proposed is huge. It represents a shift in how we conceptualize work. Profound changes to work culture that would have seemed impossible a few year ago are not just becoming feasible — these ideas are entering the mainstream.

What do we mean by a 4-day work week?

To be clear, this is not about working four 10 hour days. We are talking about working 32 hours per week without a salary reduction.

In one scenario, the entire company closes for one specific day a week and the company is closed for a 3-day period. For some, people might individually choose their own day off, or alternate between Mondays and Fridays off from one week to the next, with groups staggered to ensure customer needs…