Bernie Sanders advocates four-day workweek with unchanged pay in US
US Senator Bernie Sanders has proposed a bill advocating for a 32-hour workweek without any reduction in pay. The bill aims to ensure that workers benefit from significant productivity increases brought about by artificial intelligence, automation, and recent technologies. The proposal seeks to amend the 1938 Fair Labor Standards Act, gradually reducing the standard workweek from 40 hours to 32 over four years. It will also mandate overtime pay for any workday exceeding eight hours.
Historical precedent and potential benefits
Vishal Reddy, Executive Director of WorkFour, a national four-day workweek campaign in the US, compared Sanders' proposal to the introduction of the five-day workweek a century ago. Critics then feared economic setbacks, but instead, it led to a thriving middle class. Reddy suggests that implementing a four-day workweek could return nearly six years to each American over their lifetime. He believes this change would not only benefit workers financially but also improve their quality of life.
Opposition and concerns
The proposed four-day workweek has faced criticism, with some academics suggesting that employers might increase surveillance and deadlines to extract more labor in less time. Senator Bill Cassidy, a Louisiana Republican, argued that the bill could harm businesses by mandating a 25% per hour pay increase for a 32-hour workweek. He warned that workers might end up paying the price for such changes, dismissing the idea of a "free lunch" in this context.
Future of the four-day workweek proposal
Despite opposition, the introduction of Senator Sanders' Bill is seen as a significant step toward fairer working hours. While critics argue that it could be detrimental to businesses, supporters believe it could lead to a more balanced work-life for Americans. The Bill's fate remains uncertain, with some predicting it may not pass due to resistance from both parties. However, its introduction has sparked important conversations about work hours and pay in the era of advanced technology and automation.
