May 09, 2024

New Poll: Youth Believe in a 32-Hour Workweek

WASHINGTON, D.C. — New polling published by CNBC shows that 81% of youth believe a four-day workweek would increase productivity in the workplace.

The polling comes on the heels of Congressman Mark Takano’s (CA-39) Thirty-Two Hour Workweek Act gaining fresh momentum with Senator Bernie Sanders’ (I-VT) introduction of a Senate companion bill and a Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing in March.

“We are witnessing a generational shift in attitudes towards the workweek,” said Rep. Takano. “Young people have the courage to reject the notion of a 40-hour workweek in order to spend more time perusing their passions or spending time with loved ones. This prioritization of a work-life balance does not make these future workers lazy; it makes them realistic in their vision for how they want to spend their time.”

Survey details: This study was conducted April 26-May 2, 2024, from a representative sample of 1033 people aged 18-34 nationwide.

Legislation details: Rep. Takano’s Thirty-Two Hour Workweek Act would reduce the standard workweek from 40 hours to 32 hours by amending the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and lowering the maximum hours threshold for overtime compensation for non-exempt employees.

The Thirty-Two Hour Workweek Act does not make any changes or limit the number of hours that an employee may work in a standard workweek but amends the definition of the workweek in federal law. The majority of workers impacted would be non-exempt, hourly workers, but some salaried workers fall under the scope of the bill’s provisions. This legislation has the potential to increase wage-earning opportunities for a larger number of workers by limiting the number of hours required to reach the full-time threshold, as well as allow for better work-life balance and overall health outcomes. 

Full text of the House version of the Thirty-Two Hour Workweek Act is available here. A one pager can be found here.

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