US Eyes 32-Hour Week Amid Global Workweek Divide

Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Mark Takano reintroduced the Thirty-Two Hour Workweek Act, proposing to gradually lower the federal threshold for overtime pay from 40 hours to 32.

France is debating moving beyond its 35-hour workweek model, with some political figures proposing loosening overtime rules or effectively ending the standard to increase economic activity and support the social-welfare system.

Brazilian lawmakers are considering reducing the country's maximum workweek from 44 hours to 40 while guaranteeing two days of weekly rest and maintaining salaries, with supporters arguing it would improve workers' quality of life.

A new push to shrink the American workweek to 32 hours comes as other major economies wrestle with whether workers should be putting in more or fewer hours to boost productivity and economic growth.

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-V, and Rep. Mark Takano, D-Calif., reintroduced the Thirty-Two Hour Workweek Act this week, proposing to gradually lower the federal threshold for overtime pay from 40 hours to 32.

The legislation would not mandate a four-day workweek. Instead, it would generally require covered employees to receive overtime for hours beyond 32 once the change is fully phased in, while seeking to prevent employers from reducing workers' pay or benefits.

Sanders argues advances in artificial intelligence, automation, and productivity should allow Americans to work fewer hours without sacrificing pay.

Critics have warned that maintaining compensation while reducing standard hours could raise employers' labor costs, potentially increasing prices or reducing hiring.

But the international picture is far from a uniform shift toward a 32-hour week.

France, which established its statutory 35-hour workweek more than two decades ago, is debating whether the country needs to work and retire later more as it struggles with sluggish economic growth, an aging population and pressure on public finances.

The 35-hour rule does not prevent French employees from working longer rather it generally establishes the point at which overtime begins.

Calls to move beyond the 35-hour model have become part of the political debate ahead of France's 2027 presidential election.

Some political figures have proposed loosening overtime rules or effectively ending the 35-hour standard, arguing that France needs more work to increase economic activity and support its social-welfare system.

Opponents argue such changes could reduce overtime compensation for hours many employees already work.

Brazil is moving in the opposite direction from France but also illustrates how far some countries remain from a 32-hour standard.

Brazilian lawmakers are considering reducing the country's constitutional maximum workweek from 44 hours to 40 while guaranteeing two days of weekly rest and maintaining salaries.

Supporters argue a 40-hour limit would improve workers' quality of life, while opponents have warned that requiring the same pay for fewer hours could increase business costs and encourage informal employment.

The competing proposals underscore a broader global debate over what technological advances and productivity gains should mean for workers.

Rather than converging on one model, countries are confronting the same question from different directions: whether greater productivity should translate into more time away from work or more work to generate economic growth.