Rep. Takano, Sen. Sanders Reintroduce 32 Hour Workweek Act

September 08, 2026 Rep. Takano, Sen. Sanders Reintroduce 32 Hour Workweek Act WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Representative Mark Takano (CA-39) , a senior member of the House Education and the Workforce Committee, and Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) reintroduced the Thirty-Two Hour Workweek Act. The bill, first introduced by Rep. Takano in 2021, amends the Fair Labor Standards Act to reduce the standard workweek from 40 hours to 32 hours for nonexempt employees. Covered employees would be eligible to receive overtime compensation for any hours worked beyond 32 hours in a standard workweek. It’s time for labor law to catch up to the modern-day nature of work. Since 1979, American workers’ productivity has risen 93.2% while wages have risen only 33.7%. Though Americans are more productive than ever, their pay remains relatively stagnant and federal labor protections have not seen meaningful change for over 85 years. The Thirty-Two Hour Workweek Act ensures that all American workers reap the benefits of their increased productivity by having more of their time back or receiving more time and a half pay. “The 40-hour workweek was established in law nearly 90 years ago,” said Congressman Mark Takano . “Since then, cell phones, the internet, and now AI have increased worker productivity, but the profits have been largely concentrated at the top by billionaires and corporations. Work has fundamentally changed. It’s time that labor standards caught up. I’m proud to continue partnering with Senator Sanders in reintroducing this bill to make sure that the gains from historically high productivity are felt by all American workers.” “At a time when artificial intelligence and robotics will radically transform our economy, it is imperative that the financial gains from this new technology benefit working families, not just a handful of billionaires and corporate CEOs. One important way to do that is through a 32-hour workweek with no loss in pay or benefits,” Senator Bernie Sanders said . “A 32-hour workweek is not a radical idea. What’s radical is that, despite an explosion in technology and productivity over the last fifty years, millions of workers are working longer hours for lower wages while nearly $80 trillion in wealth has been redistributed from the bottom 90 percent to the top 1 percent. That has got to change. It’s time to reduce the stress level in our country and allow workers and their families to enjoy a better quality of life. It’s time to pass this bill.” The Thirty-Two Hour Workweek Act has been endorsed by: Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA-CWA), The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), The International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE), National Employment Law Project (NELP), National Nurses United (NNU), Radio and Machine Workers of America (UE), Service Employees International Union (SEIU), United Auto Workers (UAW), United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) and WorkFour. Full text of the bill can be found here . ### Print Email Share Post