Policy Developments
In the last decade, over 100 legislators across 20 states have taken policy action on the four-day workweek. We’ve compiled a list of developments at the federal, state, and local levels for you below.
Federal Policy Developments
Representative Mark Takano (CA-39) introduced the first congressional bill in recent years to advance the four-day workweek: The Thirty-Two Hour Workweek Act (H.R.1332). The bill amends the Fair Labor Standards Act to reduce the standard workweek from 40 hours to 32 hours for non-exempt employees. Employers would be required to pay overtime compensation to non-exempt employees whose work exceeds 32 hours in a standard work week. The bill would allow for a 3-year phase-in.
The bill currently has seven co-sponsors and has been endorsed by the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC), National Employment Law Project (NELP), Economic Policy Institute (EPI), American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), Service Employees International Union (SEIU), United Auto Workers (UAW), and United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW).
Senator Bernie Sanders has also endorsed a 32-hour workweek.
State Policy Developments
At the state level, numerous bills have been proposed but none have ultimately passed yet. The legislation broadly falls into two categories:
Legislation that funds or incentivizes state-administered pilot or research programs
Legislation that implements the four-day workweek by lowering the threshold for overtime from 40 to 32 hours, with no reduction in pay.
States that have proposed four-day workweek pilot or research programs:
California (Introduced by Assembly Member Evan Low in 2023)
Massachusetts (Introduced by Rep. Josh S. Cutler and Rep. Dylan A. Fernandes in 2023)
Maryland (introduced by Rep. Vaughn Stewart in 2023)
Hawaii (Introduced by Representatives Lee, Gabbard, Keith-Agaran, Misalucha, Shimabukuro, Inouye, and Nishihara in 2022)
States that have proposed implementing the four-day workweek:
These bills often include an exemption for small businesses and would only apply to businesses with a minimum of 500 employees.
Washington (Introduced by Rep. Joe Nguyen in 2020)
Rhode Island (Introduced by Rep. Karen Alzate in 2023)
New York (Introduced. by Assemblyman Ken Burgos In 2021)
Pennsylvania (To be introduced by Rep. Roni Green in 2023/2024)
New Hampshire (Introduced by Rep. Ellen Read and Rep. Eric Gallager in 2024)
Vermont (Introduced by Rep. Monique Priestley in 2024)
State agencies that have provided funding for four-day workweek pilots:
Local Policy Developments
At the local level, governments have mostly focused on shifting their public sector workforce to a four-day workweek. There also have been over 650 school districts in 24 states that have shifted to a four-day workweek, primarily to respond to teacher shortages.
Localities implementing a 4-day, 32-hour workweek for public sector employees:
Newburgh Heights, OH (2020)
San Juan County, WA (2023)
Localities implementing a 4-day, 36-hour workweek for public sector employees:
Argo, AL (2023)
Biddeford, ME (2023)
Cape Elizabeth, ME (2023)
Clear Creek County, CO (pilot in 2023)
Forney, TX (2023)
Scarborough, ME (2023)
South Portland, ME (2023)
Localities offering a condensed 40-hour, 4-day workweek for public sector employees:
Ellington, CT (2022)
Farmers Branch, TX (2023)
Los Altos, CA (2022)
Maryland Heights, MO (2024)
Morgantown, WV (2020)
Plainville, CT (2023)
Prospect Park, NJ (2023)
Provo, Utah (2008)
Somers, CT (2022)
Vernon, CT (2022)
Tolland, CT (2009)