Two bills before Congress would gradually lower the number of hours many workers can put in before earning overtime, eventually setting the threshold at 32 hours a week while protecting their pay rate and benefits.
The Thirty-Two Hour Workweek Act was introduced in September by Rep. Mark Takano, a California Democrat, and Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent from Vermont. The House bill is H.R. 10323, and the Senate version is S. 5384. Both would amend the Fair Labor Standards Act.
The change would be phased in over four years, beginning no sooner than 180 days after enactment. The overtime threshold would drop to 38 hours in the first year, 36 in the second, 34 in the third and 32 after that.
Once fully phased in, workers covered by federal overtime rules generally would be entitled to time-and-a-half for hours beyond 32 in a workweek. The proposal also sets daily overtime after eight hours and double pay after 12 hours in a day.
The bill bars employers from lowering an affected employee’s regular rate, total weekly compensation or benefits because the new overtime standard applies. It would not require a four-day schedule or prohibit longer weeks: employers could still schedule more hours, with overtime pay required under the new thresholds.
The measure would apply to employees covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act’s overtime rules. Existing exemptions for some executive, administrative and professional employees would remain, so the bill would not automatically give every salaried worker overtime protection.
Takano and Sanders say advances in technology and productivity should translate into more time away from work for employees. In announcing the proposal, Sanders said workers should benefit from artificial intelligence and automation “with no loss in pay or benefits.”
Research on shorter workweeks has found potential benefits, though the studies do not test a federal overtime mandate. A 2025 study in Nature Human Behaviour followed 2,896 employees at 141 organizations in six countries during a six-month, income-preserving four-day-week trial. Researchers reported improvements in burnout, job satisfaction, mental health and physical health compared with workers at 12 control companies.
The researchers said participating organizations reorganized work before the trial, and the findings reflect employers that chose to take part. The results therefore offer evidence about those workplace trials, but do not establish how a nationwide change would affect every industry or employer.
As of Nov. 3, the House bill had been referred to the Committee on Education and Workforce, and the Senate bill to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Neither had advanced beyond committee referral, leaving the proposal’s prospects uncertain.
Sources
H.R. 10323 — Thirty-Two Hour Workweek Act
S. 5384 — Thirty-Two Hour Workweek Act
Sanders’ announcement of the House and Senate bills
2025 study in Nature Human Behaviour