Four-day work week proposed under new California bill

Could some Californians soon be saying TGIT?

LOS ANGELES - Could some Californians soon be saying TGIT?

That's what's being proposed under AB-2932, which would officially shorten a workweek from 40 hours to 32 hours for companies with more than 500 employees.

A full workday would remain 8 hours but would require overtime pay for employees who work longer than 32 hours or four full days a week.

Proposal would give some Californians a four-day work week

That's what's being proposed under AB-2932, which would officially shorten a workweek from 40 hours to 32 hours for companies with more than 500 employees.

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Other countries have explored the idea of a shorter workweek. Iceland tested a 35-36 shorter work week and studies showed it was an "overwhelming success."

Japan, known for its long work hours, unveiled plans last month to recommend companies permit their staff to work four-day weeks as part of the government’s effort to improve work-life balance.

In 2019, Microsoft Japan performed an experiment to see how reducing the work week would affect productivity and found that sales per employee jumped 40% compared to the same period a year prior.

The pandemic also forced companies and employees to explore more remote work options and reevaluate the work-life balance. A large majority of U.S. workers (92%) said they were in favor of a four-day workweek, even if it meant longer hours, according to a survey released in February by cloud-software vendor Qualtrics.

What do you think of a shorter work week?

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