Workers at many Pennsylvania businesses could be looking at a four-day workweek, as a state legislator says she will introduce a bill to shorten the workweek without reducing worker’s pay.
Democratic Rep. G. Roni Green, who serves a part of Philadelphia County, says that she will “soon” introduce legislation requiring businesses with more than 500 employees to reduce their work hours from 40 hours per week to 32 hours per week without reducing employee pay.
This legislation would exclude small and mid-size companies, Green said in a memorandum posted Aug. 15.
The 40-hour workweek was first established in 1938, which Green says no longer matches societal needs.
“Today, most workers continue to work a standard 40-hour workweek, but society looks and operates differently than it once did in 1938,” Green argued. “Technological advancement alone have significantly increased the productivity of workers allowing more work to be accomplished in less time.”
The democratic lawmakers argued that research has shown that companies have been able to adopt a shorter workweek without compromising productivity.
According to the study by research nonprofit 4 Day Week Global, 41 companies tested the four-day week model in the United States and Canada, and employees reported that they experienced less stress and burnout after six months of that shortened schedule.
“Workers deserve to have a weekly schedule that respects a balance of work and personal responsibilities,” Green said.
“A four-day workweek would provide hardworking individuals with more time for rest, family obligations, and focus on both physical and mental health,” Green continued. “Rested, happy and healthy workers in turn can better focus on work and accomplish more in a workday.”
This is not the first legislature who’s tried their hat at shaving down the workweek.
This May, a bill sponsored by representatives in Dauphin, Chester and Lehigh counties proposed a similar bill with added incentivization for companies to start a four-day workweek.
The legislatures hope to incentivize larger companies, saying that they would be eligible for a state income tax credit.
House Bill 1065 was not voted on by Pennsylvania’s House of Representatives, but referred to the state’s labor and industry committee.
