MYNORTHWEST NEWS

Washington lawmaker proposes bill enacting 32-hour work week

Jan 21, 2020, 12:50 PM

coronavirus office...

(Unsplash)

(Unsplash)

A new proposal from State Sen. Joe Nguyen (D-White Center) would implement a 32-hour work week in Washington state.

‘Super commuters,’ remote workers make more money, study says

Nguyen’s bill would make it so hourly workers would essentially work four eight-hour days — any time logged after that 32-hour threshold would then be paid out as time-and-a-half.

The measure makes certain exceptions for truck or bus drivers, farm workers, and more, but the overall intent remains the same: To reevaluate the way we approach the modern work week.

“I totally get that this won’t work for every single industry, but I think we need to have the conversation [about] where it can work and how we might implement this in a society that really recognizes that the future of work is going to be different,” Sen. Nguyen told MyNorthwest.

He points to the success of various companies across the globe that have experimented with a four-day work week. Microsoft did just that for over 2,300 of its workers in Japan, and saw a 40 percent increase in employee productivity over the previous year.

The Netherlands employs a similar strategy. And while its employees average around 29 hours of work a week, the country’s average wages are roughly on par with what people in the U.S. earn working a standard 40-hour week.

Nguyen also recognizes that his proposal has a ways to go to address a handful of concerns.

He hopes to open up a discussion about mitigating the fallout a 32-hour work week might have on small businesses. More than that, his main priority is to address the growing gap between what larger corporations are earning, and what the bulk of their workforce are being paid.

“I’m talking about the larger companies, where they’re seeing record profits and wages aren’t keeping up,” he detailed. “If you’re a small business and this is tough to implement, there certainly will be exemptions.”

Ross: Do we still need a 40-hour work week?

He also wants to address potential scenarios where companies could simply opt to pay their employees the same wages for four days of work without bringing them in for time-and-a-half on Friday, a move that would effectively lower weekly payouts.

“We need to look into that as well,” he noted. “If folks choose to use this against workers, that would be part of the conversation that we need to have.”

Sen. Nguyen doesn’t expect his proposal to be approved by lawmakers this session, pointing out that he “would not be naive to suggest that changing the fundamental dynamic of our economy is going to pass in one year.”

Even so, he still wants it to act as a starting point for holistically tackling the way we approach working hours in Washington state.

“I think we do need to address work schedules as a whole,” he said. “We need to address the fact that income inequality is very rampant, and unless we choose to fix this as a society, the issues that we keep trying to deal with regarding homelessness, mental health, [and] funding for education are going be a continual thing.”

MyNorthwest News

Image: Brightly colored eggs are set on a table on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington,...

Ted Buehner

Expect good Easter weekend weather for egg hunts, chilly evening Mariners games

Both Saturday and Sunday of Easter weekend will feature temperatures warming to around 60 degrees across much of Western Washington.

5 hours ago

Taylor Swift performs onstage during the Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour at Lumen Field on July 22, 20...

Micki Gamez, KIRO Newsradio and Bill Kaczaraba, MyNorthwest

Seattle tourism dollars break records following All-Star Week, Taylor Swift

It was a record-setting year for dollars flowing into Seattle from tourists.

6 hours ago

Image: A bridge in Carnation....

Julia Dallas

Carnation frustrated with Seattle again after 8th false emergency alarm induces widespread panic

Carnation citizens have faced a series of panic-inducing alarms after SPU's system for the Tolt Dam falsely sounded eight times.

8 hours ago

Grocery store shopper...

Bill Kaczaraba

Ways to deal with Seattle grocery store sticker shock

Seattle grocery store sticker shock continues to play havoc on locals, but there are ways to counter high prices.

8 hours ago

belltown hellcat social media...

Frank Sumrall

Infamous ‘Belltown Hellcat’ social media influencer charged with reckless driving

The social media influencer has been accused of driving 107 miles per hour through Belltown in a Dodge Hellcat.

9 hours ago

KIRO Newsradio gracie awards...

MyNorthwest Staff

KIRO Newsradio anchors receive Gracie Awards for outstanding work

Heather Bosch and Lisa Brooks, anchors at KIRO Newsradio, have been honored by the Alliance for Women in Media with prestigious Gracie Awards.

12 hours ago

Washington lawmaker proposes bill enacting 32-hour work week