San Juan County makes history with permanent 32-hour work week
Jan 16, 2026, 7:16 AM
Many people dream of a 32 hour workweek. In San Juan county, they got it. (Photo courtesy of Getty Images)
(Photo courtesy of Getty Images)
After two trial years, San Juan County is making history as the first county in the state to implement a 32-hour work week.
The idea of a 32-hour work week emerged during negotiations for the 2023-2025 labor contract among government employees. The union representing the employees sought cost-of-living adjustments, additional benefits, and comparisons with other wage contracts in the area.
The counter to these demands? Shrinking the work week by eight hours.
“The 32-hour workweek is both fiscally responsible and socially responsive. It takes into account a full-time, working islander’s way of life.” County Council Chair Cindy Wolf said. “This change brings the opportunity to spend more concentrated time with family, volunteer locally, travel, schedule medical appointments, and do all the many things which are important to personal and community well-being without interrupting workflow.”
According to KIRO 7, there was an 18% decrease in sick calls and a 216% increase in people applying for job openings during the two-year trial. Additionally, San Juan County reported that 83% of its workers saw an improvement in work-life balance, while 85% of staff said that the hours factor into their decision to continue working for the county.
“I love the idea,” KIRO host Ursula Reutin said during the trial run. “Maybe you’re just going to work smarter and work harder in those 32 hours than in the 40 hours. And this is a way to actually keep people working, maybe get more people to work. And so I would be OK, but I just want to see how it plays out.”
“I’ll tell you why I’ll be OK,” KIRO host Gee Scott added. “When people are rested, and they come to work, and they’re like, ‘Yo, I had a good three days off.’ I would argue that some people get more work done in four days than some in five.”
The county emphasized that the new schedule won’t result in any change in services. As employees shift to a 32-hour workweek, county offices will remain open to the public and hold regular hours of operation.
Contributing: KIRO 7
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