New bill pushes for shorter 32-hour workweek across the country with no loss in pay for workers

Sanders does not know what he’s talking about. The guy never had a real job in the private sector of any importance. His claim of today’s workers being 400% more productive than those in the 1940s is ludicrous. I’d like to see where he got those numbers.
Proposing a four day week for five days pay is idiotic but then again, this communist is an idiot. He can float this idea all he wants but in the end it will go the way of his loser political campaign ,his failed run for office. I will never take this lemon seriously.
I am all in favor of the Four day work week in fact, I did so for an extended time, but the days were 10 hours because the traveling time to the job was excessive and the four day week made more sense and we all were able to enjoy a three day weekend.

Beerman said:

I work with instruments and analyzers that produce better, faster results at a rate that was unheard of in the 1980s, forget decades before that. Automation, computerization, better manufacturing processes, etc, have indeed made it such that fewer people can exceed the work rate that it used to take many more people to do the same. Sure, there are lazy workers everywhere, but the tools at hand in today’s world make them more productive than their predecessors.

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So sanders claim is an unfair comparison to say the least.

FP1201 said:

When the Democrats have achieved total control and domination, then THEY will have it all, and we won't have shit....THAT'S when it will end.

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Yes, but as history has shown it won't be with the Democrats "winning".

GOPerfect said:

I wonder how European countries are able to do a good job with a four day work week......?

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In Ireland they have 40hr work weeks. Government jobs are the best because they get a ton of paid time off. Women get 1 year maternity leave. They focus on mother an fathers valuing family time. If you get very sick they hold your job for 3 years. Its not like here where they prioritize every dime over things that really matter like family an health.

Far king said:

So sanders claim is an unfair comparison to say the least.

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With advancements in technology, manufacturing, materials, etc, it will never be a direct, head-to-head worker output contest. 1940 vs 2024? Look at electric motors. We have brushless motors and battery powered construction tools. You can’t be faster doing things manually by hand than a worker can do them with a 20V drill, impact driver, oscillating tool, recip-, jig-, or circ saw. Yeah, framers are still driving nails with a big hammer, but let’s face it- framers haven’t evolved since they first discovered caves. Special breed right there. But drywall hangers, painters, roofers are all faster than they were decades ago, and drywall really took off right after WW2 during the housing boom. Instead of multiple days of applying, drying, reapplying, drying plaster, drywall was a hang ‘n mud single day job. Finish on day 2 and start painting. Thats faster. It’s all faster. How lazy an individual worker is has nothing to do with the actual comparison. If you’re going to argue against Bernie’s statement you have to be honest about it. I don’t think enough people are willing to even consider any opposing viewpoints any more, and our country is worse for it.

Beerman said:

I’m not saying I agree with Bernie or not, but who wouldn’t want 5 days’ pay for 4 days’ work?

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of course, but the problem is that EVERYTHING will go up in cost so even if someone is making the same pay for 4 days of work the value of that pay will decrease in value.

Just to name a few, gas stations will have to adjust the cost of gas so they make the same money at the end of the week off of drivers that are now commuting 1 less day per week.

Home electricity and heating bills will be higher.

The cost of food and anything delivered by vehicles)will be higher at supermakerts and delis. Your favorite pizza place will cost more for lack of daily business, etc.

Think of any business that will lose money due to less people going to work 1 day per week. They have employees that "have to make the same pay in 4 days as they would in 5". Why is a business owner going to take the risks, and stress of running a business for less profit?

Celt said:

of course, but the problem is that EVERYTHING will go up in cost so even if someone is making the same pay for 4 days of work the value of that pay will decrease in value.

Just to name a few, gas stations will have to adjust the cost of gas so they make the same money at the end of the week off of drivers that are now commuting 1 less day per week.

Home electricity and heating bills will be higher.

The cost of food and anything delivered by vehicles)will be higher at supermakerts and delis. Your favorite pizza place will cost more for lack of daily business, etc.

Think of any business that will lose money due to less people going to work 1 day per week. They have employees that "have to make the same pay in 4 days as they would in 5". Why is a business owner going to take the risks, and stress of running a business for less profit?

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All of those things are more expensive now than they were in 1940, also. Nothing really EVER gets cheaper, so don’t look for that to be an effect from anything, especially this particular discussion. Compare a mouthbreather boxing up crap at an Amazon fulfillment center at today’s rate vs the same guy in 1940 trying to ship that many different items in the same week. The inventory stock levels, variety, and scale are different. More productive today. Lazy, entitled, worthless, useless? More of that today, too. Look at old pics of nearly any worksite: they were nearly overrun with workers. Today it’s a small crew getting the same (or more) work done faster. Is it better quality? THAT is a whole different discussion.

My company went through a period they demanded we clock 8.5 hours in and out the building and smokers being watched for time at the smoking shed. Without some military type tactics, people abuse the system and do not work 40 hours and they know it. The only way people think a job is good is if no one is on their ass. The kumbaya atmosphere of nothingness.

They are seeding now with this news to all the lazies and they want it.

If there are any hybrid work from home polies, they already get this as work from home on monday or friday is just a day off. They do fake working just enough to fool managers.

I'm in! I'm kinda liking these socialists policies. You guys are getting it all wrong: Instead of hanging out here bitching about the free shit army, you need to embrace the movement and hop on board. I've been busting my balls for a few decades to earn a living, fuck that noise! Everybody gets everything for free....sounds good to me. Let the .gov figure out how to pay for it, working is for chumps and suckers.

Beerman said:

All of those things are more expensive now than they were in 1940, also. Nothing really EVER gets cheaper, so don’t look for that to be an effect from anything, especially this particular discussion. Compare a mouthbreather boxing up crap at an Amazon fulfillment center at today’s rate vs the same guy in 1940 trying to ship that many different items in the same week. The inventory stock levels, variety, and scale are different. More productive today. Lazy, entitled, worthless, useless? More of that today, too. Look at old pics of nearly any worksite: they were nearly overrun with workers. Today it’s a small crew getting the same (or more) work done faster. Is it better quality? THAT is a whole different discussion.

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No doubt that i think there is a larger crop of lazier workers today than in years past. However, with our current system based on a 40 hour week, and the proposed idea of overtime pay after 32 hours; it will drive up thecosts of everything today compared to yesterday. So we arent comparing 80 years ago, the impact on our current economy would be negative in my opinion.

Im open to other opinions on this as Im no expert. Personally, who wouldnt want to work less for more, thats human nature. I hear a lot of millenials constantly complaining that they are modern day slaves having to work 40 hours and to me thats a lazy, entitled, communist mindset.

thughes said:

I'm in! I'm kinda liking these socialists policies. You guys are getting it all wrong: Instead of hanging out here bitching about the free shit army, you need to embrace the movement and hop on board. I've been busting my balls for a few decades to earn a living, fuck that noise! Everybody gets everything for free....sounds good to me. Let the .gov figure out how to pay for it, working is for chumps and suckers.

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The only thing working hard ever got me was more work for the same pay.

Celt said:

No doubt that i think there is a larger crop of lazier workers today than in years past. However, with our current system based on a 40 hour week, and the proposed idea of overtime pay after 32 hours; it will drive up thecosts of everything today compared to yesterday. So we arent comparing 80 years ago, the impact on our current economy would be negative in my opinion.

Im open to other opinions on this as Im no expert. Personally, who wouldnt want to work less for more, thats human nature. I hear a lot of millenials constantly complaining that they are modern day slaves having to work 40 hours and to me thats a lazy, entitled, communist mindset.

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I agree, I only see the cost of everything going up. You want to fix the problem.

Salary pay goes away, 1 hr work, 1 hr pay.

Get rid of all income tax and minimum wage.

No more government incentives, no more lobbying.

No grants or pork for states from the federal government.

Move back to a gold and silver standard, end the fed.

It will take probably 10 years for everything to correct. But we would be better off.

Oh one more thing end public unions.

Carlos Hathcock said:

Creedmoor​

"Sanders stated in a press release, “Today, American workers are over 400% more productive than they were in the 1940s."

Bullfuckingshit.

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400%? Yeah fucking right. I’m in heavy highway construction (bridge work to be specific). The Bear Mountain Bridge was built in 24 months from absolute start to finish. That’s absolutely amazing. Now, thanks to fucking unions and the “I want more to do less “ generation, we can’t even do a structural steel repair job on a bridge that’s already built in under 2-4 fucking years.

Apeman said:

Sanders stated in a press release, “Today, American workers are over 400% more productive than they were in the 1940s. And yet, millions of Americans are working longer hours for lower wages than they were decades ago. That has got to change.”

Unless you're salaried your wages to hours is irrelevant. Unless your stupid enough to agree to work 50 plus hours a week for a low salary.

I've seen our current work force. Nobody is 400% more productive and some are way less productive. Even if everyone was more productive you can't get 40 hours of work out of someone that's only there 32 hours. Employers are still bitching about their employees working from home because they're less productive.

This isn't going anywhere but imagine how high our taxes will go to cover the cost of hiring more state/county/federal workers to get shit done because people only work 32 hours a week. I read their proposal yesterday and it said OT over 32 hours per week. Ot over 8 hours and double time over 12 hours in one day.

I'm guessing unions could still negotiate hours? I'd actually have to work more days per year under this stupidity. We work 12 hour shifts and are scheduled for 7 days in a 2 week period which means we work half the year. These idiots don't even think about non office jobs that simply can't run 9-5.

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People are more productive due to automation.

You now have one guy watching robots assemble a car that used to be assembled by 10 guys.

Yes, that guy deserves more pay, because the skills to manage the robots are a lot more difficult to replace than the skills to bolt on a brake caliper.

But, he doesn't deserve 10x the pay, even though he's managing robots doing the work of 10 people.

He deserves exactly as much pay as it would take to replace him. No more, no less.


But, while the vast majority of peopleare more productive than they used to be, they are also paid much much more than they used to be because of inflation.

Correcting for inflation while making that comparison without also correcting for automation is inherently dishonest.

SomeSoldier said:

I agree, I only see the cost of everything going up. You want to fix the problem.

Salary pay goes away, 1 hr work, 1 hr pay.

Get rid of all income tax and minimum wage.

No more government incentives, no more lobbying.

No grants or pork for states from the federal government.

Move back to a gold and silver standard, end the fed.

It will take probably 10 years for everything to correct. But we would be better off.

Oh one more thing end public unions.

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There are many jobs that don't lend themselves well to an hourly rate. Salary is important for them. If you want to be paid hourly, then don't choose one of those jobs.

spat said:

There are many jobs that don't lend themselves well to an hourly rate. Salary is important for them. If you want to be paid hourly, then don't choose one of those jobs.

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So you are good with working 50 hours weekly and only getting paid for 40?

Edit:

I would be ok with salary is we adopted the European rules. You work 40hrs a week and if you work more or get called during off hours you get overtime.

Talk to the folks in the construction trades. ... Many go full bore in the summer and are off in the winter. ... They cannot find help now. Talked to one carpenter about building a pole barn .. He is booked two years out. Masons cannot find anyone to handle block. Last year a gravel pit sold one of their stone slingers. because they could not find a driver to run it. ... Talk about shutting this country down... Think about getting a truck fixed and you are told 3 weeks out we can look at it as we are on a 30 hour week and booked solid. .. I heard Bob Johnson in Rochester is getting 200/hr rates to service a car... Would a rush job be 300 /hr to get a car on the road in a hurry .. Say like your only car needs a water pump and it will be overtime after 1 in the afternoon.

livingston said:

I heard Bob Johnson in Rochester is getting 200/hr rates to service a car... Would a rush job be 300 /hr to get a car on the road in a hurry .. Say like your only car needs a water pump and it will be overtime after 1 in the afternoon.

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You are confusing shop rate and wage of the employee. The employee may be only making $30 and hour and the shop bills out at $150 or whatever. To further conflate this issue, mechanics are typically paid flat rate. It does not matter if a "one hour" job takes 15 mins or 2 hours, they get paid for one hour.

SomeSoldier said:

While I think this is a stupid bill, I think employers have been taking advantage of employees for far too long. When salaried employment first started there no was need for PTO. You worked to do your job and if you had down time or wanted a vacation you took it.

Then it went to you can to tell us why you won't be here and we will decide if you can have the time off.
Then it went to PTO.
Then PTO and mandatory 40 hour work weeks.
Then PTO and minimum 40 hour work weeks but don't complain unless you are over 50 hours a week all the time.

This whole thing is a fuck joke to work people to death for the least amount of pay possible. I say fuck all this and back to work an hour get paid for an hour.

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This. I'm all for working hard and deserving what you get but F these companies who keep screwing and taking advantage of their employees. I'm averaging 50+ hours a week including working from home at night or weekends just so my bosses can pile more shit onto my already stupid workload.

I'm really re-evaluating what's more important in life, working yourself to death and stress or having less. (Less wages, less stress, less anxiety, less pressure).

togmaster said:

When will the free shit revolution end?

New bill pushes for shorter 32-hour workweek across the country with no loss in pay for workers

The bill is being introduced by three democratic lawmakers, including Sen. Bernie Sanders.

westchester.news12.com

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How about getting to a 40 hour week first!

Since there will be a need for some to work longer, they will need to ensure there is overtime for all when they break this rule.

If you don't fix your diet and therefore your health in the years 30-50, you waited too long. Your collection of permanent prescription drugs is your indicator along with a high BMI. Consider you have food addiction and ask why. They have if you arrive at good health at retirement age at 65, you have to sit in your house until you get your heart attack or stage 4 lump as health care for seniors is a business model built on terminal illnesses.

I worked as a road warrior supporting the war on terror where my corporation paid me well but was using my motivation t a sense of duty as I worked with US and NATO forces. I put in 60-80 hours on the road as they paid 15% field premium. However they got greedy and took this away and told us if you did not like it, quit and started fucking with us to make a more hostile work environment. They show they don't care so they now get what they get.

With all the DEI and admin shit they push plus the self-HR, most only do 32 hours already plus with any form of work from home allowed, people use this to cover being late of sneaking home early. I always loved reading about all the women, gays and trans employees when there was real work to get done.

Far king said:

Sanders does not know what he’s talking about. The guy never had a real job in the private sector of any importance. His claim of today’s workers being 400% more productive than those in the 1940s is ludicrous. I’d like to see where he got those numbers.
Proposing a four day week for five days pay is idiotic but then again, this communist is an idiot. He can float this idea all he wants but in the end it will go the way of his loser political campaign ,his failed run for office. I will never take this lemon seriously.
I am all in favor of the Four day work week in fact, I did so for an extended time, but the days were 10 hours because the traveling time to the job was excessive and the four day week made more sense and we all were able to enjoy a three day weekend.

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No I actually disagree, in any type of "office job" it's easily 400% more productive now than 1940. Probably even since 1980 or 1990.

The Internet, computers, software,databases, teleconferencing, etc has all infinitely increased peoples ability to be more productive and do more with less.

I can speak with certainty that the work I currently am doing today was previously handled by 3 or 4 different individual workers as recent as the mid 00's. Right there since less than 2 decades ago my job has become 300+ % more efficient and productive. I'm doing the work it used to take 3 or 4 people to do.

I bet back in 1980 it would have taken 7 or 8 to do this job. And so on.

Companies just keep putting more of a.burden on employees that were lucky enough not to get laid off and the employees just bend over and keep taking it to try and be valuable to the company to keep their own jobs. It's actually pretty toxic.

Today right fucking now I'm worried I might lose my job at any point in the next few weeks because they're once again "consolidating" and making fewer employees do more

SomeSoldier said:

So you are good with working 50 hours weekly and only getting paid for 40?

Edit:

I would be ok with salary is we adopted the European rules. You work 40hrs a week and if you work more or get called during off hours you get overtime.

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I'm fine with working 50 hours a week and getting paid for 50.

I've had salaried positions where that was expected, and compensated accordingly.

If you get paid what was agreed beforehand, then you're getting fairly paid.

If your employer is screwing you, then find a better employer.

If you can't find a better employer, then be thankful for the one you've got.

Salary doesn't mean that whatever you work past 40 hours you don't get paid for. At least it's not supposed to. The govt itself does NOT allow this. Whatever you work past 40 hours you get paid time and a half. I don't know how companies get away with not paying extra over 40 hours. Maybe this is one of those things that never get challenged? Salary is simply the word used to describe your total earnings in a year at 40 hours per week. I know my job reeeeally doesn't like to give OT unless absolutely necessary because they have to pay dearly for it. I am "salary". Is there anyone here that works over 40 and doesn't get paid for it? I didn't read every single post.

gun_slinger_boy said:

Salary doesn't mean that whatever you work past 40 hours you don't get paid for. At least it's not supposed to. The govt itself does NOT allow this. Whatever you work past 40 hours you get paid time and a half. I don't know how companies get away with not paying extra over 40 hours. Maybe this is one of those things that never get challenged? Salary is simply the word used to describe your total earnings in a year at 40 hours per week. I know my job reeeeally doesn't want to give OT pay because they have to pay dearly for it. I am "salary". Is there anyone here that works over 40 and doesn't get paid for it? I didn't read every single post.

Wages and the Fair Labor Standards Act

The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) establishes minimum wage, overtime pay, recordkeeping, and child labor standards affecting most full-time and part-time workers in the private sector and in federal, state, and local governments.

www.dol.gov

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Yes.

There is salary exempt and salary non exempt.

Many people get paid a flat rate salary for their job and their employers essentially demand they work 50+ hours to complete their tasks and their pay rate does not change. I am one of them.

Drinkthekoolaid said:

Yes.

There is salary exempt and salary non exempt.

Many people get paid a flat rate salary for their job and their employers essentially demand they work 50+ hours to complete their tasks and their pay rate does not change. I am one of them.

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Still a little unclear. By their pay rate doesnt change do you mean the hourly pay is the same for all 50 hours or you don't get paid at all for the extra 10 hours?

gun_slinger_boy said:

Still a little unclear. By their pay rate doesnt change do you mean the hourly pay is the same for all 50 hours or you don't get paid at all for the extra 10 hours?

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I get paid the identical amount 2x a month regardless if I work 40 or 60 hours per week. I have no mechanism to claim overtime rates or gain additional income for the added hours worked it's just expected if I want to keep my job.

Salary workers absolutely get exploited.

I did previously have a "non exempt" salary position that was nice. I got a flat salary but any extra hours were rated as above and beyond overtime rates. This was a good system that I enjoyed.

gun_slinger_boy said:

Salary doesn't mean that whatever you work past 40 hours you don't get paid for. At least it's not supposed to. The govt itself does NOT allow this. Whatever you work past 40 hours you get paid time and a half. I don't know how companies get away with not paying extra over 40 hours. Maybe this is one of those things that never get challenged? Salary is simply the word used to describe your total earnings in a year at 40 hours per week. I know my job reeeeally doesn't like to give OT unless absolutely necessary because they have to pay dearly for it. I am "salary". Is there anyone here that works over 40 and doesn't get paid for it? I didn't read every single post.

Wages and the Fair Labor Standards Act

The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) establishes minimum wage, overtime pay, recordkeeping, and child labor standards affecting most full-time and part-time workers in the private sector and in federal, state, and local governments.

www.dol.gov

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If you're on salary, you get paid a fixed amount every paycheck. Typically your hours aren't even tracked. There's no way to pay you time and a half, because you're not paid for time to begin with.

Some weeks you work more, some weeks less, but the check is always the same.

If the employer sells the job as 40 hours a week, but you're consistently working 50, then take it up with them and if they won't change it, quit.

I had a job where we converted from hourly to salary. We typically worked 50ish hours. When they set the salary they based it on a 50 hour week, i.e. 55x your old hourly rate.

If you had a rough week and got stuck late a couple times you might work 60. If things went smoothly you might get away with 40. But the check is always the same.

There are also people who do "piece work" that aren't salaried, *or* hourly. They are literally paid per unit of work accomplished.

A flat rate mechanic would be an example of piece work. You get $x for a brake job on a specific vehicle. If you're quick it's great money. If you work in NY and every fastener on the car is rusted to shit, sucks to be you. You might be making below minimum wage on that job.

When most people talk about salary jobs this is how it works.

Your employer hires you at some sort of agreed upon wage lets say 60k annually.
That 60k gets broken up into 24 payments 2x a month so 2x a month you get a check for 2500(minus taxes etc).

You make the same every single paycheck until you get a raise or reduction.

The amount of hours you work does not matter. You could work 30 or 70 and the pay is the same.

If you are working 30 your boss will say well you're clearly not busy enough gets 10 more files or accounts to manage and now you're at 50 hours.

If you are at 40 hours the boss will say well there are layoffs coming we need to protect your position so regardless you need to be more effective so you're getting 15% more workload so get it done, and poof now you're 50+ hours.

Wash rinse repeat. They will just keep screwing you. But it totally makes up for it when you can sneak off for 2 hours early for a Dr. Appointment and not have to clock out and get the privilege to finish your workload from home that night

SomeSoldier said:

I lost money from last year to this year. My "raise" wasn't near enough to cover inflation.

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Same here.