California Lawmakers Introduce Bill to Mandate 4-Day Workweek

California lawmakers have proposed a bill that would make a four-day workweek a state law, the Los Angeles Times reports.

The law would apply to companies with 500 employees or more and require those companies to furnish overtime pay to any employee who exceeds 32 hours worked in a single week. The legislation would affect more than 2500 companies in California, the article says.

“We’ve had a five-day workweek since the Industrial Revolution, but we’ve had a lot of progress in society, and we’ve had a lot of advancements,” State Assembly member Cristina Garcia told the outlet. “I think the pandemic right now allows us the opportunity to rethink things, to reimagine things.”

The California Chamber of Commerce opposes the bill, calling it a “job killer” and arguing that it would make hiring more expensive.

Read more at the Los Angeles Times.