Recently, California Congresswoman Cristina Garcia proposed changing the five-day work week to a four-day work week. If the proposal passes, it means Californians will be able to enjoy a three-day holiday every weekend.

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Recently, California Congresswoman Cristina Garcia (Cristina Garcia) proposed to change the five-day work week to a four-day work week.

If the proposal passes, it means Californians will be able to enjoy a three-day holiday every weekend.

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California 4-day work week proposal

The proposal applied by California Congresswoman Cristina Garcia (Cristina Garcia), the AB-2932 proposal, requires companies with more than 500 employees to implement a 4-day work week, and will The work week 0 hours was reduced to the work week 2 hours .

If employees work more than 32 hours per week, the company must pay overtime pay.

Any working day more than 8 hours working hours, any work html more than 40 hours a week working hours, any work week the first 8 hours of working hours on the 7th day , the company will pay employees no less than the employee salary .5x the compensation of .

If the working hours exceed 12 hours on any working day, and the working hours exceed 8 hours on the 7th day of the week, the company will pay employees a compensation that is not less than 12 times the employee's salary. In addition, companies are not allowed to deduct employees' wages for changing their working hours.

The bill excludes businesses where employees have formed unions. (Collective bargaining typically secures benefits for employees above the bottom line of this bill.)

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Why the 4-day work week is proposed

According to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics(Bureau of Labor Statistics), there are more than 4,700 workers in the United States in 2021 Thousands of people resigned voluntarily. Cristina Garcia's idea for the bill came from the number of employees who resigned during the pandemic.

Cristina Garcia (Cristina Garcia) said that since the new crown epidemic, people have paid more attention to how to grasp the balance between life and work..

"You can see that people at work are not asking for free food or coffee - perks that companies provide, especially in Silicon Valley. What employees are talking about is wanting to live and work For balance, physical and mental health, the four-day working week is also a hot topic in everyone's discussion. "

Cristina Garcia also pointed out that many women in California leave the workplace and go home to take care of their children. This bill. The proposal helps to help women return to the workplace . The purpose of the proposal is not to allow employees to complete the same workload in a shorter period of time as in the past, but to allow people to better adapt to the changes brought about by the epidemic.

Joe O'Connor, CEO of "4 Day Week Global", a non-profit organization, also said, "The new crown epidemic has made everyone rethink life, and the epidemic can promote broader 'changes'. Sometimes, the larger cultural background and social norms are deeply ingrained in people's minds. For example, for nearly a century, people have accepted the standard five-day work week, and it takes the emergence of the epidemic to change this social situation. "

Qiao. · Joe O'Connor said his organization has just launched a pilot project with 38 companies in the United States and Canada to test a four-day work week.

This 6-month pilot project involves more than 2,000 employees. The company's revenue, employee work rate and carbon footprint under the 5-day work week will be recorded and compared with the 4 days of work after the pilot. system for comparison.

The non-profit organization "4 Day Week Global" stated that the -day work system is more conducive to improving employee work rates and companies retaining employees who are more suitable for the company in the future..

The picture shows the non-profit organization "4 Day Week Global".

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html Opposition to the 6-week and 4-day workday

Once the proposal was put forward, a representative of the California Chamber of Commerce said, "The increase in labor costs will hinder employment growth, especially when so many employers are still trying to recover from the epidemic and have At the same time, we are also facing rising prices. "

A four-day working week, and employee salaries must not be reduced, means that employee hourly wages will increase by 25%, and companies will increase employee overtime costs. These add "huge costs" to businesses, even for large companies.

The picture shows a Walmart employee.

Ashley Hoffman, a representative of the business advocacy group, opposed the bill proposal, "The impact of AB-2932 on California's labor costs will hinder employment growth in the state and even affect people's employment opportunities. "

"Even consumers will want businesses to be open five days a week. I'm really not sure, for most of the workforce, that this bill will mean that people can actually work four days a week in the future. For those who need For companies where people work five days a week, this is increasing wages and increasing costs. "

The proposal will cause the price of the company's products or services to increase. What does this change mean for part-time workers: Will part-time employees earn less per hour than full-time employees? Will the salary of part-time employees change after the bill is passed? Will it be less than before?

If the bill passes, more than ,000 corporate employers in California will be affected. Concerns are focused on the potential for negative economic impact, cost overruns, and deterioration in sales and service quality.

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html The 64-day work proposal is not new

The idea of ​​a 4-day work week is not new. " The New York Times " reported that the union was trying to achieve this goal. The proposal first appeared in 1970 .

Across Canada, the feasibility of a four-day work week is also being tested. The small town of Zorra in Ontario has also begun experimenting with similar working hours since September 2020. The eight-month program is optional for city workers, who alternate taking either Friday or Monday off.

In 2021, Ottawa-based technology consulting firm Iversoft also launched an optional four-day work week to provide employees with greater flexibility. “As long as the work gets done, you can manage your time however you want,” the company’s CEO told employees when introducing the pilot program.

Iceland began to promote this concept as early as 2015. About 2,500 government, hospital, and police staff participated - they worked 32 hours in four days and received the same pay. The findings showed that their work efficiency and productivity either remained the same or improved. Iceland's long-running "four-day work week" has achieved "overwhelming success" there.

Spain will also start testing a four-day work plan from 2021. The Spanish government said it would pay employers extra costs for employees during the testing period. Spain is one of the first countries to test a four-day working week, which advocates say will increase employee productivity and creativity.

Many companies in New Zealand have also begun testing plans for a four-day working day. Many companies including Unilever (company) are participating. Nick Bangs, managing director of Unilever New Zealand, said in a statement: "We hope this trial will make Unilever the first global company to embrace a way of working that delivers real benefits to employees and the business. .

Last year, Microsoft (MSFT) conducted a trial with a team in Japan, closing offices every Friday in August and giving all employees an extra day off per week. Microsoft tried a four-day workday in Japan . Productivity jumps 40% The company said the results were encouraging: Although working hours were significantly reduced, productivity (measured by sales per employee) was up nearly 40% compared with the same period last year, Microsoft announced. Another experiment will be conducted in Japan and other companies will be asked to join the initiative.

So far, Japan, New Zealand, Iceland, Spain and some other countries have moved to a 4-day work week. Is California expected to implement a 4-day week as well? Work system?

What do you think about the 4-day work week?

(Wanhua)