Lawmaker Proposes 32-Hour Work Week, Would it Work in Colorado?

Most people would love to have a better work-life balance and one lawmaker wants to try to make that happen. There was a new bill introduced in the state of Washington that would create a 32-hour workweek instead of the standard 40-hour workweek.

9News shared the details about the bill that was created by Joe Nguyen on Monday and it's causing quite the uproar on social media. The thought behind the bill is that the younger workforce believes in a more flexible work schedule.  As the bill stands currently if employees work more than 32-hours in a week their employer would be required to pay time-and-a-half for any additional hours worked.

Nguyen went on to explain how he believes that work dynamics have changed since the five-day workweek was established more than a century ago. He went on to explain how a shorter workweek could create a happier and healthier work environment for all employees.

This theory has been tested at Microsoft Japan with promising results. News outlet The Guardian released information that in November of 2019 the company gave it's 2,300 workers Friday's off for five straight weeks and saw a 40% increased in productivity during this time period.

Even Nguyen admits he doesn't believe the bill will pass the Legislature in this first attempt. But he wants to bring the discussion to the forefront and hear from small business owners who would probably have the most difficulty with a change such as this.

My parents taught me growing up that the only way to be successful in life is to work hard, which has admittingly made me a little bit of a workaholic. Part of this also comes from the fact that I truly love my job. I'm not so sure this would work here in Colorado.

What do you think? Would a 32-hour workweek be something that you support if a lawmaker were to introduce a similar bill here in Colorado?