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Could Canadians handle a 32-hour workweek?
The Thirty-Two Hour Workweek Act would keep pay and benefits intact while adding overtime pay after 32 hours, supporters said.
U.S. Rep. Mark Takano and U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders reintroduced The Thirty-Two Hour Workweek Act earlier this month, proposing a 32-hour workweek without reduction in pay or benefits, with employers paying time-and-a-half for hours beyond 32.
Nita Chhinzer, an associate professor in the department of management at the University of Guelph, describes the Monday to Friday 9-5 schedule as "pretty archaic" because it measures hours worked rather than output.
Chhinzer describes the 32-hour workweek as a "double-edged sword that's being framed as an efficiency conversation," warning that the average person cannot withstand a 20 per cent income decline without guaranteed overtime or additional hours.
The proposal may benefit salaried workers paid regardless of hours, but hourly workers face different challenges; Chhinzer told CTVNews "there's no loss in pay per hour but there's loss in pay per week."
In Canada, discussions focus on a four-day compressed workweek with longer daily hours, with Chhinzer emphasizing that efficiency gains require maintaining current workloads rather than expanding employee responsibilities.