When San Juan County employees transitioned to a 32-hour workweek, 78% of workers reported a positive increase in mental health.

One of the important things a 32-hour workweek does is require workplaces to address existing issues. That could look like shortening unnecessarily long meetings or cutting out unnecessary meetings completely. Move Minnesota, which adopted the 32-hour workweek, now has a policy that every meeting must have an owner, an agenda, and clear deliverables. Or it could require agencies to stop piling more work onto other workers when there is a vacant position, and actually drive the hiring process forward to fill those needed roles.

Moving to a 32-hour workweek would also be a huge benefit to talent recruitment and retention, increasing both the pool of applicants and the length of service of the workers themselves. With a 32-hour workweek, the cost of workers leaving decreases because they leave less often. In 61 companies that piloted the 4-Day Workweek in the UK, staff turnover reduced 57%.

Meet and Confer is an essential place for the union to work out the implementation of a 32-hour workweek and raise the issues that need to be addressed for the transition to be a success.

“The number of applicants has spiked and the time it takes to fill positions has dropped by 62%.”

San Juan County Six-Month Check-in Report

We all have some weeks where we may need to meet a deadline or have some other pressing need to work more than our assigned schedule. We would anticipate overtime requests working the same way they do now, but replace “40” with “32.”

Our world raises and socializes us to identify ourselves with our jobs, saying that we should “do what we love.” With all the things in this world that we could do and explore, only having one thing you love feels pretty limiting. Have you ever thought about who you are outside of work? When you meet somebody new, do you almost always find yourself asking first what their job is, then running out of things to say? What are you most proud of doing in your life outside of work? Having more time lets us find what else can define and fulfill us, and allows us to experience the world in a deeper way.

No. A 32-hour workweek would be considered full-time employment and healthcare would not be impacted by this change.

Corrections workers asked if this would impact their pension plan which allows them to retire at 55 if they’ve got 10 years at 75% of their time with offenders. We spoke with business agents and met with our MAPE’s Government Affairs lead to learn that no, this wouldn’t impact that.

For non-corrections folks, we are seeking a 32-hr week with no change to benefits, meaning we are not negotiating lower pension rates for fewer hours worked. We benefit enormously from our DOC union siblings already having contract language that allows for less time worked while keeping full benefits.

All around the country we see examples of the 32-hour workweek across industries - a police department in CO, senior care workers in WI, Manufacturing in OH, and county workers in WA. It will take some figuring out, and it’s really important to make the process intentional, but there is a path for everyone to the 32-hour workweek.

The 32-hour workweek is popular with the public!

We believe all workers deserve more time ‘for what we will.’ We’re not alone in this demand. We’re joining a growing movement of workers across industries who are pushing for a 32-hour workweek. As a union we can lead the way toward a societal shift that benefits all workers, just as labor unions led the way to the 40 hour workweek a hundred years ago.

Additionally, studies have shown that employees, including those in the public sector, often become more productive and efficient with a shorter workweek. By focusing on delivering high-quality services in less time, government employees can demonstrate their dedication and effectiveness. Improved work-life balance can lead to higher job satisfaction and morale, which can translate into better service for the community. This change isn’t only about working less, but about working smarter and showing that government employees are committed to excellence and innovation.

The 32-hour workweek will look different for different sectors. While some people might be working a four-day week M-Th, others might have their 32-hours spread across the week to accommodate for being on-call or ensuring that a specific area is always staffed 24/7. The important aspect is that 32-hours is considered full-time and people would be compensated with overtime for any hours they work beyond the 32 hours.

• Turnover is estimated to cost at least ½ of an employee’s salary. Reducing working hours with no loss in pay drastically lowers turnover rates, with resignations down 22%.
• In pilot programs, employers averaged a 30% increase in revenue.
• Some organizations - if moving to a 4 day workweek - can save on 1 day of office infrastructure costs (cleaning, supplies, utilities)

Let’s take a lesson from the Can Company workers in 1937 who won wages and time! Having multiple bold demands can strengthen us in contract negotiations. Last year United Auto Workers included a 32-hour workweek in their demands, and while they didn’t win it, they did win historic pay raises. AFSCME in San Juan County won both a 32-hour workweek and wage increases.

This is something the negotiating team will have to work out with input from members, but we want no change to vacation and sick time accrual.

“Our members have had 416 hours per year of personal time restored to them with no impacts to health or retirement benefits. The change in hours has encouraged some members to stay in their positions and has helped to attract new staff. The burdens placed on many of our public servants have been reduced in ways that allow for a healthier balance between the demands of their jobs and those of their personal lives.”

AFSCME Council 2 Local 1849 Executive Committee, San Juan County Six-Month Check-in Report

It’s helpful to think of work as output rather than time. Employers and employees exchange 100% pay for 100% output. Although employees will be working fewer hours, added rest and downtime translates to sharpened focus and higher quality output; the same goals - if not more - are achievable! Employers are benefiting from often higher productivity and higher returns from their employees, and employees should be compensated for that output.

Exempt workers whose time is already abused as they often work over 40 hours and aren’t compensated didn’t see how this campaign would benefit them. So we’ve put together a Contract Language team and are working on ways to make sure this is a benefit that would reach all workers, exempt and non-exempt alike.

Some positions are the “low hanging fruit” for moving to a 32-hour workweek, including many state jobs. Knowledge work roles that were previously “office work” before hybrid and full-time teleworking became more of the norm are essentially already 32-hour workweeks. Once the unnecessary and overlong meetings, distractions and interruptions, outdated practices, wasteful processes, and poor use of technology are trimmed off the workweek, the 32-hour workweek is blooming. For other positions and jobs, moving to the 32-hour workweek might require a deeper level of innovation and organizational redesign, and it’s an opportunity for creativity. We’re already seeing the 32-hour workweek work for industries that might seem challenging, like 24/7 emergency services - Police Departments in Ohio and Colorado have made the switch. As have healthcare and senior care employers in New Jersey and Wisconsin.

“Due to the positive trends of data across the Department, the City determined it will continue the pilot for an additional six months through July 1, 2024, and will look to expand the pilot to other departments across the city using similar evaluation methods and metrics.”

City of Golden 6-month Update on Police Department Compressed Workweek Pilot