A group of progressive staffers on Capitol Hill are pushing their bosses for a 32-hour work week, saying it will reduce "burnout" and "improve worker satisfaction."
The Congressional Progressive Staff Association wrote a letter on Thursday to House and Senate leaders asking that members of Congress adopt the shorter work week, without reducing staffers’ pay.
According to the letter, congressional staffers based in Washington, D.C., would reduce their hours when members are in their home districts but would work standard 40-hour weeks when Congress is in session. Staffers in the district offices, meanwhile, would follow a lighter schedule when members are in Washington, D.C.
The staffers claim that working fewer hours would reduce burnout "while maintaining or increasing their level of productivity." The letter also cites progressive Sen. Bernie Sanders’s (I., Vt.) proposed legislation that would establish a 32-hour work week nationally.
"We do not want a 32-hour workweek to just be another special benefit for Congressional staff: We hope that by adopting this policy, Members of Congress can help to advance the discussion around a more sustainable workweek as a national priority," the letter concluded.
The proposal drew negative reaction across the political spectrum.
"Project 2025 requires this group to have a zero hour work week," joked Rep. Mike Collins (R., Ga.).
"Why not be bold and ask for a 0-hour workweek?" Democratic Rep. Ritchie Torres (N.Y.) said. "I wonder how blue-collar Americans would feel about white-collar workers demanding a 32-hour workweek."