Legislation of the Week: NYS Senate Bill 5629

“An act to amend the labor law, in relation to the number of hours which constitute a work week.” 

Senator Jessica Ramos (D-13) is sponsoring bill S5629 that would create a four-day work week for New Yorkers. This bill would amend the labor law by establishing § 160-A to address the number of hours that constitutes a legal work week for employees who are not farm workers or contractors. The bill explicitly states that “thirty-two hours shall constitute a legal’s week’s work.” The bill accounts for the possibility of overtime — suggesting that employees will receive the benefits of overtime if they work beyond the 32-hour legal workweek. If this bill passes, it will take effect immediately. Assemblyman Harry Bronson (D-138) will sponsor this bill in the assembly. 

The justification section says, “Multiple trials conducted in developed countries including the United States have been a resounding success across all three metrics.” Those metrics suggested that companies showed high levels of performance, productivity and overall experience when implementing a 32-hour workweek. The justification argues that reducing the workweek will create positive mental and physical health impacts on individuals. “A recent World Health Organization and International Labour Organization review found strong associations with long working hours and higher rates of heart disease and strokes,” says the justification. In addition to health benefits, the trials suggested that a shorter work week was economically viable despite not reducing pay and would lower carbon emissions. The justification concludes by saying that the N.Y. Government has an “obligation to invest in the overall health and wellbeing of the workforce.”