AI and automation justify shorter workweek, Democrats argue

Sen. Bernie Sanders and Senate Democrats cited advances in artificial intelligence and automation Thursday of their argument for a invoice that might mandate a 32-hour federal workweek.

“Regardless of huge growth in expertise and employee productiveness, tens of millions of employees in our nation are working longer hours for low wages,” Sanders mentioned after gaveling open a listening to of the Senate Committee on Well being, Schooling, Labor and Pensions.

“The unhappy actuality is Individuals now work extra hours than the folks of every other rich nation,” the committee chair and Vermont unbiased mentioned later.

The bill launched by Sanders and Sen. Laphonza Butler, D-Calif., would scale back the usual workweek from 40 hours to 32 hours over a four-year interval.

Employers must pay overtime compensation to nonexempt staff of 1.5 instances the hourly fee for each hour labored previous eight hours in a single day, and two instances the hourly fee for each hour labored previous 12 hours.

The invoice additionally would assure that complete weekly wages wouldn’t be reduce on account of the discount in complete hours labored.

Rep. Mark Takano, D-Calif., has launched an identical invoice within the Home of Representatives.

The payments come months after enterprise leaders comparable to JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates predicted that individuals might inside many years work as little as three days every week as a result of improvements in AI and automation.

Sanders and Democrats at Thursday’s listening to mentioned that decreasing the workweek would permit folks to spend extra time with household and on hobbies.

“Lots of people discover worth in work and I am glad that they do, however lots of people discover extra worth by the establishments and the social golf equipment and the church buildings that they affiliate and spend time with outdoors of labor,” mentioned Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn.

Republicans slammed the plan, saying the mandate would destroy small companies and would damage industries comparable to retail shops, which should be open six or extra days per week.

“This may be napalm upon the fireplace of inflation,” mentioned Sen. Invoice Cassidy of Louisiana, the rating Republican on the committee.

One other Republican on the panel, Sen. Mike Braun of Indiana, mentioned, “I do disagree attempting to do something from this place that might impose upon the lots of of companies on the market to the place I simply do not assume they might survive.”

In testimony to the committee, Boston Faculty sociology professor Juliet Schor mentioned her analysis reveals that hourly productiveness of each employees and administration would rise on account of a four-day, 32-hour workweek. Schor mentioned her analysis additionally discovered that staff skilled will increase in well-being outdoors of the workplace.

Jon Leland, chief technique officer on the crowdfunding platform Kickstarter, testified that his firm noticed its purpose achievement fee and worker retention soar after instituting a four-day workweek.

“Individuals wish to work however they wish to work in a method that’s balanced with the remainder of their lives,” Leland instructed the panel.

However one other witness, Liberty Vittert, disputed research which have discovered higher productivity with a shorter workweek. Vittert mentioned these productiveness positive factors disappear over time.

“We do not know but what skills AI goes to provide us,” mentioned Vittert, who’s a professor of the follow of knowledge science at Washington College in St. Louis.

Cassidy steered holding a listening to on AI’s influence on the financial system.

However he additionally mentioned that it’s unlikely that advances in that expertise would permit most employees to scale back their hours.

“A mom-and-pop restaurant isn’t actually seeing elevated productiveness from AI,” Cassidy mentioned.

“They’re having hassle discovering sufficient folks to fill shifts.”