How would you like to get paid the same amount and work less? That idea isn't so novel anymore and could change the entire landscape of working in Massachusetts.
The difference between 32 and 40 may not seem like much — until you put it through the lens of a workweek. That's exactly what a petition from state Rep. Erika Uyterhoeven would focus on — cutting the Massachusetts workweek from five days to four.
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The Somerville Democrat is one of a handful of lawmakers who invited the public to learn about the bill on Tuesday during a hearing held by the Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development.
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This would mandate employers pay overtime at 1.5 times a person's salary once they pass 32 hours rather than 40.
Understanding this would require some practice and transition. Rep. Josh Cutler is backing a bill that would implement a two-year test run.
The Massachusetts Smart Week pilot program would give tax credits to employers who participate and report their findings so experts can study the impact.
"In this era of tight labor markets, we need to get creative to keep our economy growing," Cutler said earlier this year.
"We haven’t had a reduction in the standard work week since 1938 - 85 years," explained Juliet Shor, a professor at Boston College.
Shor consults with companies around the work looking to reduce their work week. She says it helps solve the problem of burnout.
”Their resignations plummet, and they get big big increases in the number of people applying so the economics of it work out in today’s labor market.”
The hope is that a shorter work week would not only help with burnout, boost worker satisfaction and productivity, but also reduce absences and cut down on that dreaded daily commute.
The shortened workweek is still a relatively new concept. So far, only about eight states have started to explore the concept.
