Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who became famous during the COVID pandemic for a photo of himself wearing a mask and gloves, has introduced a bill to introduce a four-day work week, drawing the ire of Republicans. If passed, the law would dramatically reduce the amount of time Americans work, leaving wages at current levels. The initiative appeared under the influence of the spread of new technologies, in particular artificial intelligence.
According to Sanders' proposal, the work week in the United States will be reduced to four days, while establishing new minimum overtime pay rates to guarantee a sufficient level of pay. The law would also prohibit employers from reducing workers' wages during reduced hours.
Sanders noted that American workers are more than 400% more productive than they were in the 1940s, but many of them are paid less. He believes that the financial benefits of new technologies should be enjoyed by the entire working class, not just corporate executives.
Although politicians have expressed concern about automation, no decisive action has yet been taken. The Senate has already held hearings on this draft law, where government representatives expressed their opposition. But Sanders is convinced that other countries have already shortened the working day, and this did not cause an economic crisis.
Sanders' bill on a four-day work week has caused sharp indignation among Republicans. If passed, it would accelerate the reduction of working hours for Americans while maintaining their current pay levels. New technologies, in particular artificial intelligence, became the impetus for this initiative.
