Reduces the number of hours in a work week to thirty-two for employers with at least five hundred employees who are not part of a collective bargaining agreement.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
 
BILL NUMBER: A1241
SPONSOR: Burgos
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the labor law, in relation to reducing the number of
hours in a work week to thirty-two for employers with at least five
hundred employees
 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
The purpose of this bill is to reduce the work week hour and the over-
time law hours to 32 for employers with at least 500 employees who are
not part of a collective bargaining agreement.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1 amends the labor law by adding a new section 160-a reducing
the work week to thirty-two hours for any employer with at least five
hundred employees who are not part of a collective bargaining agreement.
Section 232 of the labor law is amended to reduce the overtime law to 32
hours per week for employees who are employed by a contractor with at
least five hundred employees who are not part of a collective bargaining
agreement.
Under both the section and subdivision, an employee's compensation shall
not be reduced due to the reduction in hours that is considered a legal
week's work and shall not prevent an agreement for overwork at an
increased compensation of at least one hundred fifty percent of the
employee's base compensation.
 
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ORIGINAL AND AMENDED VERSION (IF APPLICABLE):
N/A
 
JUSTIFICATION:
In light of the pandemic, many large corporations transitioned to a
remote/hybrid model. As this resulted in reduced hours but the same
amount of productivity, companies have considered or begun instituting a
four-day, 32 hour work week. Studies have shown that there has been no
correlation between working more hours and better productivity. This
trend is continuing across the country, with similar legislation being
introduced at the federal level and in California. Since COVID has
changed the structure of the workforce, large employers are opting not
to go back to the same pre-pandemic 40-hour work week format. With this
new format, a 32-hour work week would only apply to companies with
employees of 500 or more. It would not apply to those with less than 500
or part of a collective bargaining agreement. Bargaining agreement
includes teachers, nurses, doctors, 'librarians, etc.
 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2021-2022: A10009 (Burgos)- Referred to labor
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:
To be determined
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect January 1, 2025.