New York Assemblywoman Phara Souffrant Forrest expressed optimism that her proposal to abolish the “five-day grind” in favor of a four-day workweek is gaining traction.

The Democratic lawmaker, a progressive representing the 57th Assembly District in Brooklyn, is pushing two bills that would institute pilot programs for state and private sector workers seeking to test a 32-hour workweek. 

Recommended Stories

• Powell dismisses July rate cut, heightening tension with Fed board and Trump
• Third round of June Social Security payments goes out tomorrow
• July Social Security direct payment worth $967 goes out in one week

The response she’s garnered from fellow legislators “so far has been encouraging,” Forrest told Newsweek, which, to her, signals a “growing interest in rethinking the structure of work, especially after the pandemic shifted how we all view time, labor, and quality of life.”

If New York can demonstrate that the shorter workweek proposal, with equal pay, works for the Empire State, Forrest “absolutely believes” it could become a model for the country.

“As a working mom, a nurse, and someone who’s juggled multiple jobs just to get by, I know firsthand how exhausting and unsustainable the five-day grind can be,” she continued, saying that her proposals “came out of that lived experience and out of conversations I’ve had with so many New Yorkers who are overworked, underpaid, and barely have time for their families or themselves.”

Assembly Bill A5423 would establish a four-day workweek pilot program for public employees, requiring the state to identify agencies and positions where a four-day workweek would be feasible for at least 60% of employees. 

Assembly Bill A5454 would create the New York Smart Week Pilot Program for private sector employers, encouraging them to adopt the four-day workweek by offering a tax credit of up to $250,000 per employer or $5,000 per participating employee.

Proposals to shrink the workweek have been lauded as an effective way to boost productivity.

However, companies have often pushed back on such proposals due in part to concerns about the costly implementation of the idea. 

When the tech guild for the New York Times went on strike last winter, one of their demands included a four-day workweek, which the outlet rejected after estimating it would cost more than $100 million over three years.

Forrest has cited studies, including research on 61 businesses in the United Kingdom that tested a four-day workweek, to argue that her legislation is based on evidence and that she’s “pushing the conversation forward in a serious, data-driven way.”

Of the 61 companies that participated in the 2023 U.K. trial, 92% are continuing with the four-day week, 71% of employees had reduced levels of burnout, and 54% found it was easier to balance work with household jobs. Meanwhile, researchers found that companies’ revenue stayed broadly the same over the trial period. 

Forrest described the study and others as “real-world evidence that fewer hours doesn’t have to mean less productivity and that workers thrive when given more time to care for themselves, their families, and their communities.”

ICE SWEEPING UP ‘ESSENTIAL WORKERS’ AS RAIDS SPREAD NATIONWIDE

Her bills are being reviewed in committee, which means they must undergo public hearings, amendments, and committee votes before they advance.

The Washington Examiner contacted legislative leaders and Forrest’s office for comment.