How Close is Illinois to Making the 32-Hour Work Week a Law?

It was in Illinois that the 8-hour workday first became law almost 140 years ago.

The 8-Hour Workday First Became a Law in Illinois

Back in 1886, the legislature in Illinois passed a law that mandated a workday of 8 hours, which many Chicago employers refused to comply with, which led to a violent strike by workers.

The Haymarket Riot was a historical event in Illinois that began after a bomb killed 12 people during a labor demonstration and is commemorated every year on May 1 in many countries, according to Wikipedia.

40-hour Workweek Has Been a Law for 86 Years

The 40-hour workweek didn't just materialize outta thin air. It's the brainchild of labor movements that started in the late 19th and early 20th centuries when those folks were out there pounding the pavement, demanding fair treatment and a little more time for having a life.

In 1905, Most Americans were working 12 to 14-hour days, according to Wikipedia. Back in the day, way before we had smartphones glued to our palms, folks were putting in some serious hours on the job site.

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The Fair Labor Standards Act was passed into law in 1938 and required employers to pay all employees overtime once they had more than a 44-hour work week.

Could 32-Hour Work Week Become Illinois Law?

Working a 4-day work week is the goal of many, and now it could become a law if a new bill gets traction.

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According to a report from ABC7, a bill has been established that could be the framework that makes a 32-hour work week the law in America.

The fact that so many people are going to work exhausted, physically and mentally, and the fact that we have not changed the Fair Labor Standards Act. This was in 1940 -- we came up with a 40-hour work week -- 1940. -Senator Bernie Sanders

Presented by Senator Bernie Sanders, the 32-hour work week act is also supported by Florida Senator Butler and California House of Representative Mark Takano.

How do you feel about a 32-hour work week? Are there certain jobs that can't be kept to only 32 hours?