Left-Wing Capitol Hill Staff want 32-hour work week, but no pay cut

A group of left-wing Capitol Hill staffers are calling on lawmakers to implement a 32-hour work week when Congress is out of session, claiming the policy will reduce burnout and increase employee retention.

 

The Congressional Progressive Staff Association (CPSA) — which describes itself as “an official congressional staff organization whose mission is to advance the interests of current and prospective progressive staffers” — drafted an open letter to be sent later Thursday that requests a reduced workweek, with the stated aim of “improv[ing] worker satisfaction, increas[ing] staff retention in Congress, and model[ing] a more sustainable approach to work on a national level,” according to the letter. The policy would establish a 32-hour work week for Capitol Hill staffers when Congress isn’t in session, as well as a 32-hour work week for district office employees when Congress is in session.