Progressive Congressional Staffers Ask Their Bosses to Shorten Their Work Week to 32 Hours: ‘Making the Work on the Hill More Effective’

AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib, File

Progressive staffers on Capitol Hill want to shorten their work weeks to just 32 hours in the hopes of being more “effective and efficient.”

The Congressional Progressive Staff Association released a letter on Thursday requesting that lawmakers pilot a 32 hour work week program for six months, which would translate to 32 hours work weeks for DC-based staff during district work periods and 32 hour work weeks for district-based staff while Congress is in session. The letter also recommends staggering employee hours or simply cutting daily hours to drop to 32.

“We write today to encourage you to consider adopting a proposal that would improve worker satisfaction, increase staff retention in Congress, and model a more sustainable approach to work on a national level,” the letter reads.

Being congressional staff, they added, is “demanding and intensive” and often includes long hours advising and supporting a Member.

“Staffers who assist with constituent casework must provide support on life-changing matters in a thorough and timely way, and outreach to local officials, businesses, and the communities the Member represents cannot cease when they are in Washington,” the letter reads.

The reduction in hours, according to the group, would not equate to a reduction in pay.

The letter has received some bipartisan mockery on social media. Some conservatives are even jokingly asking progressive staffers to work even less than 32 hours a week as President-elect Donald Trump takes office.

An abbreviated workweek, the group argued, would lead to longer tenures for staffers who “routinely work long hours at a level of rigor that regularly leads to burnout.”

“The intensive nature of these roles often causes staffers to seek new positions earlier than they would in a more predictable and sustainable work environment,” the letter reads. “This is a poor outcome for both the office and the staffer.”