Left-Wing Capitol Hill Staff Want 32-Hour Work Week ‘Without A Reduction In Pay’

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 worker satisfaction, increas staff retention in Congress, and model 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. (RELATED: Vivek Ramaswamy Says DOGE Plan For Gov’t Employees Has Bureaucrats ‘In Tears’)

“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 CPSA letter states. “Given the cyclical nature of the schedule, we propose implementing a 32-hour workweek for D.C.-based staff during district work periods and a 32-hour workweek for district-based staff while in-session. Doing so — without a reduction in pay — would allow both D.C. and distinct staff to be fully available around the clock throughout more intensive periods when the Member is in town while allowing for a more sustainable schedule when workloads are more manageable.”

A 2023 Gallup study of 12,000 full-time employees found workers on a four-day schedule reported higher levels of burnout than their five-day counterparts, and did not have significantly higher levels of well-being, potentially because employees