California’s 4-Day Workweek Bills: Where We’ve Been, What’s Next
In California, the idea of a standard 4-day, 32-hour workweek has already made it into bill text twice. None of those efforts have become law yet, but they have changed the conversation in Sacramento and helped lay the groundwork for what comes next. As a nonprofit dedicated to making a 4-day, 32-hour workweek with no loss in pay the new standard, WorkFour has watched these bills closely and worked alongside partners across the state to push the debate forward.
Here’s a quick primer on the past and current state of 4-day workweek legislation in California, and why these “failed” bills actually matter.
AB 2932 (2022): California’s First Big 32-Hour Workweek Push
In early 2022, Assemblymembers Cristina Garcia and Evan Low introduced AB 2932, the most ambitious 4-day workweek bill California has seen so far. The proposal would have redefined the legal workweek for large employers from 40 hours down to 32 hours, while keeping a normal workday at eight hours.
Key features of AB 2932 included:
Who it covered: Private-sector employers with more than 500 employees, roughly 2,600 companies employing more than 3.6 million workers in California.
Overtime after 32 hours: Any hours worked beyond 32 in a week would be paid at least 1.5 times the employee’s regular rate of pay—shifting the overtime threshold down from 40 hours.
No pay cuts: Employers would have been prohibited from cutting workers’ regular rate of pay as a result of moving from 40 hours to 32 hours per week, effectively guaranteeing the “100-80-100” model: 100% pay for 80% of the time in exchange for maintaining 100% productivity.
Union carve-out: Unionized workforces with collective bargaining agreements were exempt, on the logic that their contracts already serve as a floor that can exceed state standards.
In other words, AB 2932 was a directive bill: it aimed to change the definition of full-time work in law, not just test it.
Business groups, led by the California Chamber of Commerce, quickly labeled AB 2932 a “job killer,” arguing it would sharply increase labor costs, complicate scheduling for multi-state employers, and expose companies to more litigation under California’s already strict overtime rules. Supporters pointed to international and corporate trials showing that shorter weeks can reduce burnout and turnover while maintaining or improving productivity.
AB 2932 drew national attention—but it stalled. The bill was re-referred to the Assembly Labor and Employment Committee in March 2022 and then failed to advance before key deadlines, effectively dying in committee for the 2021–22 session.
Even though AB 2932 didn’t pass, it was historic: it was California’s first credible attempt to mandate a 4-day, 32-hour week for a large share of the workforce, and it signaled that the idea had moved from the fringe to the legislative mainstream.
AB 1100 (2023–2024): From Mandate to Study and Pilot
Lawmakers came back to the idea in the next session, but with a different strategy. In 2023, Assemblymember Evan Low introduced AB 1100, which shifted from a direct mandate to a more cautious, step-by-step approach. At different points in its life, AB 1100 took two related tacks:
Pilot grants for employers: One version of the bill would have created a “32-hour Workweek Pilot Program” run by the Department of Industrial Relations, offering grants to employers with five or more employees to implement voluntary 32-hour workweeks and study the impacts.
Study of state workers’ schedules: Later language focused on state employees, directing the Government Operations Agency, in consultation with CalHR, to evaluate how a 4-day workweek—including a 32-hour model—could be implemented to improve state workers’ health, quality of life, and job performance, and to report back to the Legislature by January 1, 2026.
Both versions reflected a “start with data” approach: rather than immediately redefining full-time work for the entire private sector, AB 1100 sought to test and measure shorter workweeks—either through grants to employers or through a focused study of public-sector schedules.
Despite that more incremental framing, AB 1100 ultimately met the same fate as AB 2932. On February 1, 2024, the bill was filed with the Chief Clerk under Joint Rule 56, which means it failed and did not advance out of committee in the 2023–24 session. WorkFour’s own tracking of policy developments reflects that AB 1100 “died in committee,” ending that particular vehicle for now.
So Is There a 4-Day Workweek Bill in California Right Now?
As of early 2026, California does not have an active, moving bill that would mandate or pilot a statewide 4-day, 32-hour workweek.
However, the impact of past 4-day workweek bills is bigger than their formal “failed” status:
They put specific 32-hour language into the legislative record, including protections against pay cuts and clear overtime rules.
They normalized the idea that the state can and should revisit the 40-hour standard, especially given rising productivity and burnout.
They helped link California’s debate to national efforts, including federal Thirty-Two Hour Workweek Act proposals introduced by Rep. Mark Takano and Sen. Bernie Sanders, which seek to lower the federal standard workweek from 40 to 32 hours without reducing pay.
In other words, California’s 4-day workweek bills are part of a broader shift: from assuming that 40 hours is untouchable, to actively questioning and re-designing what “full-time” should mean in the 21st century.
What These Bills Tell Us About the Road Ahead
Taken together, AB 2932 and AB 1100 offer a kind of roadmap for where the conversation is headed:
Mandates vs. pilots: AB 2932 tried to move directly to a new statewide standard for large employers; AB 1100 tried to build evidence and comfort through pilots and studies. Future bills will likely continue to experiment along this spectrum—some bold, some incremental.
Who goes first: AB 2932 targeted big private employers; later versions of AB 1100 explored the state workforce. Both approaches matter: public-sector pilots can prove feasibility, while private-sector standards ensure that workers at large companies share in the gains of shorter weeks.
Business pushback is real—but not destiny: Opposition from employer groups was a major factor in stopping these bills, but that doesn’t mean the idea is going away. The global evidence base for 32-hour weeks is growing, and more California employers are experimenting with 4-day schedules on their own. As those stories stack up, it becomes harder to argue that this is impossible or unaffordable.
For WorkFour, the lesson is clear: California is closer to a 4-day workweek than it looks on paper. Lawmakers have already written the key concepts into bill text; now the work is to refine, build broader coalitions, and line legislation up with the practical successes employers are already seeing.
How WorkFour Fits In—and How You Can Help
WorkFour exists to make the 4-day, 32-hour workweek the new baseline in America, including here in California. That means:
Tracking and supporting legislation like AB 2932 and AB 1100, and helping lawmakers craft stronger, more politically durable bills.
Lifting up real-world case studies from California employers that have already moved to 4-day weeks without cutting pay or productivity.
Organizing workers and allies so that when the next 32-hour bill drops in Sacramento, there is visible, coordinated public support behind it.
The past few years of 4-day workweek bills in California tell a simple story: the idea is popular, the policy is workable, and the politics are catching up. The next bill will not start from scratch—it will build directly on the text, data, and debate generated by AB 2932 and AB 1100.
If you want to see California lead on this again, the most powerful things you can do right now are:
Talk to your friends, family, and coworkers about pushing for a 4-day, 32-hour week with no loss in pay. Most people don’t think this is a real possibility. It’s up to us to change that.
Ask your state Assemblymember and Senator where they stand on 32-hour workweek legislation.
Share credible research and success stories—especially from California employers—that show what’s possible when we trade hours for health, time, and sustained productivity.
With enough pressure, organizing, and smart policy design, California can help define the 32-hour standard for the 21st century.
