This is actually one thing I don't feel should, or even can be, legislated.
Americans work too much, but simply decreasing the "standard" number of hours per week leaves more questions than it answers. How do you force employers to keep everyone at the same weekly income putting in fewer hours? What about non-salaried workers who rely on OT to get by?
I'm fully in favor of flexible schedules for business/positions where it's feasible. I can do the vast majority of my job at any time of day or night and while remote, I work all kinds of hours. But this is something that is up to the individual business.
if anything they could slowly inch up the threshold of what constitutes overtime.
I mean right now the law states anything over 40 hours a week for not exempt employees is overtime.
You want to change how many hours a week the American works move the goalposts. Make it 36 hours a week then move it forward as needed.
Of course the obvious problem with this is employers will just make up this money elsewhere. And again still have the worker shortage so it's still not super feasible.
I still think the best way for the government to decrease the the work week in an indirect way, is simply universal Healthcare.
If people don't have to work 40 hours a week to get benefit I'd imagine you'd see a tremendous increase in part time and per diem employees
