ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Emily M. Dickens, chief of staff and head of government affairs at SHRM (the Society for Human Resource Management), issued the following statement opposing AB 2932, a bill introduced in the California Assembly that would mandate a 32-hour workweek for employers with 500 or more workers:
"SHRM believes in workplace flexibility that works for both employees and employers. We oppose this legislation because of its one-size-fits-all approach, which requires large organizations to pay overtime for any work in excess of 32 hours without reducing an employee's regular rate of pay. This bill would also create a significant logistical burden for human resource professionals, especially at companies with operations in multiple states. And it would undoubtedly be bad for business in California, exacerbating staffing shortages, raising labor costs and making life more difficult for scores of businesses struggling to recover from the worst days of the pandemic.
"Fortunately, there are better ways to enhance employees' work-life integration and attract and retain top talent. SHRM research shows 32 percent of organizations already offer a compressed workweek. Others have implemented flextime, shift work, part-time schedules and job sharing. Those flexibilities, which vary according to industry and organizational size, would be threatened by AB 2932.
"On behalf of the 25,000 SHRM members from California, we look forward to working with lawmakers in Sacramento to advance policies that safeguard the lives and livelihoods of workers and make it easier to create meaningful, good-paying jobs."
About SHRM
SHRM, the Society for Human Resource Management, creates better workplaces where employers and employees thrive together. As the voice of all things work, workers and the workplace, SHRM is the foremost expert, convener and thought leader on issues impacting today's evolving workplaces. With 300,000+ HR and business executive members in 165 countries, SHRM impacts the lives of more than 115 million workers and families globally. Learn more at SHRM.org and on Twitter @SHRM.
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