Progressive Staffers Push for 32-Hour Work Week, Sparking Bipartisan Backlash on Capitol Hill
FILE – Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., speaks during a news conference, Jan. 25, 2024, at the Capitol in Washington. Sanders is running for re-election. The 82-year-old, from Vermont, announced Monday, May 6, that he’s seeking his fourth term in the U.S. Senate. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib, File)
Progressive congressional staffers have sent a letter to House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), requesting a shortened 32-hour work week “on a rotating basis” during less demanding periods when members of Congress are out of Washington. However, the proposal has faced sharp criticism from both sides of the aisle.
During weeks when elected officials return to their districts, congressional staff often experience lighter workloads. The staffers argue that these quieter periods provide an opportunity to implement shorter work weeks, particularly since congressional staff do not receive overtime pay or compensatory time for long hours worked during busier weeks.
Junior-level staffers on Capitol Hill are notoriously underpaid, despite working in a city with some of the highest housing costs in the country. A 2023 report from Issue One noted that staff pay has increased slightly since 2021, bringing many entry-level salaries closer to a “livable wage.” However, many staffers still endure grueling 80-hour work weeks and are expected to accompany lawmakers to meetings, dinners, and political events.
For context, the average Capitol Hill staff assistant earns about $45,000 annually. By comparison, the base salary for public school teachers in Washington, D.C., starts at $49,000, with an average ranging between $53,000 and $88,000.
Supporters of the shortened work week argue that it would allow staffers to take on second jobs to supplement their income. However, the proposal has drawn widespread criticism for its timing and optics, with many seeing it as politically tone-deaf. “This is actually awful political instincts,” Democratic strategist Bakari Sellers posted on X.
Former Capitol Hill staffer and GOP consultant Maura Gillespie reacted with a GIF captioned “SHAME,” while Democratic Senate staffer Tré Easton called the proposal “strategically asinine.”
Stefan Smith, head of digital engagement at the ACLU, echoed the sentiment, writing, “Asking for a shorter work week than the Americans you serve is the type of terrible political instincts that keep me from ever identifying as an actual Progressive.”
Former congressional staffer Jake Abbott added, “Respectfully, if you feel this way, maybe this line of work isn’t for you. Ask for better pay, better benefits… Don’t ask to work less than the people you represent.”
The backlash underscores the fraught dynamics of public service on Capitol Hill, where low pay and high expectations clash with the optics of privilege in the nation’s capital.
