Artificial intelligence is changing how quickly work gets done, but it has also exposed a growing mismatch between productivity and personal wellbeing. Many workers are producing more than ever, yet working the same long hours and reporting higher levels of stress and fatigue. This gap has pushed new questions into public view, including whether the structure of the workweek still makes sense in an era where machines handle more tasks once done by people. Senator Bernie Sanders brought this issue into mainstream discussion during recent interviews, including on the Joe Rogan Experience, where he argued that rising efficiency should benefit workers rather than threaten their livelihoods.
This conversation is unfolding at a time when burnout and chronic stress are common across many industries. Health surveys consistently show that long working hours are linked to poor sleep, mental strain, and declining overall health. Sanders’ proposal reframes the issue as more than an economic debate. It raises a practical health question about how time, workload, and recovery affect people’s ability to function well over the long term. Instead of asking how much more workers can produce, the focus shifts to how work can be structured to reduce strain while maintaining stability and productivity.
Why Higher Efficiency Has Not Meant Better Health
For decades, higher productivity was expected to improve everyday life. As workers produced more, wages tended to rise and living standards followed. That pattern has weakened over time. Output has continued to increase, but work hours have stayed largely the same while financial pressure has grown for many households. The result is a workforce that is more productive on paper but often feels less stable and more strained in daily life.
Artificial intelligence has sped up this imbalance. Tools that assist with writing, scheduling, logistics, customer service, and medical analysis are now common across industries. Data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that labor productivity has continued to rise alongside these changes. At the same time, surveys consistently report higher levels of exhaustion and job insecurity among workers. Faster systems have not translated into lighter workloads. In many cases, they have raised expectations without reducing demands.
Bernie Sanders has argued that this outcome reflects policy decisions rather than an unavoidable result of technology. Speaking on the Joe Rogan Experience, he said, “You’re a worker, your productivity is increasing because we give you AI, right? Instead of throwing you out on the street, I’m going to reduce your workweek to 32 hours.” Research in occupational health supports the concern behind this statement. Studies published in Occupational Health Science have linked long working hours to increased risk of depression, disrupted sleep, and cardiovascular problems. When productivity gains are not paired with reduced hours, the health burden often increases rather than improves.
What the Thirty Two Hour Workweek Proposal Actually Changes
Bernie Sanders turned his argument into formal policy in 2023 by introducing the Thirty Two Hour Workweek Act. The proposal does not prevent people from working longer weeks, nor does it force companies to shut down operations earlier. Instead, it changes how extra work is counted and compensated. Under the bill, any hours worked beyond thirty two in a week would qualify for overtime pay. The goal is to make extended hours a deliberate choice rather than an unspoken expectation.
The legislation is designed to roll out gradually over four years, giving employers time to adjust staffing plans, workflows, and budgets. Sanders has pointed out that earlier reductions in the standard workweek in the United States were also met with concern from businesses before becoming widely accepted. This slower transition is meant to reduce disruption while testing whether shorter hours can be integrated without harming productivity.
Evidence from other countries suggests that this approach is workable. Large scale trials of four day workweeks in Iceland and the United Kingdom have reported steady or improved productivity alongside better worker wellbeing. In the UK, a pilot program coordinated by researchers at the University of Cambridge found that most participating companies chose to keep the shorter schedule after the trial ended. These outcomes challenge the idea that longer hours are necessary for strong performance. From a health perspective, they support findings that adequate rest improves focus, reduces fatigue, and helps prevent long term stress related conditions.
How Work Hours Affect Stress and Recovery
The way most workweeks are structured keeps the body in a near constant state of alert. Long hours, tight deadlines, and limited recovery time repeatedly activate stress responses that were meant to be short term. When this pattern continues week after week, it can interfere with hormone regulation, immune response, and emotional stability. Over time, the nervous system has fewer chances to fully reset, which can make even small stressors feel overwhelming.
Health research supports this connection. Findings cited by organizations such as the American Psychological Association show that excessive working hours are linked to higher cortisol levels and reduced physical recovery. Prolonged exposure to this state increases the risk of burnout, sleep problems, anxiety, and cardiovascular strain. Clinicians often describe this pattern as functional exhaustion, where people continue to meet responsibilities but operate with depleted physical and mental reserves.
Reducing weekly work hours has the potential to interrupt this cycle. More time outside of work allows for better sleep, regular movement, social interaction, and periods of mental rest. These factors help the nervous system return closer to baseline, improving focus and emotional regulation. From a health standpoint, this shift is not about working less for comfort. It is about creating conditions that support long term functioning and reduce the risk of stress related illness.
How Shorter Workweeks May Influence Sleep and Daily Habits
One of the most immediate health effects of long work hours shows up at night. Sleep duration and sleep quality often decline when workdays extend too far into the evening or when mental strain carries over after hours. Research has consistently shown that people who work longer weeks are more likely to experience short sleep duration, irregular sleep schedules, and difficulty falling or staying asleep. These disruptions are linked to impaired concentration, metabolic issues, and higher risk of chronic conditions over time.
A shorter workweek could help stabilize daily routines that support better sleep and healthier habits. Finishing work earlier or having an extra day off makes it easier to maintain consistent bedtimes, prepare balanced meals, and fit in regular physical activity. Studies examining reduced work hours have reported improvements in sleep quality and self reported energy levels, even when total output remains stable. While changing work schedules alone does not solve every health concern, it can remove a major barrier that keeps people from meeting basic needs like rest, nutrition, and movement. From a public health perspective, these small daily shifts can add up to meaningful long term benefits.
The Link Between Work Hours and Chronic Disease Risk
Long working hours do not only affect how tired people feel. They are also linked to measurable changes in long term health risk. Large observational studies have found associations between extended workweeks and higher rates of heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes. These risks are thought to be driven by a combination of chronic stress, poor sleep, reduced physical activity, and limited time for medical care and prevention.
Shortening the workweek may help reduce some of these pressures. With more predictable and manageable schedules, people are more likely to attend regular health checkups, follow treatment plans, and engage in preventive behaviors such as exercise and balanced eating. Research examining work hour reductions has shown improvements in self reported health and lower stress related symptoms without a loss in productivity. While policy changes alone cannot eliminate chronic disease, adjusting work hours could remove a structural factor that contributes to long term health strain for many adults.
Rethinking Work as a Health Issue
Artificial intelligence is often discussed in terms of speed, efficiency, and economic output, but its influence on health deserves equal attention. As technology allows more work to be completed in less time, the question is no longer whether productivity can increase, but how those gains are used. Long work hours remain a common source of stress, sleep disruption, and long term health risk, even as tools become more advanced.
Bernie Sanders’ proposal to shorten the workweek reframes this issue in practical health terms. Reducing hours does not mean reducing responsibility or effort. It means creating schedules that allow for adequate rest, recovery, and preventive care. Research consistently shows that when people have time to sleep properly, move regularly, and manage stress, both physical and mental health outcomes improve.
The future of work will continue to evolve alongside artificial intelligence. Whether that future supports better health depends on the choices made now. Treating work hours as a public health consideration rather than a fixed tradition opens the door to solutions that protect wellbeing while maintaining productivity. As technology reshapes how work is done, it also offers an opportunity to rethink how work fits into a healthy life.
Featured Image from Shelly Prevost from San Francisco, United States, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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