SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — More than just plumbing and HVAC training is happening inside John Stevenson Plumbing, Heating & Air in Carlsbad.
The company offers a four-day, 10-hour work week to its plumbers and air conditioning techs.
"When we were in high school and in grade school, it was really exciting when we had a three-day weekend because that was three days off, and now we actually get to have that every single week," said plumber Skyler Dreher.
Dreher has worked for the company for about a year, and he said that incentives played a factor in why he chose to work for the North County company. He said the model boosts morale.
“All the technicians have that extra day of rest where we can just like mentally recuperate and really kinda take a load off. It’s not so much it doesn’t get overbearing," he told ABC 10News.
Dreher said the only downfall he can see is having to plan ahead.
“If you’re a busier person during the week and you have stuff that you have to take care of," he said.
The company's human resources director, Amber Rush, was tasked with the rollout two years ago and said it’s a great recruitment tool.
“A lot of healthier, happier [employees], a lot fewer callouts for being sick, a lot less time off for ancillary things like dentist appointments [and] doctors appointments," she explained.
But it took some time to get the model approved.
"You have to go through this very long process — there’s a voting process, there’s an initiation process, there’s an approval through the department of labor process so it does take time," said Rush.
The 32-Hour Workweek Act is back on the table, and it would change the Fair Labor Standards Act and would lower the amount of work week hours from 40 to 32.
It would also require employers to pay employees overtime if they work more than 32 hours. If the bill becomes law, John Stevenson Plumbing, Heating & Air said it'll just become more creative.
"The one thing I can say is everybody has to do it. We just have to find something that sets us apart, and we’ll look for the next big vision," said Rush.
ABC 10News reached out to labor attorney Dan Eaton, who isn't optimistic the bill will pass because of the divided Congress.
"There is no indication that any Republican in either House of Congress supports this bill. There also does not appear to be any support for the bill from business groups," said Eaton. "The bill would have a wide-ranging impact. A substantial majority of employees are non-exempt. Even many employees paid a salary to earn overtime. An employee is exempt from the right to overtime only if the employer can show the employee meets the test for an exempt employee, such as employees who are executives, high-level administrators, or professionals."
