A first-of-its-kind proposal to encourage four-day work weeks at Maryland companies by offering them tax credits has been withdrawn from consideration at the state legislature.
The matching bills (SB 197 / HB 181) would have set up a five-year pilot program in which companies could get a tax credit for testing out a reduced work schedule with part or all of their workforce. To qualify, companies would have had to decrease weekly work hours to 32 without decreasing employees’ pay and benefits.
The House bill sponsor, Del. Vaughn Stewart (D), confirmed to Bloomberg Law in a statement Tuesday that he and his co-sponsor withdrew the bills. He said they plan instead to seek money in the state budget for Maryland’s labor department to study four-day work weeks. He didn’t respond to a request for more details on the issue.
The upper chamber’s bill sponsor, Sen. Shelly Hettleman (D), didn’t immediately return a call seeking comment.
The bills were inspired by the growing public interest and awareness of four-day work weeks, though the Maryland lawmakers’ tax credit proposal appears to be a unique approach to incentivizing these schedules.
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