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Greece has introduced a six-day working week for certain businesses in an effort to increase productivity and employment, according to a report by CNBC. The regulation, effective July 1, marks a significant departure from the global trend of adopting shorter workweeks.
The legislation, part of a broader set of labor laws passed last year, allows employees in private businesses that operate 24/7 to work an additional two hours per day or an extra eight-hour shift. This could extend the traditional 40-hour workweek to 48 hours for some businesses. However, workers in the food service and tourism sectors are exempt from this new initiative.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis' pro-business government has defended the measure as both "worker-friendly" and "growth-orientated." Officials argue that it will ensure employees are adequately compensated for overtime and help address the issue of undeclared labor.
The move has faced sharp criticism from labor unions and political analysts. Giorgos Katsambekis, a lecturer in European and international politics at Loughborough University in the U.K., described the law as "a major step back" for a workforce already logging the longest hours in the European Union.
According to data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Greek employees worked an average of 1,886 hours in 2022, surpassing the U.S. average of 1,811 hours and the EU average of 1,571 hours.
John O’Brennan, a professor of EU Law at Maynooth University in Ireland, expressed his dismay on social media, stating, "Greek people already work the longest hours per week in Europe. Now they may be forced to work a sixth day, after this Greek [government] decision. It is ridiculous, set against the move to four-day weeks in most civilized countries."
This regulatory shift comes as many countries are exploring or implementing shorter workweeks. A recent report by the think tank Autonomy highlighted that most companies involved in the world’s largest trial of a four-day workweek have made the policy permanent, citing positive organizational impacts. However, the report noted that in firms where the additional day off was conditional, staff expressed concerns.
The controversial Greek legislation continues to be a hot topic, reflecting a clash between traditional work practices and emerging global labor trends.
[Source: CNBC]
