“Greece has controversially introduced a six-day work week for some companies in an effort to boost productivity and employment in the southern European country,” CNBC reports in an article titled: “Greece becomes first E.U. country to implement 6-day work week.”
“The new regulatory framework, which came into effect on July 1, bucks the global trend of companies experimenting with shorter workweeks,” CNBC continues, adding that the new law gives employees of private companies an additional 2 hours of work per day or an additional 8-hour shift.
This practically, as he explains, “means that the traditional 40-hour workweek is extended to 48 hours for some companies”. Restaurant and tourism services are not included in the 6-day work initiative.
“Prime Minister Kyriakis’s business-friendly government said the measure was both pro-worker and deeply growth-oriented… However, unions and political observers strongly criticized the move.”
The harsh criticism
“Big step back”
A representative for the Greek embassy in London was not immediately available for comment when asked by CNBC. Giorgos Katsampekis, a professor of European and international politics at Loughborough University in Britain, told CNBC that the adoption of the new law was a “huge setback” for a workforce that already works long hours in the European Union.
CNBC notes that workers in Greece work longer hours than those in the U.S., Japan and other EU member states, according to OECD data. They worked an average of 1,886 hours in 2022, compared with an average of 1,811 hours in the U.S. and 1,571 hours in the European Union.
“It’s ridiculous”
“Greeks already work longer hours than anyone else in Europe. Now they could be forced to work a 6th day. This is ridiculous and goes against the trend of 4-day working in most civilised countries,” wrote Tzon O’Brennan, professor of EU law, in X. at Maynooth University, Ireland.
A report by the think tank found that the majority of companies participating in the world’s largest four-day work experiment decided to make the measure permanent. Overall, CEOs and product managers said that four-day work had a positive impact on their business, with more than half describing the impact as “very positive.”