Greece starts six-day working week for some industries

Greece has introduced a six-day working week for certain industries in an effort to boost economic growth. This new legislation, which came into effect at the start of July, allows employees to work up to 48 hours a week instead of the usual 40. However, it only applies to businesses that operate on a 24-hour basis, and it is optional for workers, who will receive an extra 40% pay for the overtime they do. This move by the Greek government contrasts with workplace culture in other parts of Europe and the US, where shorter working weeks are becoming more common. Companies adopting these policies often argue that working fewer hours actually increases productivity and improves staff wellbeing. Greece hopes that the six-day working week plan will help combat undeclared work that leads to tax evasion, according to Greek public broadcaster ERTNews. Tourist businesses and the food industry are not included in this policy. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said the 'nucleus of this legislation is worker-friendly, it is deeply growth-oriented,' as reported by the Guardian. 'And it brings Greece in line with the rest of Europe. ' The EU's 'working time directive' requires member states to guarantee a certain amount of time off for workers. A spokeswoman for Greece's ministry of labour and social security said the policy applies to 'two specific types of businesses. ' These are businesses that operate continuously, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, using rotating shifts, and businesses that operate 24 hours a day, five or six days a week, also with rotating shifts. 'In both cases, the extra working day option is an exceptional measure, permissible only in response to increased workload,' the spokeswoman told the BBC. 'It is important to note that this measure does not affect in any way the established five-day working week mandated by law. Instead, it serves to address urgent operational demands that cannot be met through the available supply of specialised workers. ' The Greek government added that the new regulations would also protect workers against 'under-declared or undeclared work and ensure fair compensation. ' The global financial crisis of the late 2000s had a devastating effect on Greece, as the legacy of high public spending and widespread tax evasion left the country with crippling debts. Mr Mitsotakis has been credited with successfully returning the economy to growth after the crisis forced Greece to seek three international bailouts. However, when it comes to working patterns, Greece appears to be moving in the opposite direction to other nations. Since the Covid pandemic, companies have been embracing flexible working models, and many have trialled four-day weeks, with staff seeing no loss in wages. Trials of a four-day week in Iceland were deemed an 'overwhelming success' and led to many workers moving to shorter hours, according to researchers. How many days do you currently work? Would you prefer working an extra day?