Greece has introduced a controversial six-day working week for some businesses in an effort to boost productivity and employment. The new regulation, which came into force on July 1, allows employees of private businesses providing round-the-clock services to work an additional two hours per day or an extra eight-hour shift. This means that a traditional 40-hour workweek could be extended to 48 hours per week for some businesses, excluding food service and tourism workers. The government claims the measure is both “worker-friendly” and “growth-orientated,” aiming to address issues of overtime pay and undeclared labor.
Critics, including labor unions and political observers, have sharply criticized the move as a step back for a workforce already working the longest hours in the European Union. Greek employees work more hours than those in the U.S., Japan, and other EU countries. The decision to implement a six-day working week has been met with disbelief and criticism on social media, with many pointing out that most civilized countries are moving towards shorter weeks, not longer ones.
A report by think tank Autonomy found that most companies in the world’s largest trial of a four-day working week had made the policy permanent, with positive effects on organization and staff satisfaction. However, concerns were raised in firms where the additional day off was not guaranteed or based on meeting specific targets. The move by Greece seems to go against the global trend of exploring shorter working weeks and may face challenges in implementation and public perception.
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