Greece has recently implemented a contentious six-day working week policy for certain businesses, effective from July 1, aiming to enhance productivity and tackle issues like undeclared labor.
The legislation, part of broader labor reforms passed last year, allows employees in private businesses providing round-the-clock services to opt for either two additional hours per day or an extra eight-hour shift. This extension means that a traditional 40-hour workweek could now stretch to 48 hours per week for some sectors, excluding food service and tourism workers.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’s government defends the measure as both “worker-friendly” and “growth-oriented,” aiming to address overtime compensation and combat undeclared labor practices.
However, the move has sparked strong opposition from labor unions and political observers. Giorgos Katsambekis, a lecturer in European and international politics at Loughborough University, criticized the decision as “a major step back,” particularly for a workforce already known for the longest working hours in the European Union.
Data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) shows Greek employees worked an average of 1,886 hours in 2022, surpassing the U.S. average of 1,811 and the EU average of 1,571 hours.
John O’Brennan, a professor of EU Law at Maynooth University, condemned the policy on social media, contrasting it with the global trend towards shorter work weeks adopted by many countries.
