Greece Bucks Trends, Extends Workweek To 6 Days

Greece is implementing a 6-day workweek for certain industries to address labor shortages, sparking debate about economic growth versus worker well-being.

While several companies continue to experiment with 4-day workweek trials in countries around the world, Greece is getting ready to take a dramatically different approach: a 6-day work week.

Starting July 1, the country will implement a new labor policy that extends the workweek to six days for specific employees in industrial, manufacturing, and continuous service sectors. By doing so, Greece hopes to address its skilled labor shortage and improve productivity.

Forbes reports that the new law, which excludes food service and tourism workers, allows for a 48-hour workweek, with employees receiving 40% additional pay for the extra hours and 115% of their normal salary if they work on a holiday.

Despite these incentives, the reform has sparked protests from public sector workers, who argue that the changes undermine workers’ rights and could lead to exploitative conditions.

This move comes in response to Greece’s economic challenges, including low wages, high unemployment, and a declining population. DW reports that Greece’s GDP growth is projected to surpass the eurozone average — with expectations of 2.2% this year and 2.3% next year — while unemployment is predicted to fall to 9.7% by 2025. However, during the debt crisis that began in 2009, stringent measures were imposed on Greece, and the idea of a six-day workweek had been discussed but not implemented at that time.

The new work regulations are also designed to streamline administrative processes, shorten probation periods, and free upskilling opportunities for workers. A critical aspect of these reforms is to combat undeclared work — which is reported to be prevalent in sectors with labor shortages.

Greece’s approach to extending the work week, rather than shortening it, contrasts sharply with the related trends observed in other countries in Europe and around the world. Countries including Germany, Belgium, France, the U.K., Spain, and Iceland have been experimenting with shorter workweeks.

While Greece’s policy may seem regressive compared to the progressive labor trends globally, it also reveals the unique workforce challenges the country faces in balancing economic recovery with labor rights and working conditions. Whether this extended model will serve as a blueprint for other nations grappling with similar issues remains uncertain, but Greece’s strategy shows the variety of approaches being deployed to address workforce demands in the 21st century.