Greece introduces ‘growth-oriented’ six-day working week
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While companies in countries worldwide are considering shorter working weeks, Greece has taken an unorthodox step by permitting employees to work a sixth day to boost productivity.
Despite its recent economic growth surpassing that of other European nations, Greece, once at the heart of Europe’s worst financial crisis, is introducing a 48-hour working week. This new measure, which takes effect from Monday, has been condemned as “barbaric” by unions.
“It makes no sense whatsoever,” said Akis Sotiropoulos, a member of the executive committee of the civil servants’ union Adedy. “When almost every other civilized country is enacting a four-day week, Greece decides to go the other way.”
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’s pro-business government claims the initiative is necessary due to a shrinking population and a shortage of skilled workers. Mitsotakis described the projected demographic shift as a “ticking timebomb” before announcing the legislation, part of a broader set of labor laws passed last year. Since the debt crisis erupted in late 2009, about 500,000 mostly young, educated Greeks are estimated to have emigrated.
Officials say the six-day scheme will apply only to private businesses providing round-the-clock services. Employees in certain industries and manufacturing facilities can work an additional two hours a day or an extra eight-hour shift, earning a 40% top-up fee on their daily wage. The government argues this will ensure employees are paid for overtime and address the issue of undeclared work.
“This legislation is worker-friendly and growth-oriented,” Mitsotakis said before parliament endorsed the law. “It aligns Greece with the rest of Europe.”
However, critics argue the reform undermines the five-day working week, enabling employers to mandate a sixth day of labor. Opponents, who have protested in the streets, believe the reform erodes legal protections and rolls back long-established workers’ rights.
“This has been passed by a government ideologically committed to generating ever bigger profits for capital,” said Sotiropoulos. “Better productivity comes with better work conditions and a better quality of life for employees, which means fewer hours, not more.”
Sotiropoulos added that the measure is partly possible because unions have weakened due to austerity measures enacted during the financial crisis. Unions argue that overtime allows employers to avoid hiring more staff.
Trials of four-day week programs have shown increased productivity, with researchers attributing the outcome to improved focus. In 2022, Belgium legislated to allow employees to spread their working week over four days instead of five, and similar pilot schemes have been conducted in countries including the UK, Germany, Japan, South Africa, and Canada.
Greeks already work the longest hours in Europe, averaging 41 hours a week according to the EU’s statistics agency, Eurostat, but are paid much less. The left-wing opposition has criticized the disparity, claiming it exacerbates the brain drain.
Pensioners, who are also encouraged to work under the legislation, have joined the debate.
“The government is essentially saying ‘go and work longer, we’ll turn a blind eye even if you’re a pensioner,’” said Grigoris Kalomoiris, head of the union of retired teachers (Pesek). “This latest measure won’t solve the fundamental problem of labor shortages, and it feels very unfair to unemployed young Greeks who may never have a job.”
