Greece has implemented a new labor law allowing some businesses to extend their workweek to six days, making it the first European Union country to do so.
This new policy, effective from July 1, contrasts sharply with the global movement towards reducing working hours during the workweek.
The legislation, part of a wider labor reform passed last year, allows employees in private businesses that operate 24/7 to either work two additional hours daily or take on an extra eight-hour shift each workweek.
Consequently, employees in some sectors could see their workweek increase from 40 to 48 hours. However, sectors such as food service and tourism are exempt from this regulation.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’s administration, which champions pro-business policies, has labeled the measure as beneficial for workers and conducive to economic growth.
Before the Greek parliament approved it, Mitsotakis stated, “The nucleus of this legislation is worker-friendly, it is deeply growth-oriented, and it brings Greece in line with the rest of Europe.”
The government argues that this reform aims to compensate employees for overtime better and to combat unreported labor practices.
However, the decision has drawn sharp criticism from labor unions and analysts.
Akis Sotiropoulos, an executive committee member of the civil servants’ union Adedy, said, “It makes no sense whatsoever. When almost every other civilized country is enacting a four-day week, Greece decides to go the other way.”
He added, “In reality, this has been passed by a government ideologically committed to generating ever bigger profits for capital. Better productivity comes with better work conditions, a better quality of life [for employees] and that, we now know, is about less hours not more.”
Data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development shows that Greek employees worked an average of 1,886 hours in 2022, surpassing both the U.S. and EU averages.
The government’s decision contrasts sharply with global trends towards shorter workweeks.
A recent study by think tank Autonomy found that many companies participating in four-day workweek trials have made the policy permanent, citing positive effects on their organizations.
In 2022, Belgium enacted legislation allowing employees to legally distribute their working hours across four days instead of five.
Pilot programs exploring similar workweek adjustments have also been launched in several countries, including the UK, Germany, Japan, South Africa, and Canada.
