Greece has officially become the first EU country to implement a six day work week.
The six day work week regulation came into effect in July, stipulating that employees of private enterprises providing 24-hour services can choose to work an additional 2 hours per day or an additional 8 hours per week. This change means that for some companies, the traditional 40 hour workweek may be extended to 48 hours per week.
The new regulations will incentivize employees to work overtime. People who are willing to work 6 days a week will receive an additional 40% salary. If the 6th working day coincides with a Sunday or public holiday, according to regulations, a salary increase of 115% may even be allowed. Employees in the catering and tourism industries are not included in the plan to implement a six day work week.
But there are also some restrictions: the 6-day work schedule is voluntary participation. Employers are required to register with the labor management department and provide reasons. Employers can provide employees with the opportunity to work an additional day, but it cannot be mandatory. In addition, the weekly working hours shall not exceed 48 hours. Employees have the right to take one day off per week.
According to reports, the new bill has sparked protests from Greek teachers, doctors, and transport workers, calling it an insult to workers' rights and potentially causing "barbaric working conditions.".
According to data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Greek workers work longer hours than the United States, Japan, and other EU member states. In 2022, the average working hours of Greek workers were 1886 hours, 1811 hours in the United States, and only 1571 hours in the European Union.
According to a report by Fortune magazine in the United States, Greece has decided to extend working hours as European countries have reduced their statutory working hours. This is mainly due to labor problems in recent years caused by a decrease in population and a shortage of skilled workers, with many workers working overtime without overtime pay. The Greek authorities revised the labor law in September last year to redefine working hours and wage standards.
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