While the rest of the world is moving toward a four-day work week, Greece is swimming against the tide.
A law came into effect on Monday allowing some companies to adopt a six-day work week, a move aimed at shoring up the country’s aging workforce, compensating struggling workers and preserving the Greek way of life.
The law applies to private sector workers in certain industrial and manufacturing fields, or to employees at businesses that work 24-hour shifts, seven days a week, with some exceptions, and only in “special circumstances,” such as an unexpected increase in workload.
Unions have long called for improved working conditions and rights, but they oppose the move, which sparked fierce debate and protests when it was passed last year. Greece already has the longest average working week in the European Union, and it is unclear whether a longer working week would increase productivity.
Greece’s actions stand in stark contrast to much of the world. Vermont independent Senator Bernie Sanders pushed in March for Reducing the standard work week in the United States From 40 hours to 32 hours. U.K., Iceland and New ZealandThis is at least in part a response to the dramatic shift in work that has been driven by COVID-19 pandemic.
Here’s what you need to know about Greece’s overtime measures.
Why do some people think the six-day model would help?
Greece is dealing with a skilled labor shortage. Peers In the European Union.
The country’s conservative lawmakers said the law would provide more resources for employers while providing additional income for workers.
Labor and Social Insurance Minister Nikki Kerameus said the extra rest days would allow employers to address “urgent operational needs” that cannot be met by the current supply of workers, while also giving employees more income.
Under the law, workers receive an extra 40 percent pay on the sixth day. If the sixth day is a Sunday or a public holiday, the pay rises to 115 percent. Some workers already work more than 40 hours a week without receiving extra pay, and supporters of the new measure say it protects them because employers must declare the extra hours to the government.
The root cause of the labor shortage is financial crisis The phenomenon began in 2009. Large numbers of workers, most of them young Greeks, have left the country in search of better prospects, while some companies have cut back on training and development, further exacerbating the problem.
The ensuing boom brought welcome fiscal relief to Greece but also left employers shorthanded when the economy rebounded. Greece had been struggling to cope with the influx of migrants, but it is now offering residency and work permits to some of the more established immigrants and signing deals with other countries to bring in more workers for specific industries, such as agriculture.
How did the critics react?
The Greek government sought to play down the move, stressing it was an “extraordinary measure” that would “not have any impact on the established five-day work week”, Ms Keramius said.
But many people, especially on the left, are angry.
The left-wing opposition Syriza party condemned the move, saying it “takes the entire country back to 19th century working conditions and shames them”.
Nikos Fotopoulos, secretary general of Greece’s private sector unions, harshly criticised the measure in an open letter to Labour Minister Kerameeus, calling the government “the most brutal and anti-worker government ever”.
Nearly one in five Greek adults At risk of poverty Mr. Fotopoulos said the government’s argument that workers can give up extra rest days did not hold water, based on data from Greece’s private sector union research institute last year.
“With unemployment and poverty, what worker dares say no to unfettered employers? You allow them to treat workers like slaves,” Fotopoulos wrote.
What about a four-day work week?
Supporters of a four-day workweek say it would bring huge benefits to employers and employees.
The logic goes like this: Less time in the office means that the time you do spend in the office should be more productive. Employees, the theory goes, will have more energy and motivation to get through that 3-5 p.m. snack break or other times when fatigue sets in and the mind starts to wander.
“When people work fewer hours, they tend to work smarter,” said CEO Dale Whelehan. 4 days a week worldwidea nonprofit organization. “As a result, they spend less unproductive time at work and are able to get more done in less time.”
The evidence is still emerging, but the UK Trial run A study conducted by Dr. Wheelerhan’s team appears to have yielded promising results. In a 2022 survey, most companies reported No loss of productivity During the trial.
How does the productivity argument work in Greece?
Greece The longest average working week in the EU Last year, the average working age population in the EU worked 39.8 hours, while the EU average was 36.1 hours.
So while Greece would like to see a longer work week in some cases, supporters of a four-day week stress that sometimes less is more from a productivity perspective.
Greece’s productivity has long been Below the EU average. Data from EurostatData from the European Union’s statistical agency, the Hellenic Statistical Office, showed that last year Greece’s hourly productivity was 30% below the EU average.
“It provides an incentive for workers who want to increase their wages, while also leveling the playing field for employers,” said Emmanouil Savoidakis, an Athens lawyer who said some of his manufacturing clients have expressed interest. “Anyone who wants to increase production will have to follow certain rules and pay overtime.”
