Greece has enacted a law that permits a six-day workweek in certain industries, diverging from the global trend toward a shorter workweek.
The law, known as Law 5053/2023, applies to Greece’s industrial and manufacturing sectors, or businesses operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with some exceptions. According to the legislation, which aims to address issues, like a declining population, a shortage of skilled labor and undeclared work, employees cannot work more than eight hours on their sixth day and must be given 40% overtime pay for the additional workday.
Despite the government’s intentions to boost productivity and earnings, the move has faced significant criticism and protests from labor unions and workers who argue that it undermines workers’ rights and exacerbates existing economic hardships.
Workers in Greece already work longer hours than labor participants in the United States, United Kingdom and across the European Union, data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development revealed. On average, Greek employees work over 300 hours more a year than the E.U. average workweek.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ administration said that the mandatory six-day workweek was needed because of the “the twin perils of a shrinking population and shortage of skilled workers,” the Guardian reported. Additionally, it was deemed mission critical to counteract the “phenomena of undeclared work” and also increase the income of employees, according to a message from the Labor Ministry in late June.
The six-day workweek is intended only as an “exceptional measure” in “limited circumstances,” said Greek Minister of Labor and Social Security Niki Kerameus. For businesses that do not operate every day, “the additional working day option is permissible only in the case of an increased workload,” Kerameus stated.
Samsung’s Six-Day Workweek
Samsung, the large multinational South Korean-based conglomerate, is also bucking the shortened workweek trend, having recently instituted a six-day workweek for its executives as part of an emergency measure to address ongoing business uncertainties and disappointing financial results.
This policy, which affects high-ranking staffers across various divisions, aims to instill a sense of urgency and boost productivity amidst heightened competition and economic challenges, such as high borrowing costs, rising oil prices and a depreciating Korean currency. The decision follows Samsung’s worst financial performance in over a decade, with significant losses in its semiconductor business and a substantial drop in net profit.
This move by Samsung is contrary to the broader global trend of adopting a four-day workweek. Countries, including Iceland, New Zealand, Japan, Belgium and Scotland, have conducted trials or adopted policies favoring a reduced workweek.
These experiments have generally shown positive results, with improvements in employee well-being, productivity and work-life balance. For instance, Iceland’s trials were deemed an overwhelming success, leading to widespread adoption of shorter workweeks without a loss in productivity. The results from these trials indicate that shorter workweeks can lead to more motivated and engaged employees, reduced stress and burnout and better overall health outcomes.
Could The Six-Day Workweek Gain Traction?
In an April survey by Resume Builder, 9% of business leaders indicated that they plan to enforce a six-day workweek in 2025. One in six executives think that employees should be working more than 40 hours per week. A majority believe a six-day workweek would increase revenue and productivity.
The Pros And Cons
“Companies considering implementing six-day work weeks typically are large international organizations or companies heavily involved in global business,” said Stacie Haller, chief career advisor at Resume Builder, in the report. “This model facilitates better communication and coordination among teams across the globe and time zones, as the additional day ensures more overlapping working hours. Additionally, opting for a longer work week may serve as a means to avoid the necessity of hiring additional staff.”
While businesses may see a boost in revenue and productivity in the short term, a six-day workweek could be detrimental to an organization in the long run.
“It’s crucial to recognize that this approach comes with significant risks to employees, including compromised work-life balance, increased burnout, and higher turnover rates,” Haller stated. “It’s surprising that any company would look at expanding the workweek, especially for their full-time employees, rather than condensing the workweek to meet the needs and wants of their employees.”
Source: Forbes
