Greece has introduced a six-day work week for certain industries in an attempt to boost economic growth , BBC reported.
The new legislation, which came into effect at the beginning of July, allows employees to work up to 48 hours a week, up from the previous 40. It only applies to businesses that operate on a 24-hour schedule and is not mandatory for workers , who receive an additional 40% for overtime.
The tourism business and the food industry are not included in the new legislation.
However, the Greek government's move is at odds with workplace culture elsewhere in Europe and the US, where four-day work patterns are becoming more common. Companies that adopt these policies typically claim that a shorter work week actually increases productivity and employee well-being.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said the core of this legislation is pro-worker and deeply geared towards economic growth. According to him, this aligns Greece with the rest of Europe.
According to the Greek government, the new regulations will protect workers against undeclared work and guarantee fair compensation.
A spokeswoman for the Greek Ministry of Labor and Social Security specified that the policy applies to two specific types of businesses - businesses that operate continuously, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, using rotating shifts, and businesses that operate 24 hours a day , five or six days a week, also with rotating shifts. In both cases, the option of an additional working day is an exceptional measure, admissible only in case of increased workload.