As the concept of a four-day workweek continues to make headlines, one country is doing the exact opposite — adding a day to the workweek.
Effective July 1, Greece introduced a six-day workweek for certain businesses.
The new law affects employees who work for a private business and manufacturing plants that operate 24 hours a day, including certain retail and agricultural workers.
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Employees must add two hours to their regular weekday schedule or pick up an additional eight-hour shift over the weekend.
Workers will be compensated with a 40% increase in their daily wages for the new hours and a 115% increase if the extra time falls on a holiday.
“The nucleus of this legislation is worker-friendly, it is deeply growth-oriented,” Greece’s Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said. “And it brings Greece in line with the rest of Europe.”
Related: A 4-Day Work Week Benefits Employees. Will Employers Adapt?
After more than a decade of economic crisis, Greece is forecasted to see 3% growth in 2024, according to Reuters. However, the unemployment rate in the country is more than 10%.
Per data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, Greek workers already spend more hours at their jobs than workers in the U.S.
Those who are employed are making an average monthly salary of 1,175 Euro (roughly $1,261) which is roughly 20% lower than it was 15 years ago, per data viewed by the outlet.