Could Greece be onto something?

Greece is adding to its inventive offerings — Alongside democracy and theater, the country is now introducing the six-day workweek. While the world is valorizing a move towards a four-day work week and shunning hustle culture, this European nation has approved legislation that enacts a six-day working week where employees work up to 48 hours during the business week, with a 40% raise in overtime pay as incentive, according to The Washington Post.

How come? Labor shortages seem to be the culprit behind this move. This comes alongside ensuring that workers are compensated for their overtime work and that tax evasion for undeclared work is also addressed.

It’s not for everyone. This isn't a case where the entire country is about to change its routine. Employees in industrial or manufacturing sectors or other fields where hours often reach 24-hour shifts are those who are presented with the 6-day-week option. Niki Kerameus, the labor and social insurance minister, explained that the option should only be used for “urgent operational demands” that have been impacted by the labor shortage and experience unexpected workload, according to The New York Times.

Employment experts disagree. Pundits have made it clear that this may be disastrous to worker health, predicting high turnover due to faster burnout, illness related to overworking, and even desperate workers ignoring these health cues, leading to death. Malissa Clark, director of the University of Georgia’s Healthy Work Lab, which specializes in the intricacies of work-life balance, said that the move is “[definitely] a step in the wrong direction.”

Against the current. Globally, many forward-thinking countries have been looking at shortening the work week, some of which are piloting the idea — others have even implemented it. Iceland, Japan and South Africa are also among those who are experimenting to see how four-day-weeks might impact staffing, productivity, costs, and operations. Syriza, the leftist opposition party in Greece, called the move “a return to working conditions of the 19th century that puts the country to shame.”

It’s technically optional… But is it? The fact that the six-day week is not a requirement only creates the illusion of choice, according to Brigid Schulte, director of the Better Life Lab. She said that the increase in pay is enough of an incentive to make people choose it over their health. “You’re making it difficult to turn [the pay] down,” she added.

Could Greece be on to something? Only time will tell. “If all of a sudden Greece turns around its economy, maybe people will take a second look,” said Schulte, “but I don’t think that will happen.”