The news goes against the trend of reducing the workweek to four days, which research has shown is beneficial for employee productivity, well-being and satisfaction. The Greek government believes the move will help address labor shortages, ensure overtime pay for workers and address tax evasion issues related to undeclared work. But worker advocates say the new Greek legislation is unlikely to produce the desired results and could instead lead to unintended consequences such as high staff turnover, burnout, illness and even death.
“This seems like a step in the wrong direction and short-sighted,” said Malissa Clark, director of the University of Georgia’s Healthy Work Lab, which studies work-life balance. “We know that long hours are detrimental to employees’ health.”
In the United States, 77% of employees believe that a 40-hour workweek would have an extremely positive or somewhat positive effect on their well-being, according to a recent Gallup study. American companies that have implemented or are implementing reduced workweeks say they have seen benefits.
In many parts of Asia and other developing countries, the six-day workweek is common practice. But globally, more and more countries are also considering reducing working hours. France is one of the latest countries to implement a four-day workweek, while Belgium became the first country to officially approve the reduced week in 2022. Other countries that have experimented with the four-day workweek include Iceland, Japan and South Africa.
But obstacles to widespread adoption of the shorter week remain, as many worry about staffing issues, potential productivity losses, rising costs and complex changes to operations.
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Greece’s decision flies in the face of numerous studies that show that increasing work hours hurts productivity rather than boosts it, said Brigid Schulte, director of the Better Life Lab work-family justice program at the New America think tank. Instead, increasing work hours often leads workers to make more mistakes, be slower at their tasks, and suffer from burnout, stress and illness.
“The facts will be there to prove it,” Schulte said. “If Greece suddenly turns its economy around, maybe people will think twice. But I don’t think that will happen.”
Schulte also said policies like this often hurt caregivers and women, which then reduces diversity among employees and leaders and increases the gender pay gap.
Greek law allows employees to work 48 hours a week, but does not require it. European Union law requires employers to ensure that their employees do not work more than 48 hours a week on average, including overtime. But Clark believes that Greek law only creates a perception of choice, because higher wages encourage employees to work longer.
“You make it hard to turn [the pay] “At the bottom,” she said. “And what will the norms and expectations be within the organization?”
With Greece bucking the trend and adoption of the shorter workweek slow to materialize, Schulte and Clark say future trends likely point to shorter hours, not longer hours. Companies will continue to learn how to make their processes more efficient, leverage technology and discover benefits for workers and profits, they predict.
“It’s like an organizational excellence mission in disguise,” Schulte said. “Shorter work hours are better for businesses, people and the economy, if you do it right.”
In your opinion, what should the work week look like? Let me know at danielle.abril@washpost.com.
