A six-day work week will be implemented from July 1 for the private sector enterprises, organisations, and holdings operating continuously. Employees will receive an increased wage for the additional day.

The six-day work week was established by Articles 25 and 26 of Law 5053/2023, aiming to combat undeclared and informal work while increasing employees’ income. The daily wage for the sixth day will be increased by 40%. If the sixth day falls on a Sunday or public holiday, employees are entitled to a 115% increase in their daily wage (40% for the sixth day plus 75% for Sunday/holiday work), with the potential for further increase to 140% for night work, which carries an additional 25% surcharge.

According to the ministry, the protective limits for workers regarding the mandatory 11-hour daily rest, the mandatory 24-hour weekly rest (one day off), and maintaining an average weekly work of 48 hours (including overtime) over a four-month reference period remain intact.

This change comes as Eurostat data for 2023 shows that Greeks are the hardest workers in the EU and lead in overtime hours. This is occurring while many European countries are promoting a four-day work week. Meanwhile, the controversial anti-labour law introduced by Adonis Georgiadis has already abolished the eight-hour shift, although he argued that “We are establishing the possibility for an employee to work for multiple employers; that is, an employee can work two eight-hour shifts for two different employers, and that’s absolutely lawful.”

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