What do you think of Greece's 6-DAY WORK WEEK?

[AviatorTom]

As of 1 July 2024, Greece law allows employers involved in 24-hour operations to extend the normal work week from 40 to 48 hours, effectively adding a sixth work day to the week.

What do you think about this? Would you consider working longer hours?

Here is the story on CNBC...

Greece becomes first EU country to introduce a six-day working week

[msc545]

I work in healthcare which is frankly very intense and very exhausting. 6 days a week is absolutely unfathomable. 5 days a week is very difficult. Right now. I work about 4 days away and sometimes that's 4 days a week feel like 20.

The Greeks must be insane to think that this is a good idea. I predicted enforcing this will cause the massive labor and financial problems that they can ill afford. They need to rethink this. It turns out that 4 days a week actually results in greater productivity. Time is not always a good measure of anything except authoritarianism.

[Lynx122]

Well they're in a lot of debt so maybe they need to do this. They're still almost 200% of gdp in debt and it's been a long time since the whole debt crisis. I don't know what the long term effects of this will be because people get demotivated and tired and sick, but maybe in the short term it will help.

[msc545]

Money can be replaced. Debt can be forgiven. Lost time cannot be replaced or forgiven ever.

[Lynx122]

@msc545 Well germany and the rest of the EU are not forgiving this debt.

[msc545]

So what will they do - foreclose on Greece?

[Lynx122]

@msc545 yes if they don't pay it back the country will have to declare bankruptcy and that will mean nobody will buy their bonds in the future. But I think the EU even put extra conditions into the contracts when they handed the money over back during the crisis. They made100% sure that they'd get the money back. I don't know the details but I do know Greece will be fucked if they try anything slick.

[msc545]

What conditions?

[Lynx122]

thanks for MHO

[msc545]

@Lynx122 That is my HMO, not yours.

[CrazyGirl2]

I'm sure that once I'm in private practice, I will be working a lot more than 48 hours a week! I will most definitely be working six days a week because most group therapy sessions for tween's and teen’s have to take place on Saturday because of their school schedule. Not to mention the fact that we're seeing regular patients Monday through Friday. so yes, I have every anticipation of working way more than 40 hours a week likely more than 48.

Laura 🤗 🥰

[Levin]

Americans work like 60 hours a week don't they? And have like 14 days annual leave per year :)

Case loads are also an interesting concept. It's 25 client hours per week in the NHS I believe and the BACP used to recommend no more than 20 client hours per week. Guess they kind of scrapped that when they decided their therapists needed to earn enough to put some food on the table...

[CrazyGirl2]

@Levin Wait! 25 client hours per week based on a 40hr week, in psychology? That’s it?

Also yes, 2wks off a year is a high average though. Many workers get only 1wk per/yr vacation.

[Levin]

Yeah, but obviously you have paperwork etc and you can't just see clients non-stop back to back. Or it's not advised.

Oh, I have 36 days off this year :) Plus the 8 bank holidays.

[CrazyGirl2]

@Levin Yeah, I know all about the charting (as we call it), but we usually get 15 minutes between patients, and we always have cancellations. We usually get a couple of weeks off, but since I’ll be owning my own practice… I’ll probably get no time off at all. But it’s fine, as long as the girls get the help they need, I honestly don’t care about time off, certainly not more than a month!.

[DishLady]

It’s not only a 6-day work week (bc everything closes on Sunday for religious observation and uniformed family time), but two days a week are also 1/2 days for everyone (bc schools let out early twice weekly), so it’s really more like a 5-day work week….

[sage2021]

Five days a week was pushing it.

No way would I work six days for some company that will just forget all about me when I don't work there anymore. And for what?

My time off is my time to rejuvenate and do what needs to be done at MY home to keep it running and never having time to spend with my son.

No thanks!

[purplepoppy]

Fair enough if people want an extra day's pay, ideally at double time pay but I don't think it should be forced on people.

Incidentally there's a push in the UK to drop us to a 4 day week.

[AviatorTom]

@purplepoppy 4-day week is what many companies are shooting for. My former company tried it, 4x10-hour days and one weekday off, selected by the employee. It was an attempt to have someone at work every weekday, since the company's customers worked 5 weekdays. It didn't work... everyone wanted Monday or Friday off, to make a 3-day weekend, so there weren't enough people at work on those days to properly support customers. The experiment only lasted 3 months.

[KrakenAttackin]

@AviatorTom. Yeah, the UK is not looking for 4/10's, they are looking for 4/8's. More suicide for Europe.

[MisterWack]

Longer hours suck!

Less time, more pay, and more time to spend with family & friends / leisure. I already live in a Capitalist Hellscape, don’t need anymore of that.

[ArrowheadSW]

Working in healthcare, I often worked more than 5 days a week. Often, even 7 days. I didn't like it but it was rewarding in its own way. Past a certain point in life I could no longer work those hours though and got a position that was mostly 5 days a week.

[Flatmanlewis]

Sounds horrible. That country is also crashing head on into the world it made by dispensing social entitlement programs to anybody who wanted one. They nearly drove themselves to the verge of economic collapse and now, without any choice on the matter, have to fix themselves. I have to wonder if this isn’t a cause-and-effect type of situation?

[DizzyDesii]

I dont even enjoy working 5. I’d be pissed if 6 was the regular. I’ve done that before and hated it. 4 days a week is the goal

[MicroJ]

5. dsys with optional overtime would be the best scenario. I happen to work for an employer who has us work 5 days for 6 months (40 hours) and mandatory 6 days for 6 months (48 hours ) during our busy season. Ironically the productivity drops, the mistakes, and accidents are higher during the 6 month 6 day weeks compared to the 5 day weeks.

[Syntosi]

Does not make too much sense when you consider the current theory is that reducing work hours actually makes us more productive.

[Account]

I think Greece as a place is progressively getting worse and worse and I am saying that as an inhabitant of this shit hole.

[Account]

Αlso side note many people in Greece have already been working 6/7 or 7/7 even 12 hours per day, however with the 6 day work week they simply made it official and legal

[Iron_Man]

It’s too much you’re married to your job. The divorce rate is high in tie USA now it could be that way for Greece

[Avicenna]

I don't know if it's still the case, but in the 1990s, South Korean workers in manufacturing worked 6 days, working a half day on Saturday.

[Nirmroth]

Respect, here in germany we try our hardest to have it reduced to a 4 day work week.

[Nikki1989]

I have been working 6 days a week for most of my working life.

[NathanDavis]

six days of work... one day off

that's the norm in Mexico

[exitseven]

They are going in the wrong direction. I think 5 days is too much hm

[Fromdusktilldawn]

no way, that really makes you a slave to your work place, say goodbye to your personal life and hi to corporate greed

[OhLongJohnsoning]

I already do work 6 days a week, in fact, i only work 4 days a week, as i am only part time. Yes, I know, only part time, but, hey, at least i work 4 days a week, right?

[goaded]

Doesn't that just mean companies don't have to pay as much overtime?

[Redstang88]

8 hour day is a waste of time, I want the hours but longer days. 12 minimum is ideal

[truckgod92]

I think they should make it optional. From what I can tell though a lot of greek families need more money especially young adults.

[KrakenAttackin]

We have that here in the U. S. as well. Ever hear of "mandatory overtime"?

[OfMiceandMen]

Is it like 6 days on every week and then 4 the following week so you get an extra long weekend?

[handsomelad70]

Another country starts down the road to Fascism, or at least corporatism.

[StudyingAuthor]

Ummm, that's sickening.

[OlderAndWiser]

Do the Greek people support that proposal?

[Anonymous]

48, I recall having to go part-time in the pandemic

[Jason2469]

6 day work week? Lol I did that when I was 8. If you don't work every day you are a loser.

[Bricealan]

Yikes! I hate working Saturday !!!

[paledreams]

Lucky 🤞🏻

[paledreams]

Whoops I didn't read the question properly - I find 5 days too much 🧐😆