The Greek government has defended its new six-day working week policy, saying it is an “exceptional measure” that would only be applied in “specific circumstances.”
Greece introduced in early July new regulation that gives employees in some businesses the option of working an extra two hours each day, or adding another eight-hour shift to their schedule — meaning they could work 48 instead of the traditional 40 hours a week. The policy does not cover food services and tourism businesses.
Outrage about the policy spread on social media as the regulation was met with backlash from labor unions and political observers criticizing the move. When the policy package containing the bill was first announced last September, thousands protested against the new policies.
“Exceptional measures” until they become the new norm.
Only applicable to 24hr operations, once you wade through the rage bait in the article.
You’re right, is the thin end of the wedge, but does appear to have some reasonable constraints
There’s no reasonable constraint when you think that places that operate like that are hospitals and outsourced call centers of multinationals.
Who cares if it only applies to 24/7 businesses? It sets a precedent, and if you give an inch they take a mile.
Gross.
So someone explain this to me.
Were the Greeks not allowed to work more than 40 hours Do they not receive overtime?
I know everyone outside of Freedom Land works on contracts, so what is changing here(
I didn’t understand at all what this story is about. I read the story, though, and here is my best guess: Greek law says nobody can work more than 5 days/week and 40 hours/week. I am guessing that is to ensure companies hire enough people to do the work instead of relying on overtime (e.g. a company has 1640 hours of work in a week, so they can either hire 40 people who work 41 hours, 1 of which is paid, or 41 people who work 40 hours, which requires benefits/overhead for 1 more person on top of just hourly wage). That spreads out the hiring and gets more people employed. The issue they are seeing is unpaid overtime at places that are open 24 hours and 7 days a week when there are surges. This law allows exceptions in certain circumstances and requires that overtime work to be paid. The concern is that companies will always say there are exceptional circumstances and rely on overtime, meaning fewer jobs will be created.
Annoying how far through the article one has to wade in order to get to this:
Only two types of businesses fall under the regulation — namely those that operate 24 hours of the day, seven days a week with rotating shifts, and those that operate 24 hours a day for five or six days of the week, also using rotating shifts, Kerameus said.
