Greece has just announced a six-day working week.
The European country has passed a new labour law to address its shrinking population and skills shortage. Workers in certain industries in Greece have now had an extra eight hours added to their week.
Staff can choose between breaking this up into an additional two hours every day, or working the full extra shift in one go - but they will receive a 40% overtime bonus for working the additional hours.
The changes rolled out this week on the 1st of July after legislation was approved by Greece's Government in September.
It comes after a trend of young, educated people leaving Greece to work in other countries.
Greece's Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis described the situation as a "ticking time bomb" and "a national threat."
Nevertheless, not everyone welcomed the news. The new rules were met with strike action by members of Greece's trade unions. According to E.U. figures, Greek people already work the longest hours in Europe, putting in an average of 42 hours per week.
However, Greece's Prime Minister maintains legislation is "worker-friendly" and brings "Greece in line with the rest of Europe".
It comes as parts of Germany, France, the U.K., Spain and Iceland continue to experiment with hybrid flexible working models, as well as the four-day work week.
Results from a UK trial of 61 companies showed that the shorter week improved productivity, morale in team culture and even employee health outcomes.
Greece: ‘Growth-oriented’ six-day working week introduced for some industries
