Working Six Days a Week Is No Myth In Greece

Anyone who’s seen swathes of sunburnt German tourists harrying Greek workers for a beach towel this summer will know how wrong economic cliches can be. Greeks, depicted as “lazy” during the euro crisis, actually work more hours than anyone else in Europe, and supposedly workaholic Germans work among the least. Sipping wine in Santorini or lounging in a villa is a lifestyle not all that accessible to actual Greeks.

Now the gap is getting starker with a divisive new law allowing some Greek firms to enforce a six-day work week — a first in Europe and one that runs counter to the trend of experimenting with shorter work weeks to attract talent. Although this is technically an exceptional measure for some 24/7 manufacturing firms and not a blanket move, it may end up busting bigger cliches about Europe’s ability to sustain its leisurely ways.