Expert expresses ‘concern’ over new six-day work week policy

Since July 1, certain sectors in Greece have been allowed to extend their employees’ working week by one day, creating an option for workers to put in a maximum of 48 hours per week instead of 40. The Guardian reported that and this can be brought. either working an extra day or adding two hours to each of the five existing work days for the same amount of total hours.

Workers are expected to be paid 40% more for the extra time they work each week. The change is said to have raised concerns for Britons keen on the rise in the six-day week since the legislation was announced, and while Higgs LLP’s people director Sophie Wardell called the policy “rather worrying”, she he insisted that the British had nothing to fear from such a thing. extension right now.

The human resources expert noted that the move was a response to “the demands of a struggling economy, declining population and a shortage of skilled workers”, she pointed out that it also raised “significant concerns about the rights and welfare workers”. She argued that time away from work was “essential to reduce burnout and stress” and increased hours could see an increase in related health problems as well as strained relationships outside the workplace.

Before the implementation of the policy, Greece was well documented as the European country with the longest working hours, averaging around 41 hours per week. Sophie warned that adding another seven hours to this high average “could be counter-productive”, as she warned: “This lack of work-life balance could lead to higher rates of fatigue and lower morale.”

“Overworked people can also experience burnout, which can have a negative impact on both their personal life and their professional performance, which can lead to decreased productivity.”

She urged employers to carefully monitor the welfare of their employees during this change and added: “I see no immediate cause for concern in the UK inspired by Greece’s changes to the working week model. In fact, the current trajectory in the UK suggests that the government would be more likely to pursue the opposite policy: the four-day working week.”

This year there have been trials of the four-day work week in businesses across the country, and flexible or hybrid work opportunities are still gaining traction from both employer and worker perspectives. Sophie added: “Of course, it is impossible to predict the future, but current trends in UK employment law and business practice suggest that extending the working week is not on the immediate agenda.”