ATHENS – While some countries are looking at reducing working hours and going to a four-day week, Greece has implemented a six-day workweek for certain private sector businesses over the howls of protesters.

You can add Tom Medema, founder of Bubbles, an async video collaboration platform with 250,000 users to critics and those who have their doubts that it will improve efficiency and help workers.

The six-day week went into effect in July and includes a bonus for the sixth day of work but public workers unions and critics said that many Greeks already work overtime without being paid and worried the extra pay won’t be enforced.

Greece’s unemployment, the highest in the Eurozone during a 201o-18 economic and austerity crisis that saw half of those under 24 out of work, has fallen to 10.6 percent, but still bringing challenges, although many shun work in tourism.

“The question for me remains whether the best way to overcome these challenges and optimize a working populace is by extending the workweek,” he wrote in Entrepreneur about the dual duel going on over the innovation.

https://www.entrepreneur.com/business-news/why-greeces-six-day-workweek-gamble-wont-pay-off/476779

The question, he said, is whether there will be a boost on productivity and accelerating the economy further, “or does this choice have a higher chance of stagnating the workforce further and damaging work ethic and morale?”

While unemployment is down markedly compared to the crisis, it’s still relatively high compared to the rest of the 27-member European Union an 20 countries in the Eurozone using the euro as a currency.

“Greece’s government needed to do more, and this decision to implement a six-day workweek was therefore driven by a need to stimulate economic activity and reduce joblessness,” he added of the dilemma.

He said that by having employees toiling for six days that businesses might maximize the utilization of resources that could drive economic growth and cut joblessness but is “more likely to experience burnout in the team and drop morale.”

He added that, “More workdays can translate to more production and customer engagement for industries like manufacturing and services, which might help businesses recover faster in a still fragile economy,” that is, however, growing.

The new law only affects private businesses and manufacturing plants that operate 24 hours a day, including certain retail and agricultural workers and caps the sixth day at eight hours and requires a 40 percent bonus for that.

But he said there’s skepticism that the six-day week “might not be the most effective strategy for boosting productivity,” and could lead to burnout, job dissatisfaction and less productivity instead.

He noted that a 2014 study by Stanford University found that productivity per hour declines significantly when the workweek exceeds 50 hours and drops off so sharply after 55 hours that there is no point in working anymore.

Also, he said that, “The quality of work can suffer when employees are overworked. Creative and cognitive tasks, which are crucial in many modern industries, are often better performed with adequate rest and a balanced work-life schedule.”

He said he wondered if the businesses “could benefit more from embracing modern work practices that focus on flexibility, remote work, and asynchronous communication as ways to improve output.”

He added that while the decision makes sense for Greece’s economy, “It  is crucial to consider the potential long-term impacts on employee well-being and productivity and … alternatives for optimizing the current format of Greek working culture and striking a balance between economic growth and morale.”