Greece, first country in the European Union to extend working hours to six days

Greece became the first country in the European Union (EU) to implement the six-day or 48-hour working day. That said, it will not be mandatory to work all those hours, but either one day or two extra hours each day will be optional for the employee.

With this reform - which was approved last year and came into force this Monday - the Government of Kyriakos Mitsotakis reported that it is "worker-friendly" and is "deeply oriented to the growth" of companies and employees, in statements collected by CNBC.

In addition, another goal of the Hellenic executive is wanting to end poor pay for overtime worked and undeclared pay by managers.

The measure involves all workers, except those in the tourism and hospitality sectors.

As Greece lengthens working hours, others aim to shorten them

As reported by CNBC, Greeks worked, in 2022, about 300 hours more than the EU average (1,886 to 1,571). Also more than Americans (1,811).

The voluntary extension of working hours in Greece comes at a time when some of its European allies are considering reducing them, as is the case of Spain. Others, such as France and Belgium, have already lowered it, according to reports by Forbes.