A new law in Greece now allows private-sector employees to work up to 13 hours a day, promoted as a modern model of flexibility and economic growth. In a recent article, Dr , our CBISS Theme Lead for Business Innovation and Future Workforce, discusses how this reform risks dismantling the long-established eight-hour working day and highlights the broader implications for labour rights and wellbeing across Europe.
Although presented as voluntary and fairly compensated, the change threatens to normalise extreme working conditions. Greece already records the highest working hours in Europe — around 1,900 hours per year, significantly more than in the UK or Germany — yet wages and productivity remain low. Instead of addressing stagnant pay and weak bargaining power, the policy effectively stretches time rather than income, placing additional pressure on workers.
Survey findings show overwhelming resistance: 94% of workers support shorter working hours without pay cuts, and 60% oppose the 13-hour day outright, with many pointing out that “voluntary” becomes meaningless under economic hardship.
This trend extends beyond Greece. Rising unpaid overtime in healthcare, intense logistics and warehouse schedules, and calls from parts of the tech sector for 60-hour workweeks reflect a wider shift: the slow and quiet normalisation of overwork in the name of flexibility and productivity.
The key question becomes:
What kind of future of work do we want to build?
A future built on exhaustion — or a future rooted in dignity, wellbeing and meaningful time?
CBISS: Building a Different Vision of Work
At the Centre for Business Innovation & Sustainable Solutions (CBISS) at Edinburgh Napier University, research focuses on shaping fair, ethical and sustainable work futures. CBISS works with partners across sectors to:
-
rethink work and productivity beyond long-hours models
-
explore responsible innovation and AI-enabled workforce transformation
-
strengthen fair work, equity and wellbeing across communities
-
turn evidence into practical frameworks and policies
The Greek case is a timely reminder of why these conversations matter — and why research, dialogue and public engagement are essential.
For readers interested in the full analysis of the legal, social and economic implications, the complete article can be read here.