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Weekends... at Work: Greece Leads Europe in Working Without Days Off
🇬🇷 Greece /Culture & Society

Weekends... at Work: Greece Leads Europe in Working Without Days Off

From Ta Nea · (8m ago) Greek Critical tone

Translated from Greek, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • Greece leads the European Union in weekend work, with 31.5% of employees working on Saturdays and Sundays.
  • Greek employees also work the longest hours in the EU, averaging 39.8 hours per week, with 25% working over 45 hours.
  • Self-employed individuals in Greece also work weekends at a high rate, with 75% reporting weekend work.

Once again, Eurostat data paints a stark picture of the Greek labor landscape, confirming what many Greeks experience daily: we work more, and often without adequate rest. Ta Nea highlights that Greece has earned the unenviable title of 'champion' in weekend work within the European Union.

Greece emerges as the 'champion' in working on weekends, according to the latest Eurostat data.

— Ta NeaIntroducing the key finding about Greek workers and weekend labor.

The statistics are clear: 31.5% of Greek employees regularly work on Saturdays and Sundays. This figure places us at the top of the EU, significantly higher than the European average of 21.3%. This isn't just a minor inconvenience; it reflects a deeper societal norm where the weekend is often just another workday for a substantial portion of the workforce.

Specifically, Greece recorded the highest percentage of employees who go to work on weekends (31.5%), followed by Cyprus with 31.3% and Malta with 29.2%.

— Ta NeaProviding comparative statistics on weekend work across EU countries.

Furthermore, our commitment to work extends beyond the weekend. Greeks are also among the longest-serving employees in Europe, clocking an average of 39.8 hours per week. A staggering 25% of us put in over 45 hours weekly, a rate unmatched across the EU. This intense work schedule, especially when compared to countries like the Netherlands with an average of 32.1 hours, raises serious questions about work-life balance and the true value placed on leisure time.

Greek employees work an average of 39.8 hours per week.

— Ta NeaStating the average weekly working hours for Greek employees.

The self-employed fare no better, with 75% reporting that they work on weekends. This pervasive culture of overwork, coupled with significant wage disparities across the EU, underscores the unique challenges faced by Greek workers. While the rest of Europe may be winding down, it seems many Greeks are just getting started on their weekend tasks, a reality that deserves closer examination and, perhaps, a collective effort to reclaim our rest.

Additionally, 25% of employees in the country work more than 45 hours weekly – a percentage that is the largest in the EU.

— Ta NeaHighlighting the high proportion of Greek workers with long weekly hours.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Ta Nea in Greek. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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