From Five to Four: The Evolution of the Workweek in Switzerland and Greece and What it Means for the Future of Employee Well-being.

Switzerland was slow to adopt the five-day workweek, but it is now popular among the population. However, this traditional schedule is being increasingly questioned with many companies introducing a four-day workweek with the same salary to motivate their employees. In contrast, Greece recently changed its laws to allow some workers to opt for a six-day workweek to address a shortage of skilled workers. This raises the question of whether such a measure could be relevant for Switzerland.

Unlike Greece, there was no legal barrier to working on Saturdays in Switzerland. While Swiss labor law defines the workload in hours per week and only requires a permit for Sunday work, Saturday is considered a regular working day. However, Swiss employers are not advocating for a return to widespread Saturday work as they believe other measures like better integrating mothers and pensioners into the labor market are more effective in addressing the shortage of skilled workers.

The concept of the five-day workweek originated in America during the early 20th century and became widespread worldwide over time. In Switzerland, the transition was gradual with many companies maintaining a six-day workweek well into mid-century due to increasing wages and growing leisure time demands. However, flexibility has become more common in recent years with many workers opting for part-time arrangements while still maintaining the five-day workweek as a norm in many industries. The construction industry has even seen an increase in Saturday work due to the shortage of skilled workers.

Overall, while Switzerland did not face any legal barriers towards working on Saturdays unlike Greece, there is still debate about whether implementing flexible schedules or increasing salaries would be more effective in addressing labor shortages. It seems that countries need to find innovative solutions that balance economic growth with employee satisfaction and wellbeing while also considering cultural differences between countries when implementing new policies related to work schedules and employee benefits.