Despite the stereotypes that portray workers from Southern Europe as somewhat lazy, Greeks and Italians top the Eurostat rankings for both long working hours and regular weekend work. In fact, it's not surprising if, while vacationing abroad in a Central or Northern European country, you find that shops are closed on Sundays.

According to the latest Eurostat data, one in three employees in Italy works during the weekend. This percentage (30.9%) exceeds the European average by more than ten points, with the average standing at 19.2%, placing Italy second in the Eurostat rankings. Greece is first, with 32.3%.