Working conditions in Greece

Minimum Working Conditions

In Greece, minimum working conditions are primarily determined by mandatory statutory provisions, collective labour agreements and, where applicable, internal regulations. These sources establish minimum mandatory standards, from which individual employment contracts may not derogate to the detriment of the employee. Any less favourable contractual provision is considered null and void.

In particular, legislation regulates core aspects of working conditions, such as working time, rest periods, paid annual leave, remuneration, health and safety, termination and protection against discrimination, while collective labour agreements may further specify or improve these conditions at sectoral, occupational or enterprise level.

With regard to employees who are temporarily posted to Greece by employers based in another Member State, Greek law, in line with Directive 96/71/EC and its subsequent amendments, requires that certain minimum terms and conditions of employment applicable in Greece be observed. In particular, employers must guarantee to posted employees in Greece the minimum employment standards, provided under Greek law or applicable collective labour agreements.

Salary

Remuneration is, as a general rule, freely determined by agreement between the employer and the employee, subject to compliance with statutory minimum standards and any applicable collective labour agreements. In the absence of an applicable collective agreement, the statutory minimum wage, determined by the State, applies. The currently applicable statutory minimum wage is EUR 880 per month and EUR 39.30 per day.

Employees are entitled to 14 salaries per annum (14.0625 to be precise), paid in 15 instalments: 12 regular monthly salaries, approximately one monthly salary as Christmas allowance (payable by 21 December), half a monthly salary as Easter allowance (payable by Wednesday before Easter), and half a monthly salary as leave allowance (usually paid to all employees during the summer).

Where the contractual salary is higher than the statutory minimum, the employer is entitled to set off the difference against employee claims for compensation relating to overwork (not overtime), night work, work on Sundays, public holidays, the sixth weekday and off-base compensation, provided there is a relevant prior agreement with the employee and that the excess remuneration is sufficient to cover the relevant entitlements. The compensation for overtime work, however, cannot be validly set off against the excess part of the employee’s salary.

Maximum Working Week

The statutory maximum working hours under a 5-day working week (which the most common in practice) are 8 hours per day and 40 hours per week. Under a 5-day working week, any work provided on the sixth day (usually Saturday) must be remunerated with the employee’s contractual hourly wage increased by 30%. It should be noted, however, that the payment of this premium does not release the employer from possible administrative sanctions related to the violation of the 5-day week.

As a general rule, work on Sundays and public holidays is prohibited. The law provides for certain categories of employers/employees who are exempted from this prohibition, either fully (e.g. security guards) or following the permit of the authorities. Work on Sundays or public holidays (whether legitimate or not) must be compensated with an amount equal to 75% of the employee’s lawful hourly wage for each hour worked. In addition, if the employee works more than five hours on a Sunday, they are entitled to a full compensatory day of rest within the following week, whereas for fewer than five hours, a corresponding period of rest must be granted.

Night work (i.e. work between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.) must be compensated with the employee’s lawful hourly wage increased by 25% and does not require the approval of the authorities.

Finally, managerial employees are in principle not subject to statutory working time restrictions. As a result, they are not entitled to the above-mentioned premiums for work performed beyond normal hours, on weekends, at night or on public holidays, given the nature of their duties and level of responsibility.

Overtime

The provision of work in excess of the 40-hour limit and up to 45 hours per week constitutes “overwork” and must be compensated with the employee’s hourly wage increased by 20%. Any work above 45 hours per week (or 9 hours per day) constitutes overtime and is permitted only on an exceptional and short-term basis (e.g. unexpected workload, urgent tasks, unforeseeable events). Overtime is allowed for up to 4 hours per day and 150 hours per year. Lawful overtime is compensated with the employee’s hourly wage increased by 40%. Overtime exceeding 150 hours per year (which is permitted only upon approval of the labour authorities at the employer’s request) is compensated with the employee’s hourly wage increased by 60%.

The employer is obliged to notify the authorities about the conduct of overtime at the latest on the effective date and in any case before the commencement of such work. An exception applies to undertakings operating under the Digital Work Card system, where overtime may be declared retrospectively, in accordance with the applicable regulatory framework. If the relevant procedural requirements are not followed, the overtime is characterised by law as “illegal” overtime and must be compensated with the employee’s hourly wage increased by 120%.

Employer’s Obligation to Provide a Healthy and Safe Workplace

Employers have extensive obligations under Greek occupational health and safety legislation. In particular the employer must:

• Engage a Safety Technician (regardless of the number of personnel) and an Occupational Physician (if 50+ employees);
• Take all necessary measures for the protection of the health and safety of employees or other persons physically present at the workplace;
• Implement the instructions of the labour inspectors on health and safety issues and provide assistance;
• Inform the employees about all risks associated with their work (including in case of work from home);
• Encourage and organise training of employees on health and safety issues, including mandatory CPR and Heimlich manoeuvre trainings;
• Appoint and train employees responsible for first aid, fire security and evacuation;
• Obtain a written risk assessment report regarding the health and safety of employees;
• Take all necessary measures against violence and harassment at work, including informing employees on risks and protective measures, receipt and investigation of complaints, posting information on relevant company policies, and adopting an official anti-harassment policy in case the employer has more than 20 employees.

Complaint Procedures

Under Greek law, employees have the right to raise concerns and complaints regarding health and safety issues through both internal and external mechanisms. Internally, complaints may be addressed to the employer, the Safety Technician, the Occupational Physician, or the Health and Safety Committee or employee representative, where such bodies exist. Employers are required to examine such complaints in good faith and to take appropriate corrective measures.

Externally, employees may file complaints with the Labour Inspectorate, which is the competent authority for monitoring compliance with health and safety legislation. The Inspectorate has the power to carry out inspections, issue recommendations, impose administrative sanctions and, where necessary, order the suspension of operations in cases of serious and imminent danger.

Protection from Retaliation

Greek law provides safeguards to ensure that employees who raise health and safety concerns are protected from adverse treatment. Any dismissal or detrimental measure taken in retaliation for exercising statutory rights, such as reporting unsafe conditions or cooperating with labour inspectors, may be deemed invalid or abusive under general labour law principles and specific protective provisions.

In addition, employee representatives, particularly those serving on Health and Safety Committees or acting as designated representatives, benefit from enhanced protection against dismissal and transfer, aimed at ensuring their independence. Protection is further reinforced by the legislative framework on violence and harassment at work, which explicitly prohibits retaliation against individuals who submit complaints or participate in relevant procedures.