Hire in Greece

During the probationary period, employees are evaluated to determine whether they are suitable for the job. The probationary period should not exceed six months and, once passed, is considered as working time and subject to all relevant employee rights.

If the employment agreement is fixed-term, the probationary period should be proportionate in relation to the duration of the agreement. This means that it cannot be longer than one-quarter of the agreement’s total duration or six months, whichever is shorter.

The standard working week in Greece is 40 hours, performed over the course of five days with eight hours per day on average. No more than 10 hours of work should be performed in any one day.

If an organization operates on a continuous system of alternating shifts and employs its workers for a 5-day weekly work, they can be allowed to work on the 6th day of the week, provided that it is registered by the employer on the ERGANI platform before the employee starts working. The work of employees on the additional day must not exceed 8 hours and they are not allowed to work overtime or do any extra work. The employer must pay the employees for the 6th day’s work with regular pay and an extra premium of 40%.

Any work over and above 45 hours each week is classified as overtime and must be paid with a 50% premium. The maximum overtime is 120 hours per year. If this limit is breached, further work is paid with a 75% premium.

Parties can arrange working time in different ways, subject to all the parties’ agreement. However, the employee cannot waive their minimum rights when it comes to working overtime.

An employer must maintain records of any overtime work worked by an employee.

Both parties are entitled to terminate an indefinite-term employment contract without any cause. The employer is not required to justify the dismissal. However, restrictions and prohibitions apply for certain categories of employees or under certain conditions (e.g. pregnant women, during holiday leave, employees on parental leave, family obligation leave, etc.).

There are two types of termination for indefinite-term employment contracts:

• Regular termination occurs with prior notice and this applies only for white-collar employees.
• Irregular termination occurs without prior notice.

Procedures for termination:

• Terminations must always be concluded in writing. The termination document must be provided to the employee.
• Payment of the severance payment (via bank transfer) must be disbursed before the delivery of the termination document. Evidence of the transfer must be provided to the employee, along with the termination document.
• The termination document must be submitted within the prescribed deadline to the ERGANI information system, through which the relevant authorities are notified.
• Within the period specified by the legislation, the signed termination document by both parties must be submitted to the ERGANI electronic system.

When an employee is terminated without notice, he or she is entitled to indemnity compensation based on their years of service.

If an employee is absent without justification for more than five consecutive days, the employer will issue a written notice, which will be uploaded to the ERGANI platform. If the employee fails to return to work within five days from the date of the employer’s notice, their absence will be considered as presumption of resignation.

For dismissal with prior notice, the notice period depends on the employee’s years of service as follows:

• Up to 12 months of employment – no notice
• 1-2 years of employment – 1 months’ notice
• 2-5 years of employment – 2 months’ notice
• 5-10 years of employment – 3 months’ notice
• > 10 full years – 4 months’ notice

Severance pay varies depending on an employee’s length of service and is calculated as follows:

• One to four years of service: two months’ pay
• Four to six years of service: three months’ pay
• Six to eight years of service: four months’ pay
• Eight to 10 years of service: five months’ pay
• 10 to 11 years of service: six months’ pay
• 11 to 12 years of service: seven months’ pay
• 12 to 13 years of service: eight months’ pay
• Then for each additional year’s service, one month’s extra pay, until 16 years’ service, when the payment plateaus at 12 months’ pay.

Severance payment is a requirement for the validity of dismissal, both for dismissal with notice and dismissal without notice.

A post-termination non-competition covenant must be concluded in writing. These will likely be considered lawful and enforceable when:

• it is required to protect the employer’s justified business interests
• it is limited in terms of time, geographical area, activity or business sector
• it takes into consideration the specialization of the employee and his or her circumstances
• a reasonable compensation is agreed upon and paid to the employee

• Payroll reports must be kept for at least 10 years.
• Employers must implement an electronic system of registration for employees’ working hours, connected in real time to the “ERGANI” platform. The start and end time of daily work, duration of breaks and any extra hours over the working schedule will be registered using the Digital Employment Card.
• The Digital Employment Card (implemented in June 2021) is intended to monitor employers’ legal compliance with the working schedule of employees.

• The days of holiday a salaried employee is entitled to depends on their length of employment and work week schedule.
• Every employee (whether on an indefinite or fixed term contract), is entitled to receive a percentage of his leave from the beginning of his employment, according to the weekly work schedule of five or six days.
• For each calendar year, employees with a five-day work week are entitled to 20 to 26 work days. Employees with a six-day work week are entitled to 24 to 31 work days. The exact number depends on the employee’s years of employment and the years of employment with the employer.
• After the first year of employment, annual leave increases by one work day for each year of employment. This goes up to 22 work days for a five-day work week and 26 work days for a six-day work week.
• Employees who have completed 10 years of employment with the same employer or 12 years of employment with any employer are entitled to 25 work days (if on a five-day work week) or 30 work days (if on a 6-day work week).
• If an employee has completed 25 years of employment with the same employer or any employer, they are entitled 26 work days (if on a five-day work week) and 31 work days (if on a six-day work week).
• Annual leave must be used by the end of the first quarter of the following calendar year.

• Leave for medically-assisted reproduction: seven working days
• Special maternity leave is offered for surrogacy and adoption.
• School leave for every child up to 18 years of age: up to four working days
• Wedding leave: five or six work days, in accordance with work schedule
• Prenatal examination leave: employee may take leave without salary deduction
• Leave for child with disability: for employers with more than 50 employees, an employee can request for reduction of daily employment by one hour a day
• Leave to care for sick dependents: six days (base), which goes up to eight days for employees with two children or 14 days for employees with three or more children
• Single parents’ leave (children up to 12 years old): six days (base), which goes up to eight days for parents with three or more children
• Leave in case of serious health issue of child (children up to 18 years old): up to 10 work days per year
• Leave in case of hospitalization of child (children up to 18 years old): up to 30 working days per year

Employees who have completed six months of employment are entitled to paid caretaker leave equivalent to five work days per calendar year. This is for the purpose of taking care of a relative or other person living in the same home with the employee. This leave must be supported by a medical certificate.

In addition, every parent or caretaker is entitled to a paid leave of two working days for urgent family matters in case of sickness or accident.