Employer of Record in Greece

General Information

• Currency: EUR
• Employer Taxes: 22.29%+ 20 EUR/year
• Payroll Frequency: Monthly
• Employee Costs: 13.87%
• Capital: Athens
• Fiscal Year: 1 January – 31 December

Main Aspects of the Labour Code

Minimum Wage

General: The minimum wage is 830 EUR per month.

Payroll

Payroll Cycle: In Greece, payroll is typically processed on a monthly basis, with payments required to be made on the same day each month, and no later than the final working day of the month.

13th & 14th Salaries

Under Greek law, private sector employees are entitled to two additional monthly salaries, distributed across three payments: a full monthly salary as a Christmas bonus, half a monthly salary as an Easter bonus, and half a monthly salary as a vacation bonus. These bonus payments must be made in cash and cannot be provided in kind.

The Christmas bonus must be paid by December 21st. If it is not paid on time, employees can report the issue to the relevant Labor Inspectorate, where the Labor Inspectors of SEPE are responsible for enforcing fines.

Working Hours

General: The standard working week in Greece is 40 hours, typically structured as eight hours a day over a five-day workweek. However, the working week can be extended to 48 hours if both the employer and employee mutually agree.

Overtime: Any work exceeding the standard weekly hours is considered overtime and is governed by employment contracts or collective agreements. If an employee is required to work overtime or on holidays, the total working hours must not exceed 48 hours per week, averaged over a four-month period. Different maximum working hours apply to minors.

Overtime beyond 40 hours per week and one additional hour per workday is compensated at 120% of the employee’s basic salary for daytime work and 125% for nighttime work during the first hour. For the next two hours, the rate increases to 140%. Employees are allowed to work up to 150 overtime hours per year.

Leave

Annual Leave (Vacation):

In the first calendar year of employment, employees are entitled to proportional holiday time. For a five-day workweek, this equates to 20 working days of paid holiday per year, with the total rounded up for shorter periods.

In the second calendar year, after completing 12 months of employment, holiday entitlement increases by one working day. By the end of the second calendar year, employees on a five-day workweek are entitled to 21 working days of paid holiday.

In the third calendar year, employees are eligible to take their full holiday entitlement at any time, even as early as January 1st. After 24 months of employment, the holiday entitlement increases to 22 working days for a five-day workweek.

For employees with more than 12 years of service with any employer or more than 10 years with the same employer, the holiday entitlement is 25 working days for a five-day workweek. After 25 years of service, an additional day is granted, bringing the total to 26 working days of paid holiday.

Public Holidays

Public holidays when falling on a weekend are moved to the following working day as a day off.

Sick Days

Employees who provide a valid medical certificate within 48 hours are entitled to paid sick leave based on their length of service.

• Employees with 1 to 4 years of service are entitled to one month of paid sick leave.
• Employees with 4 to 10 years of service are entitled to three months of paid sick leave.
• Employees with 10 to 15 years of service are entitled to four months of paid sick leave.
• Employees with more than 15 years of service are entitled to six months of paid sick leave.

During the first year of employment, employees receive half pay for the first three days of illness, followed by 15 days at full pay.

Maternity Leave

Pregnant employees are entitled to 119 calendar days of maternity leave. This benefit applies as long as the employee is not working during the 56 days before the due date and the 63 days after the birth.

The employer pays 100% of the employee’s regular salary for the first month of maternity leave. From the second month onward, the benefit is paid at 50% of the regular salary rate (based on the employee’s insurance contribution class), with both the employer and e-EFKA contributing. Additionally, a child benefit is provided for each child. A supplementary maternity allowance is also available from the second month, covering any difference between the employer-paid salary and the maternity benefit.

For employees who are not insured, a standard maternity benefit of 220.10 EUR is provided.

Paternity Leave

Every working father is entitled to 14 working days of paid paternity leave, which must be taken at the time of the child’s birth. This leave can either: a) start two days before the expected delivery date, with the remaining 12 days taken in full or in part within 30 days after the birth, or b) be taken entirely after the birth. Paternity leave is mandatory for the employer to grant and is not contingent on the employee’s length of service, seniority, marital status, or family status. In cases of adoption or fostering of a child up to eight years old, paternity leave begins when the child joins the family.

Parental Leave

Parental leave is available to any parent who has completed one year of service and is entitled to four months of leave, which can be taken continuously or intermittently as agreed with the employer, until the child reaches eight years old.

Childcare leave is available for 30 months following the birth or adoption of a child. Employees can opt for a reduction in daily working hours by one hour (paid) or a reduction of two hours per day during the first 12 months. In the remaining six months, the reduction is adjusted to one hour per day, or the employee can take 3.5 months of paid leave in one period.

Other Leave

Depending on the terms of the collective agreement or employment contract, employees may be eligible for additional types of leave with employer approval:

• Marriage Leave: Employees are entitled to up to five paid days off for their marriage.
• Bereavement Leave: Employees are granted two days of paid leave due to the death of an immediate family member.
• Caretaker Leave: Employees who have completed six months of service are entitled to five days of paid leave to care for a relative or someone living in the same household.
• School Leave: For each child up to 18 years old who is in school, both parents (full-time or part-time) may take time off (with employer permission) without salary deductions, up to four working days per year.
• Leave for Sickness of Dependent Family Members: Employees can take up to six days of unpaid leave per year for the illness of a child or other dependent family member. This is increased to eight days if the employee has two children, and 14 days if they have three or more children.
• Election Leave: Employees working a five-day week are granted leave on National Election Day if they need to vote in a city 200-400 kilometers away. For locations over 400 kilometers, a two-day leave is provided. If travel involves an island without road access, the leave duration is assessed on a case-by-case basis, with a maximum of three days.

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