Global Compliance – Greece

Greece: Recent Amendments to Labour Law  

Recently, Greece has enacted Law 5239/2025, titled “Fair Work for All: Simplification of Legislation –Support for the Employee – Protection in Practice – Pension and Other Provisions, (“Act”) introducing various reforms to the existing labour law framework. 

The Act implements significant measures to simplify administrative procedures, enhance transparency through digital governance, and modernise regulations on working time, leave entitlements, and occupational health and safety- ensuring harmonisation with European Union labour and social protection standards. 

The key changes introduced are as follows: 

Overtime 

Previously, employees were limited to a maximum of 3 hours of overtime per day, with a total annual limit of 150 hours. Also, employees working on rotating shifts were excluded from overtime provisions. 

Effective October 17, 2025, the daily overtime limit will be increased to 4 hours per day. This means that employees may work up to 13 hours in a single day, provided that the statutory 11-hour consecutive rest period between shifts is maintained. However, the total annual overtime limit remains at 150 hours per year. (Hence employees can work 4 hours of overtime, i.e., 13-hour workday for technically 37 days in a year). 

Additionally, the amendment also extends overtime provision to employees on rotating shifts, allowing them to perform additional hours beyond their agreed schedule and receive the same overtime pay rates as a full-time employee. 

Annual Leave 

Previously, the annual leave period was allowed to be divided into 2 parts only in exceptional cases, when there was a serious or urgent need for the enterprise or operation. In such cases, the first part of the leave shall not include fewer than 6 working days in a 6-day workweek, 5 working days in a 5-day workweek. The law also allowed the division of annual leave into more than 2 periods, but only if the employee made a written request to the employer. If the leave was divided into more than 2 periods, 1 period of the leave shall include at least 12 working days in a 6-day workweek, 10 working days in a 5-day workweek. 

Effective October 17, 2025, annual leave shall normally be taken as one continuous period, but it may be divided (as an exception) into more than two parts, upon the employee’s written request and with the employer’s approval. In such cases, when leave is divided, one part must include at least 6 consecutive working days in a 6-day workweek or 5 consecutive working days in a 5-day workweek.  

The amendment also revises the procedure for recording annual leave in the ERGANI II system. Employers are no longer required to register the leave immediately when it begins; instead, they must now submit the record retrospectively, within the calendar month following the month in which the leave was taken. 

Maternity Leave for Foster Mother 

Previously, there were no provisions of maternity leave for foster mothers in the labour law.  

Effective October 17, 2025, the maternity leave entitlement that previously applied only to biological and adoptive mothers, has been extended to include foster mothers. 

Foster mothers caring for a child up to the age of 8 years are now entitled to receive 9 weeks of postnatal maternity leave. 

Expanded Protection Against Dismissal for Adoptive and Foster Mothers During Maternity Leave 

Previously, employees who adopted a child up to 6 years old were protected from dismissal during the maternity period. 

Effective October 17, 2025, employees who adopt a child up to 8 years old are now protected from dismissal during the maternity period. This protection is also extended to employees who become foster mothers of a child up to 8 years old. 

Flexible Work Attendance- Digital Work Card 

Previously, there were no provisions allowing flexible attendance for employers that operate under the digital work-card system in the labour law. 

Effective October 17, 2025, employers that operate under the digital work-card system may enter into a written agreement with employees to permit flexible attendance of up to 120 minutes per day. Under this arrangement, the employee may start work anytime between the declared start of the shift and up to 120 minutes later. 

The digital work card must be punched at the actual start and end of the declared working schedule, taking into account the allowed preparation time, which differs by sector, up to 30 minutes before and after work in industrial enterprises, and up to 10 minutes before and after work in all other sectors. 

Work Time Arrangement 

Previously, a 6-month reference period was used to average employees’ working hours, allowing them to work more during busy periods and less during slower ones. Extra hours were compensated only for reduced hours or rest days, and such arrangements required a collective or company-level agreement.

Effective October 17, 2025, the amendment extends the reference period for averaging working hours and extends the period from 6 months to 12 months, with a minimum duration of 1 week. Additionally, compensation for the extra hours worked during busy periods can now be provided not only through reduced working hours but also through additional annual leave, extra rest days, or a combination of these options.  

Recording Requirements 

Previously, employers were required to keep employment records physically on-site at the workplace, including the individual terms of employment forms, staff list and working hour schedule, the leave book, and employees printed pay slips. These documents had to be readily available for review by labour inspectors and employees upon request. 

Effective October 17, 2025, the amendment abolishes the requirement for employers to keep these documents physically at the workplace. 

Take Away- Employers should proactively review and update their policies to ensure compliance with the recent labor law reforms.