Long considered the cradle of Western civilization, Greece is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia and Africa. It is also recognized as the birthplace of democracy, Western philosophy and literature, the Olympic games, as well as major scientific and mathematical principles. With Alexander the Great who conquered much of the ancient world, from the eastern Mediterranean to India, Greek language and culture, even under the Roman empire, dominated the world during the late B.C. and early A.D. years.
The modern nation of Greece is a unitary parliamentary republic with an advanced economy, a high quality of life and standard of living. As a member of the European Union, it is the largest economy in the Balkans. Its demographics comprise of a population of over 10 million people, but with a rapidly declining birth rate and increasing mortality rate.
It is one of the most mountainous countries in the area, although it is surrounded by the Aegean and Mediterranean seas along its peninsulas. It features a number of islands with Crete being the largest and most populous. Greece has a highly desirable climate with mild, wet winters and hot, dry summers, attracting millions of global vacationers every year eager to experience its beautiful scenery and blue waters.
Greece's labor law defines permanent employment as an open-ended contract that may be terminated only by legal procedures, resignation, dismissal, or retirement. Employment under an indefinite-term employment contract for the first 12 months from the date of its entry into force can be terminated without notice and without severance pay, unless otherwise agreed by the parties. If the contracting parties agree to a probationary period, the period of the probationary period shall be counted towards this 12-month period. Indefinite term contracts can be terminated at any time by either party by giving notice. Employees who work with the same employer for more than 1 year are entitled to severance pay at the time of termination.
According to Greece's labor law, only part-time contracts must be written. However, the employer is required to inform the employee of the following information in writing within 1 week from the beginning of the work:
Names of the employer and employee
Address (or principal place of business) of the employer
Employment start date
Place of work
Job title and description for which the employee is hired
Duration of any temporary or fixed-term contract
Terms or conditions related to paid leave (other than sick leave)
Notice period required
The rate or method of calculation of remuneration concerning the relevant collective agreements affecting the terms and conditions of employment
Frequency of wage payments
Terms and conditions related to normal daily and weekly hours of work
As per Greek case law, restrictive contract covenants are valid if reasonable, and employers have a justified and unprotected professional interest. Such restrictions must be limited in duration, geographical area, and type of activity. Reasonable time is considered 1 to 2 years. The clause must apply to a specific kind of activity. Employees must be compensated for their commitment to avoid engaging in a particular activity.
According to Greece's labor law, employers can hire temporary workers through Temporary Employment Companies for a limited period of time for exceptional, temporary, or seasonal needs. Temporary Employment Companies in Greece have the same rights and obligations as those of employers. A contract of employment must be established between employees and the Temporary Employment Company. Temporary employees are entitled to the same rights as those who are considered permanent. Organizations are prohibited from hiring temporary workers to replace those who exercise their right to strike or to replace employees dismissed due to economic redundancy.
Temporary staff must be informed of vacancies at their third-party employer so that they may be provided the same opportunities as other company employees to be employed in permanent jobs. A general announcement can make information on permanent job openings available in a visible and accessible place in the company workplace where the temporary employee provides their services (their third-party employer).
Greek labor law allows employers and employees to agree on a probationary period of up to 6 months when starting an indefinite-term contract, during which the employment is considered “under probation.” If the employee successfully completes probation, their seniority counts from the original hire date; if not, the employment ends automatically, though the employee retains all rights accrued up to that point. For fixed-term contracts, probation must be proportionate to the contract’s length, cannot exceed one quarter of its duration, and is capped at 6 months; no new probation is allowed if the same fixed-term contract is renewed for the same role. Probation is extended when employment is suspended for reasons such as illness or approved leave.
Unless the employer and employee agree otherwise, employment contracts can be terminated without notice or severance during probation. However, an employee may still have recourse if they are dismissed unfairly.
Hours of Work
Greek labor law sets a hard ceiling of 8 hours per day and 48 hours per week. Standard full-time work is 40 hours per week, which employers may distribute over a 5-day schedule (8 hours per day) or a 6-day schedule (6 hours 40 minutes per day). Employers may adopt shorter full-time schedules through individual or collective agreements, and under working-time arrangement rules, a full-time week may also legally consist of 4 working days.
From October 2025, employers are allowed to arrange their working schedule so that employees can work 10 hours a day but not exceeding 40 hours a week, provided that the additional working hours per week are deducted from the working hours of another period of time (period of reduced employment) in the form of rest days or reduced working hours. This effectively allows a 4-day work week with 10 hours daily. The duration of such working hours cannot exceed a total of 12 months, and not less than 1 week. Employees have the right to refuse to provide this additional work. This law also permits employees to work up to 13 consecutive hours per day for a single employer, comprising 8 hours of regular work, 1 hour of overwork, and up to 4 hours of overtime. This can be used up to a maximum of 3 days per month and 37 days per year. Employees retain the right to refuse, and refusal cannot be grounds for dismissal or adverse treatment.
Breaks and Meal Periods
Employees must receive 11 consecutive hours of rest in every 24-hour period and at least 35 hours of uninterrupted weekly rest. If more than 4 continuous hours are worked, employees are entitled to a 15–30 minute unpaid break, which must be taken in the middle of the workday and not at its start or end.
Timekeeping
Private employers must use the Digital Work Card system connected to ERGANI, which records employees’ working hours in real time and enables the Labor Inspectorate to verify compliance.
Telework must be agreed upon between the employer and employee upon hiring or by amending the employment contract. Telework can also apply for public health protection or upon the employee's request in case of a documented health risk.
In Greece, every employee on a fixed-term or a permanent contract is entitled to annual paid leave from the beginning of their employment. This leave is to be granted by the employer on a pro-rata basis, depending on how long the employer has employed the employee. The proportion is calculated based on 20 working days’ leave for a 5-working-day week or 24 working days’ leave for a 6-working-day week, corresponding to 12 months’ continuous employment.
The employer must grant the employee the correct proportion of the above regular leave by the end of the first calendar year in which the employee was hired. During the second calendar year, the employee is entitled to take regular paid annual leave in portions, according to the length of service. During leave, the employee is entitled to their normal pay and benefits. Leave is increased by 1 working day for each year of employment, beyond the first year, up to 26 working days or up to 22 days if the employee operates on a 5-working-day week basis.
During the third and subsequent calendar years, the employee is entitled to take all their annual leave at any time during the year. From October 2025, employees are allowed to split their annual leave under exceptional circumstances by requesting their employer. At least 1 part of the leave must include at least 6 working days in a 6-day workweek and 5 working days in a 5-day workweek or, in the case of minors, 12 working days. The employee's request, as well as the employer's decision, must be kept in the enterprise records for 5 years, in electronic or printed form.
Employers must electronically submit to the labor monitoring system, ERGANI II, the granting of the leave in inventory, within the next calendar month following the month of its granting.
Greece's labor law grants employees monthly, long-term sick leave for a maximum of 6 months, as follows:
1 month for employees who have worked for up to 4 years
3 months for employees who have worked for more than 4 years, but less than 10 years
4 months for employees who have worked for more than 10 years, but less than 15 years
6 months for employees who have worked for more than 15 years
In addition to this, employees are also entitled to short-term, unpaid sick leave for up to 15 days per year. A medical certificate is required for an employee to take more than 2 continuous leave days.
The sickness benefit is 50% of the salary of the employees. The employer must pay at least half of the wages for the first 3 days of sick leave. The Social Security Institute of Greece is responsible for paying the rest of the benefits.
According to Greek labor law, the duration of maternity leave is set at 17 weeks for private-sector employees. Of this 17-week period, 8 weeks must be granted to the worker before confinement and 9 weeks after confinement. If the worker gives birth prematurely, the remaining maternity leave is to be granted after confinement, so that the maternity leave amounts to a total of 17 weeks. This leave is also extended to same-sex partners. Effective October 2025, adoptive and foster mothers for a child up to the age of 8 years are also entitled to postnatal maternity leave. If an employee fostering a child makes use of the leave provided for herein and subsequently adopts the child, she is not entitled to the leave again.
During maternity leave, employees are paid 100% of their earnings by the state social insurance fund and the Public Employment Service (DYPA), up to a cap set by the social insurance fund. To receive full maternity benefits, the mother must have worked 200 working days during the previous 2 years. After the basic maternity leave, mothers are entitled to another special leave of 6 months, during which time the state will provide a benefit equal to the statutory minimum wage.
Greek labor law grants male employees a paid paternity leave of 14 days upon their child's birth. This leave is granted in whole or in part according to the employee's request as follows: either a) the employee receives 2 days leave before the expected date of delivery, in order to meet the needs associated with pregnancy and childbirth, in which case in this case, the remaining 12 days are granted, in whole or in part, directly due to the birth of the child, within 30 days from the date of birth, or b) all the days of leave after the date of birth are granted. Every working father is entitled to leave without conditions, regardless of his marital status. Paternity leave is also extended to same-sex spouses, as well as adoptive parents who adopt a child under 8 years of age.
According to Greek labor law, the first 12 months of an indefinite employment agreement, counted from the date on which the agreement comes into force, are considered to be a probationary period. During this period, either party may terminate the employment relationship without notice and without severance pay, unless otherwise agreed by the parties.
After the first 12 months, the employer must give the following notice period before the termination of the employment contract:
1 month's notice period to employees paid monthly, with 1 year to 2 years of service
2 months' notice period to those with 2 to 5 years of service
3 months' notice period to those with 5 to 10 years of service
4 months' notice period to those with more than 10 years of service
An employer who gives an employee written notice according to the above pays only half of the statutory severance pay due to the dismissed employee.
A notice period is not required for fixed-term contracts.
Employers are required to formally report every type of employment termination to the national digital system ERGANI II within 4 working days. The notification must be submitted electronically using the official termination form specified by the Ministry of Labor.
According to Greek labor law, an employer can terminate an indefinite employment agreement of more than 12 months by giving the employee prior written notice. Specific notice periods between 1 and 4 months are required, depending on the employee's length of service with the employer. In the case of indefinite employment agreements terminated by the employer, the severance pay is calculated depending on the length of service with the employer. For employees who complete 17 years in service with the same employer, additional compensation is paid that increases by 1 monthly salary for each additional year of service up to 12 monthly salaries, provided the monthly salary does not exceed EUR 2,000.
