The minimum wage is EUR 713 per month. However, the minimum wage will vary according to the seniority and civil status of the employee:

The individual income tax ranges from 9% to 44%. Income tax is calculated according to progressive rates. Multiple additional factors may impact overall rates such as the household status and the number of children.

The employer cost is generally estimated at 22,29% of the employee salary. The maximum gross monthly base salary for social security contributions for 2023 is EUR 7,126.94 per month.

• Pension Fund - 13.33%
• Supplementary Pension -3.00%
• Health Insurance - 4.30%
• Supplementary Health Insurance 0.25%
• Additional Contributions - Unemployment - 1.41%
• Teleworking Expense - EUR 28 a month

Standard working hours are 8 hours per day, 40 hours per week. The standard workweek is from Monday to Friday. However, if both parties agree the standard working hours can be 6,4 and the working days from Monday to Saturday. 

In Greece, there are two types of overtime: "iperergasia" and "iperoria." It is required by law to pay overtime to employees, and the rates vary depending on the type of overtime.

There are limitations in place: employees cannot work more than an average of 48 hours per week over a period of up to 4 months, including both types of overtime. Additionally, it is not allowed to include overtime in the employment agreement.

Overtime: Iperergasia

• For employees working 40 hours a week for 6 days a week, the first 8 hours of overtime (1 hour and 20 minutes per day) fall under iperergasia.
• For employees working 40 hours a week for 5 days a week, the first 5 hours of overtime (1 hour per day) fall under iperergasia.
• Iperergasia is paid an increase 20% of the employee's regular hourly rate.
• There is no need to inform the authorities about this type of overtime.

Overtime: Iperoria

• Any overtime worked after the hours of iperergasia is considered iperoria.
• The authorities must be informed in advance about iperoria, and there should be a valid reason for it. Iperoria cannot exceed 3 hours per day (excluding iperergasia) or 150 hours per year (excluding iperergasia).
• Iperoria is paid with a 40% increase of the employee's regular hourly rate until reaching the maximum of 150 hours per year.
• To work more than 150 hours of overtime in a year, the employer needs special permission from the Ministry of Labor and must pay an increase od 60% of their regular hourly rate.

Employees are entitled to paid sick leave for up to 25 days. During the first year of employment, employees can take up to 13 days and will be entitled to lower wages. This leave is paid at different rates and by different payers depending upon length: 

The limit of the base salary that the employee will receive will depend on the decision from the Social Security authorities.

Terminations must respect complex rules and the rules of an employee’s employment country. The off-boarding is always handled by the Employer with the primary stakeholders. It may include ad-hoc fees as well as required or recommended steps on specific termination cases.

Terminations in Greece can be complex. The conditions will depend on the term of the contract, length of service, and the employee's salary. The authorities must be notified within 4 working days (i.e. Monday to Friday) for all terminations.

For indefinite term contracts, compliant terminations include:

• Voluntarily by the employee
• By mutual agreement (only in cases of retirement)
• Unilaterally by the employer based on:
  • Probation period
  • Objective grounds
  • Disciplinary dismissal: absent from work without an excuse for more than seven days, or in case of improper behavior
  • Without cause, upon prior notification

For fixed-term contracts, compliant terminations include:

• Unilaterally by the employer based on:
  • Objective grounds
  • Probation period
  • Objective grounds
  • Disciplinary dismissal: absent from work without an excuse for more than seven days, or in case of improper behavior
• By the expiration of the contract

Terminations and resignations must take place on Fridays. They cannot take place on other weekdays, weekends or public holidays.

Notice will depend on the contract term, what is agreed in the employment agreement, the salary of the employee, and the reason for the termination.

Fixed-term contracts

• By the expiration of the contract: no notice is required
• Termination by the employer:
  • No notice up to one year of employment
  • 30 days over one year of employment

Indefinite-term contracts

• Unilaterally by the employer
  • No notice is required
• Voluntarily by the employee
  • 15 days of notice
• By mutual agreement

In Greece, employees who are terminated after one year of employment are entitled to severance pay. Severance pay will depend if the employee was terminated without cause or with cause, and primarily the warning period. 

The minimum severance compensation for terminations without warning is 2 months and it can raise up to 12 months after 16 years of employment. 

The minimum severance compensation for terminations with warning is 1 month and can be raised up to 6 months after 16 years of employment. 

In Greece, a 1-month compensation calculation represents the monthly gross salary, divided by 12 and multiplied by 14 (mandatory bonuses).

To protect you from unforeseen financial risks arising from terminations, Deel applies a Severance Accrual to all employment agreements in this country.  Deel has extensive expertise in managing litigation risk globally and our Severance Accrual calculation is based on the prevailing common-law or statutory entitlements and local best practices. In the event your employee resigns or is not entitled to severance, all unused amounts will be returned to you.

Both full-time and part-time employees are entitled to 20 working days of paid time off (PTO) a year. PTO accrues monthly 1,67 days per month. Employees are eligible for annual leave after 1 month of work.

PTO increases with the length of service:

Employees who have completed 10 years of service with the same employer or 12 years of employment with any employer and under any employment relationship will be entitled to leave of:

• 30 working days if a 6-day working week system is in place or;
• 25 working days if a 5-day working week system is in place (Article 3 of NGCLA 2008/2009).

After completing 25 years of service or previous experience, employees are entitled to 1 additional day of leave:

• 31 working days for a 6-day working week system and;
• 26 working days for a 5-day working week system, respectively.

Greece celebrates both 13 national holidays based on the location of the employee.

National public holidays include:

• New Year’s Day
• Epiphany Day
• Shrove Monday
• National Independence Day
• Orthodox Good Friday
• Orthodox Good Saturday
• Orthodox Easter
• Orthodox Easter Monday
• Orthodox Whit Monday
• Assumption of Virgin Mary
• National OXI - Day of World War II
• Christmas
• Boxing Day

Contracts must be in Greek and can be bilingual. They must be in writing and signed by both parties.

A contract must include:

• name
• start date
• length of the employment
• job description
• termination conditions