If the employer cancels the assignment at any time after the notice was issued and, in all cases, before the work is undertaken, the worker is entitled to compensation corresponding to the hourly rate of the hours not assigned to them.

The employee has the right to refuse to carry out work if the employer either a) has not communicated in writing in the employment contract or the notification of terms and conditions of employment form the schedule of the hours and days during which the worker may be required to work; or b) the worker has not been notified by the employer of the assignment of work in writing or by text message by mobile telephone (SMS) or email or by any other appropriate means within a reasonable time period, which may not be less than 24 hours prior to the assignment. In this case, dismissal or any discrimination against the worker by the employer is prohibited.

No. If the employer unilaterally amends the contract without the worker's consent, the worker is entitled to report this to the Labour Inspectorate through the labour dispute resolution procedure. The worker can also seek recourse to the courts, invoke forced resignation and claim damages.

If an on-demand contract is entered into, the parties are obligated to agree on a minimum number of paid working hours, which may not be less than ¼ of the agreed total number of hours, otherwise the contract is null and void.

The employer is entitled to set a different notice period from that provided for in the law for termination with notice of a contract of indefinite duration, provided such period is not less favourable than that provided for in law, subject to any special provisions.

The probationary period period, if any, may not exceed six months.

In the case of fixed-term work, the notice period must be proportionate to the expected duration and nature of the work and in no case may it exceed ¼ of the agreed total duration of employment and, in all cases, may not exceed six months. In the case of renewal of a contract or fixed-term employment relationship for the same post and the same duties, no new probationary period is allowed. In cases where an employee was absent from work during the probationary period due to illness or other reason that suspended the employment relationship, the employer is entitled to extend the probationary period by a proportionate period of time.

No. If the employer unilaterally amends the worker's essential terms of employment and these are less favourable, such as a substantial change in the place of employment, working hours or salary without the worker's consent, then the worker has the right to complain to the Labour Inspectorate through the labour dispute resolution procedure. The worker can also seek recourse to the courts, invoke forced resignation and claim damages. Additionally, salary cuts/reductions that are not made with the written consent of the employee (unless the reductions are the result of a collective bargaining agreement or other agreement with workers’ representatives) may be claimed, following notice of termination, by criminal prosecution initiated by the Department of Labour Relations in accordance with the provisions on failure to pay wages for work already carried out.

The employer is obligated to notify each employee in writing within 7 days from the beginning of employment of the following information (primary essential conditions for employment):

• the identity particulars of the employer and the employee;
• the place where work is to be performed, or the registered office of the enterprise, or the employer's residential address if the place of work is not fixed or is chosen by the worker, with explicit reference to the variability of the place of work;
• the worker’s post or specialisation, grade, category or sector of employment, and a summary description of the subject-matter of their work;
• the date on which the contract or employment relationship begins and ends, or its expected duration if it is a fixed-term employment relationship;
• the duration and conditions of the probationary period, if one was agreed upon;
• the earnings of any kind to which the worker is entitled, as well as the regularity and method of payment;
• the length of employment of the working day or week, if the work pattern is entirely or mostly predictable, any arrangements and remuneration for overtime or additional work, and any arrangements for shift changes;
• if the work patter is entirely or mostly unpredictable, the employer shall inform the worker about:
  • the principle that the working hours are variable, the number of guaranteed paid hours, and the remuneration for work performed in addition to those guaranteed hours;
  • the reference hours and days during which they may be required to work;
  • the minimum notice period that the worker must receive before starting a work assignment and, where applicable, the deadline within which the employer can cancel the work assignment.

Additionally, the employer is obligated to notify each employee in writing within 1 month from the beginning of employment of the following information (supplementary conditions for employment):

• in the case of a temporary agency worker, the identity of the enterprise to which the worker is assigned, as soon as this becomes known;
• the right to training provided by the employer, where there is such an obligation by law;
• the duration of the paid leave to which the employee is entitled, and how and when it is to be granted;
• the procedure to be followed by the employer and the worker in the event of termination of employment and, in particular, the obligation to give written notice, the notice periods, the determination of the amount of compensation and the existence of good cause, if required;
• any collective bargaining agreements governing working conditions;
• the social security institutions with which the worker is insured, as well as any other benefits from the employer relating to social security.

None of the above terms of the employment contract/relationship can be less favourable for the worker than those laid down in any relevant legislation or collective bargaining agreement.

In the event that the worker who normally provides their work in Greece is required to work in another Member State of the European Union or in a third country, the above documents shall be delivered before their departure and must contain at least the following additional information:

1. the country or countries where the work is to be carried out and its expected duration;
2. the currency in which their earnings are to be paid;
3. allowances or benefits, whether in cash or in kind, associated with the assignment; and
4. information on whether repatriation is provided for and, if so, the conditions governing repatriation.

In cases of secondment to an EU or EEA Member State or Switzerland, before departing, the worker shall also be informed in writing in relation to:

1. the earnings to which the worker is entitled under the legislation in force in the Member State where the work is to be carried out;
2. where provided for, the allowances related to secondment and the arrangements for reimbursement of travel, subsistence and accommodation expenses; and
3. the official national website of the host Member State where the worker is to provide their work, through which they can learn about the terms and conditions of employment applicable to seconded workers.

The employer is required to notify the worker in writing of any change to the above terms and conditions of employment no later than the date the change is made.

Yes. Under Law 5053/2023, the employer is obligated to inform the employee in writing about the essential terms of the contract or employment relationship, whether in hard copy or in electronic form. Please note that if the information is provided in electronic format, it must be possible for the worker to access the information and for the information to be stored and printed. Information on the primary essential conditions of employment must be provided no later than 7 days after work has started, while information on the supplementary essential conditions of employment must be provided no later than one month after work has started. The distinction between primary and supplementary terms is provided in the answer to the next question.

• EMPLOYEES

In accordance with Article 655 of the Civil Code, the time of payment of wages to the employee is alternatively and successively:

1. The time agreed between the employer and the employee.
2. Time set by market or business practice.
3. If it is a time wage, the day of expiry of each of the time intervals, on the basis of which it is calculated, or if it is a production wage, the day when the result of the agreed work is completed.
4. The day of termination of the employment relationship.

The above cases regulate the time of payment of the salary in general, i.e. any salary benefit, and not only the daily salary in the narrow sense.

• SKILLED WORKERS

In accordance with Article 2 of Royal Decree of 24 July 1920 (Government Gazette, Series I, No 189/21-8-1920), workers’ earnings should be paid ‘… or every week, including Saturday, or three times a month or twice a month, depending on the local custom or agreement, in working hours. This provision shall not apply to undertakings employing more than 200 workers ...’

The above provision is mandatory and therefore cannot be contractually altered to the detriment of the employee. Therefore, it is not allowed to pay the remuneration on later dates even if there is an agreement between the employer and the employee.

In accordance with Law 4254/2014, the employer is obliged to provide a payment note to the employees stating the agreed salary and the corresponding deductions, as well as the earnings that they would be entitled to receive under the relevant collective agreement. It can also be sent electronically.

If the illness lasted up to 3 days, whatever the number of days of sick leave in the calendar year, the employer pays 1/2 of the daily wage for each of the up to 3 days of absence of the employee. For the remaining days of this first sick leave (beyond 3 days), as well as for all the days of any subsequent sick leave in the same calendar year that lasts beyond 3 days, the employer pays the employee’s normal earnings, deducting what the employee received or was entitled to receive as sick pay from their insurance organisation for the period of absence due to sickness, whether this corresponds to working or non-working days.

The period in respect of which the entitlement to a salary is maintained may not exceed 1 month if the impediment occurred at least 1 year after the commencement of the contract, and half a month in any other case. The employee retains their right to the salary after at least 10 days of work.

The employee retains their right to half a month’s salary or a maximum of 1 month’s salary in the event of absence due to non-culpable impediment. If, at the change of the working year, the impediment continues for the same reason, the employee is not entitled to receive half a month's or a maximum of 1 month's salary again. They shall be entitled to receive their salary again on the basis of Articles 657-658 of the Civil Code only if, after the change in their working year, the impediment to work also changes.

The leave shall be granted as a whole. During the first two years the leave shall be granted in parts and from the third calendar year onwards as a whole.

The time of granting the leave is subject to agreement between the employer and the employee. The employer is obliged to grant the leave within two (2) months of the date of the request and, in any case, within the first quarter of the following calendar year.

Splitting of leave is allowed in the third and subsequent years, in accordance with point 3 subpara. IA.14 of Law 4093/2012 as follows:

1. In two periods in case of a particularly serious or urgent need of the undertaking. The first period of leave may not include less than six (6) or five (5) working days (6‑day/5‑day working week).
2. More than two periods of which one must comprise at least twelve (12) or ten (10) working days following a written request by the employee to the employer. Employees’ written applications must be kept in the undertaking for a period of 5 years.

The annual ordinary leave must be granted during the year it was earned and in any event up to the first quarter of the following calendar year. An employer who does not grant the employee their annual holiday until the end of the above period shall be obliged to pay them the corresponding earnings for the leave days. After that time, therefore, the claim for leave shall be converted into a monetary claim.

In the event of termination of the employment contract during the period of short-time work unilaterally imposed by the employer, the severance pay shall be calculated on the basis of the normal remuneration for the last month on a full-time basis.

Employees working intermittently or on a rotational basis will receive 1 day’s pay for every 8 days worked between 1 May and 31 December as a Christmas Allowance.

The basis for calculating the Christmas Allowance are the earnings of 10 December. For employees whose employment relationship was terminated before 10 December, the earnings of the day of termination of the relationship shall be taken into account.

The Easter Allowance must be paid by Holy Wednesday.

In accordance with Ministerial Decision 19040/1981, the calculation basis for the Easter Allowance are the earnings paid on the 15th day before Easter.

The compulsory public holidays established by law (Article 60 of Law 4808/2021), during which all industrial, craft, commercial and professional work, as well as the employment of salaried workers, is prohibited, are the following:

1. 1 January;
2. Epiphany (6 January);
3. 25 March;
4. Easter Monday;
5. 1 May;
6. Assumption (15 August);
7. 28 October;
8. Christmas Day (25 December);
9. Boxing Day.

Those who are paid a daily wage and are not employed will receive the usual daily wage. Employees who will be employed on this day are entitled to receive, if they are paid a daily wage, the usual daily wage with an increase of 75% calculated on their statutory hourly wage, and if they are paid on a monthly wage, only a 75% increase calculated on their statutory hourly wage. In both cases, the above earnings will be calculated for the number of hours worked.

Pursuant to sub-paragraph IA.10.1.a. of Law 4093/2012, during the hours when shops are not open, the employment of salaried workers is allowed, but all transactions within the shops are prohibited. Until the amendment made by Law 4093/2012, employment of salaried workers and all transactions within the shops during the hours when the shops were not open, was prohibited.

The wedding leave is granted to the employee once for the same marriage, i.e. either for the civil marriage or for the religious marriage, since both types are equivalent in respect of the Greek State. The celebration of a religious marriage after a civil marriage constitutes a solemnisation of the first one and not a new marriage.

The days of compulsory absence of female employees before and after childbirth (8 weeks before and 9 weeks after childbirth) are considered as regular working time and are included in the calculation of Easter Allowance. (Joint Ministerial Decision 19040/1981 of the Ministry of Finance and Labour, Article 1).

In accordance with Article 23 of Law 4342/2015, a working father has an independent right to use childcare leave (reduced work time) and under the conditions provided for by the National General Collective Labour Agreements, regardless of the type of activity the mother performs, even when she is not working.

In the case of termination with notice, the point in time of termination is the time of the notice. Thus, notice of termination is not permitted during the period of protection of pregnant women or women who gave birth recently (18 months).

Snowfalls, when they are of unusual form and intensity, may be regarded as an event of force majeure, that is, an event whose consequences could not be foreseen and prevented even by taking measures of extreme diligence and prudence. It follows that, for an employer who, as a result of snowfalls, is unable to operate their business and to accept any services offered by their employees, snowfalls may be regarded as a force majeure event which, under Article 656 of the Civil Code, exempts them from the obligation to pay earnings.

The inability of the employees, due to the unusual form and intensity of the snowfall, to come to the employer’s undertaking which was operating and to provide their work, constitutes for the employees an important reason, not due to their fault (CC 657), which entitles them to claim earnings for the period of time during which the snowfall made it impossible for them to provide their work.

Pursuant to Article 10 of the National General Collective Labour Agreement of 24 May 2004, an unpaid leave of 10 days is granted by the employer on consecutive days or in stages, irrespective of the age of the beneficiary, to those participating in a programme for a master’s degree of at least 1 year of study or a doctoral degree from a Higher Education Institution and a Technological Educational Institute in Greece or abroad. It is valid for up to 2 years.