Greece
Introduction
General overview & country facts, as well as labour regulations.
Employer Contributions
These are additional costs incurred by employers over and above the employee’s monthly gross salary and/or bonus.
Employee Contributions
These are costs incurred by employees that reduce their monthly gross salary and/or bonus to determine their net “take home” pay.
Employment Terms
All you need to know about salary & bonuses, working hours & overtime, probation period, notice period & severance pay, as well as all leave types.
COUNTRY PLAYBOOK
Greece
Everything you need to know about payroll, benefits & hiring top talent in Greece
Currency
Euro (EUR)
Salary payment frequency
Monthly
Capital
Athens
Time Zone
GMT +2:00
Official Languages
Greek
Is English spoken?
Yes
Quick Links
Introduction
General Overview & Economic Facts
- Greece, officially known as the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία; Ellinikí Dimokratía) is a sovereign democracy located in Southeast Europe
- Greece is considered the birthplace of western civilization, democracy, theatre and philosophy
- Greece is a highly educated population with a large percentage of skilled professionals
- Greece ranks 32nd on the HDI (2019)
- Greece’s economy ranks 51st (2020) by nominal GDP and 54th by PPP (2020)
Why Employ In Greece?
- Greece’s main exports are petroleum, aluminum and pharmaceuticals
- 10.34% of the population is between the ages of 15 and 24 years, with 39.60% of the population being between the ages of 25 and 54. Greece has a fairly youthful population, making it a favourable country to employ young, energetic employees
Overview Of The Labour Law
- Greece does not have a single labour code. However, Greek employment rules are found in several government regulations which define terms for employee protections, workers’ rights, and labor relations
- The labour regulations cover classification of employees, categories of protected employees, working hours and probation periods
- Employees are protected against discrimination based on race, age, religion, sexual orientation and gender
Fun Country Facts
- The Yo-yo was invented in Greece
- Greek is the oldest language in the world that’s still used
- The first-ever Olympics happened in 776 BC in honor of Zeus, the King of the Gods
Why Use Playroll Services For Greece?
- Employing in Greece requires companies to have their own legal entity in the country as well as to manage payroll, employee benefits, taxes and legal compliance. This can get quite complicated, especially with the complexity of employment laws in Greece
- With Playroll’s Employer of Record services, your team will be employed by our established legal entities in each country
- We will take care of payroll, employee benefits, taxes, legal compliance and provide ongoing employee support, so that you can focus on growing a thriving team
Employer Contributions
These are additional costs incurred by employers over and above the employee’s monthly gross salary and/or bonus.
Social Security
Called EFKA In Greece
Calculated on a maximum monthly salary of EUR 6,630.00
Pension Fund
13.33%
Health Insurance
4.55%
Supplementary Insurance
3.25%
Additional Contributions
1.41%
Supplementary Retirement, Death and Disability Insurance
Called ETEAEP/TEKA In Greece
Calculated on a maximum monthly salary of EUR 6,630.00
3.25%
ETEAEP and TEKA from 1 January 2022 until 31 May 2022
3.00%
ETEAEP and TEKA from 1 June 2022 onwards
Employee Contributions
These are costs incurred by employees that reduce their monthly gross salary and/or bonus to determine their net “take home” pay.
Social Security
Called EFKA In Greece
Calculated on a maximum monthly salary of EUR 6,630.00
Health Insurance
2.55%
Supplementary Insurance
3.25%
Additional Contributions
1.65%
Supplementary Retirement, Death and Disability Insurance
Called ETEAEP/TEKA In Greece
Calculated on a maximum monthly salary of EUR 6,630.00.
3.25%
ETEAEP and TEKA from 1 January 2022 until 31 May 2022
3.00%
ETEAEP and TEKA from 1 June 2022 onwards
Income Tax
Income bracket per annum
0.00 – 10,000.00
9.00%
10,001.00 – 20,000.00
22.00%
20,001.00 – 30,000.00
28.00%
30,001.00 – 40,000.00
36.00%
40,001.00 – or more
44.00%
Employment Terms
General
Minimum Wage
- EUR 773.50 per month
Working Hours
- Maximum of 40 hours per week (if working 8 hours a day, 5 days a week)
- Employees are entitled to a break of 15 minutes if they have worked for at least 4 hours
- Typical working hours are 09h00 to 17h00 Monday to Friday
Overtime
- Work in excess of 45 hours a week (or 9 hours a day) is treated as overtime
- Overtime of up to 150 hours per year is remunerated at 40% above the standard rate and is subject to special authorisation
Notice Period
- Employed between 1 and 2 years – 1 month’s notice
- Employed between 2 and 5 years – 2 months’ notice
- Employed between 5 and 10 years – 3 months’ notice
- Employed for 10 or more years – 4 months’ notice
Severance Pay
- Employed between 1 and 4 years – 1 month if the employer has complied with the notice period and 2 months if not
- Employed between 4 and 6 years – 1.5 months if the employer has complied with the notice period and 3 months if not
- Employed between 6 and 8 years – 2 months if the employer has complied with the notice period and 4 months if not
- Employed between 8 and 10 years – 2.5 months if the employer has complied with the notice period and 5 months if not
- Employed between 10 and 11 years – 3 months if the employer has complied with the notice period and 6 months if not
- Employed between 11 and 12 years – 3.5 months if the employer has complied with the notice period and 7 months if not
- Employed between 12 and 13 years – 4 months if the employer has complied with the notice period and 8 months if not
- Employed between 13 and 14 years – 4.5 months if the employer has complied with the notice period and 9 months if not
- Employed between 15 and 16 years – 5.5 months if the employer has complied with the notice period and 11 months if not
- Employed for 16 or more years – 6 months if the employer has complied with the notice period and 12 months if not
Probation Period
- There is no statutory probation period
- Probation periods may not exceed 12 months
Bonus
- Summer vacation bonus – 0.5 months’ salary
- Easter bonus – 0.5 months’ salary
- Christmas bonus – 1 months’ salary
Public Holidays
Public holidays 2022
- January 1st – New Year’s Day
- January 6th – Epiphany
- March 7th – Clean Monday
- March 25th – Annunciation of the Lord
- April 22nd – Orthodox Good Friday
- April 25th – Orthodox Easter Monday
- May 1st – Labor Day / May Day
- May 2nd – Day off for Labor Day / May Day
- June 12th – Orthodox Whit Sunday
- June 13th – Orthodox Holy Spirit Monday
- August 15th – Dormition of the Holy Virgin
- October 28th – The Ochi Day
- December 25th – Christmas Day
- December 26th – Synaxis of the Mother of God
Leave
Paid Leave / Vacation Days
- Paid leave
- Paid by employer
- Employed between 0 and 1 year-
20 days per year – 5 day work week
24 days per year – 6 day work week
- Employed for 1 year-
21 days per year – 5 day work week
25 days per year – 6 day work week
- Employed between 2 and 10 years –
22 days per year
- Employed for 10 or more years –
25 days per year – 5 day work week
30 days per year – 6 day work week
Sick Leave
- Paid leave
- Paid by employer and Social Security
- Employed between 0 and 4 years – 1 month per year
- Employed between 4 and 10 years – 3 months per year
- Employed between 10 and 15 years – 4 months per year
- Employed for 15 or more years – 6 months per year
Maternity Leave
- Paid leave
- Paid by employer and Social Security
- Minimum of 17 weeks, maximum of 6 months
Parental Leave
- Paid by employer
- Paid by Social Security
- 4 months
Study Leave
- Paid leave
- Paid by Social Security
- Between 3 and 10 days per year, depending on the educational institution attended
Family Responsibility Leave
Called Bereavement Leave in Greece
- Paid leave
- Paid by the employer
- 2 days per year
Family Care Leave
- Childcare leave
– Paid leave
– Paid by employer
– Varies based on agreement with employer
- School leave
– Paid leave
– Paid by employer
– 4 working days per year, per child
- Leave for child with a disability
– Unpaid leave
– 1 hour per day
- Leave in case of sickness of dependent family members
– Unpaid leave
– 6 days per year
Family Medical Leave
Called Carer’s Leave in Greece
- Unpaid leave
- 5 working days per year after 6 months of employment
Marriage Leave
- Paid leave
- Paid by employer
- 5 days per year – 5 day work week
- 6 days per year – 6 day work week
Start hiring in Greece today!