Greece Employer of Record

If a lack of speed or local expertise are among your top concerns when expanding to or employing workers in Greece, an employer of record may be the best option for achieving your global growth objectives.

An employer of record, sometimes known as an international PEO, enables you to quickly hire and onboard workers in Greece―often in as little as two weeks―without having to take on the cost and risk of establishing a local entity.

Learn about the hiring, employment, payroll and benefits requirements for workers in Greece and how our employer of record service, Global Employment Outsourcing (GEO), and local HR experts can help you manage your international employment needs.

Hiring in Greece

Employment law in Greece is made up of numerous statues and regulations addressing individual and collective labor issues, with various reforms introduced as conditions of the 2010 bailout by the European Union and International Monetary fund.

Because of the various and ongoing reforms, and with the compliance burden falling on employers, it’s helpful to seek out a partner with in-country employment expertise. As your employer of record and PEO in Greece, we can ensure that every contract, for every worker, meets all requirements. We can also provide you with guidance about cultural norms and hiring best practices and keep you up-to-date with employment regulations as they change.

Employment contracts in Greece

As you look to hire employees in Greece, here are some common regulations you’ll need to know to create a compliant contract, as well as how an employer of record and PEO can provide support for your unique HR needs.

Working hours

Employment contracts in Greece must detail requirements of an employee’s work hours. Although the norm is 40 hours in a five-day week, a 48-hour, six-day work week can be negotiated as part of an employment contract. Sunday is a public holiday.

Compensation

As you consider the appropriate salary to offer employees in Greece, keep in mind:

Minimum wage is €758.33 per month.
Any work beyond 45 hours in a week must be paid as overtime, at 40% over the standard hourly rate, for up to 120 hours in a year. Any overtime beyond 120 hours in a year is paid at 60% over the hourly rate.
Employees required to work on Sunday or other public holiday must be paid 75% above regular wages.
Salary must be paid at least monthly.

As your employer of record in Greece, we can provide you with resources and insights about employee compensation, so you are better equipped to make a competitive employment offer.

Bonuses

Employees in Greece are entitled to a Christmas bonus of one month’s salary, an Easter bonus of half a month’s salary, and another half a month’s salary as a holiday bonus.

Probationary period

The first 12 months of employment in Greece are considered the probationary period, and an employer may terminate the employment contract without notice or severance pay.

Termination and severance

Depending on the industry and type of job, employees may be dismissed with or without notice. For those jobs where notice is required, the amount is based on tenure:

One month’s notice for an employee with more than one year but less than two years of service
Two months’ notice for two to five years of service
Three months’ notice for five to 10 years of service
Four months’ notice for more than 10 years of service

Employees may be terminated with or without cause. Employees who are dismissed with cause are not required to receive severance pay and those terminated without cause are entitled to severance pay.

As your employer of record in Greece, we can work with you to quickly handle the unforeseen event of an employee termination, providing legal guidance and a personalized process that ensures you stay out of labor court.

Employee benefits and paid leave in Greece

When negotiating terms of an employment contract with a candidate in Greece, here are some of the statutory benefits and paid leave requirements to keep in mind, as well as how an employer of record can support your company’s benefits strategy.

Maternity leave

Pregnant employees who have accumulated at least 200 days of insurance with the Electronic National Social Security Agency (e-EFKA) in the previous two years are eligible for maternity benefits:

Eight weeks of leave before the birth of the child
Nine weeks of leave after the birth
50% of wages during leave
One-hour reduction in workday for 30 months following leave, or two-hour workday reduction for the first 12 months with a one-hour reduction for another six months

Employees returning from maternity leave are entitled to return to the same or equivalent position.

Vacation

Employees who have worked for the same employer for a year are entitled to vacation leave, with the amount determined by their weekly schedule and tenure:

20 days for employees with a five-day workweek; leave increases by one day each year, up to 22 days, and after 10 years, employees receive 25 days of annual leave
24 days for employees with a six-day workweek; leave increases by one day each year, up to 26 days, and after 10 years, employees receive 30 days of annual leave

Employees may not carry over unused leave, and employers may not pay money in lieu of vacation.

Holidays

Public holidays in Greece are announced by the government each year; however, 14 holidays are customarily observed:

New Year’s Day
Epiphany
Shrove Monday
Independence Day
Good Friday
Easter
Easter Monday
Labor Day
Orthodox Whit Sunday
Orthodox Whit Monday
Assumption of the Virgin Mary
National Day
Christmas
Boxing Day

Employees required to work on a holiday are entitled to their daily wages plus 75%. Public holidays that fall on a weekend are not celebrated on another day.

Sick leave

The amount of time off an employee can receive depends on their length of service:

One month off for employees with one to four years of service
Three months for four to 10 years of service
Four months for more than 10 years of service
Six months for more than 15 years of service

Employees are entitled to half a month’s pay if the sick leave is during their first year of service, and one month’s pay after the first year. For the first three days of sick leave, the employer must pay half of the wages due; after three days, the National Organization for the Provision of Health Services (EOPYY) pays sick benefits to e-EFKA-insured employees.

Health coverage

Greece provides healthcare through a network of public and state providers as well as contracted private providers, and it is funded by the state, social insurance contributions and private payments.

As your employer of record in Greece, we may be able to provide optional supplementary medical insurance coverage for professionals and their dependents at a more cost-effective rate.

Additional benefits

In addition to healthcare, the e-EFKA administers numerous benefits, including retirement, sickness, industrial injury and unemployment.

Employer social costs will cover a large portion of employee benefits in Greece, but we can consult with you about supplemental coverage options, such as additional pension contributions or life insurance, if needed.

Employee onboarding with an employer of record in Greece

We write and validate all local employment contracts, streamlining the onboarding process for you and your Greek employees—all you have to do is provide relevant information and review and approve the employment agreement.

As your employer of record in Greece, we will:

Schedule a welcome call to discuss HR and employment information for Greece, as well as answer any questions
Prepare a customized employment contract in English and in Greek (or other local language)
Share the employment contract and benefits information with the new employee for signature and review
Gather tax and banking information from the employee to set up payroll
Provide a local point of contact to the employee to answer any questions regarding their employment, local HR or payroll

The entire onboarding process for the employee is often completed in as little as two weeks.

Partner with Safeguard Global as your Greece employer of record and PEO

With over a decade of service, we are the longest-serving employer of record and PEO provider in the international market. Organizations around the world rely on Global Employment Outsourcing (GEO) to expand and hire in over 179 countries around the world, quickly and compliantly.

We’ve seen just about every global employment circumstance imaginable—and with our extensive knowledge of local law and culture, we know what it takes to get employment right in Greece. We provide written contracts in the local language, salaries in the local currency and HR support in your employees’ time zone.

Additionally, as a global payroll provider we support payroll administration—including payments, filings and other calculations—in more than 150 countries and can accommodate the payroll outsourcing needs of any size organization.

Whether you’re looking to hire as part of a strategic expansion or to meet specific talent needs, our global solutions advisors can walk you through your international hiring options so you can make the right choice for your organization. Contact us today.

The information provided on or through this website is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Safeguard Global expressly disclaims any liability with respect to warranty or representation concerning the information contained herein, including the lost essence, interpretation, accuracy and/or completeness of the information in transit and language translation.

Learn more about Global Employment Outsourcing

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