The concept of democracy originated in ancient Athens, Greece around the 5th century BCE.
Payroll and Benefits Guide - Greece
Fun Facts
Greece is home to Mount Olympus, the legendary home of the gods in Greek mythology.
The Olympic Games, which originated in ancient Greece, were revived in Athens in 1896 as the modern Olympic Games.
Greece has a rich history of theater.
The Greek islands are a major tourist attraction.
The Greek alphabet is the oldest continuously used alphabet in the world.
Contributions
Employee Payroll Tax
| Pension Fund | 6.67% |
| Health Care | 2.15% |
| Health in Benefit | 0.40% |
| Supplementary Insurance | 3.25% |
| Unemployment | 1.20% |
| High Occupational Risk | 2.20% |
Employer Payroll Tax
| Pension Fund | 13.33% |
| Health Care | 4.30% |
| Health in Benefit | 0.25% |
| Supplementary Insurance | 3.25% |
| Unemployment | 1.20% |
| Professional Risk | 1.00% |
| High Occupational Risk | 1.41% |
Payroll
Payroll Cycle
Payments must be made on the same day of the month and no later than the final working day of the month in Greece, where the payroll cycle is typically monthly.
13th & 14th Salaries
According to Greek law, all employees working in the private sector are entitled to two additional monthly salaries, which can be split into three payments for Christmas, Easter, and vacation bonuses. All of the aforementioned bonus payments must be made in cash only and cannot be made in kind.
By December 21st, the Christmas Bonus payment must be made. Employees should apply to the appropriate Labor Inspectorate in the event that the Christmas Bonus is not paid on time.
Work Hours and Week
Greek workers typically put in 40 hours a week at an average rate of eight hours each day for a five-day workweek. If both the employer and the employee agree, the workweek can be extended to 48 hours.
Overtime
All work performed in excess of the normal weekly working schedule is governed by collective bargaining agreements or employment contracts. The maximum number of hours an employee can work each week, including overtime, over a four-month period when they are asked to work overtime or on holidays is 48. The maximum hours that minors may work vary as well.
When an employee works more than 40 hours per week and one extra hour every working day, they are paid 120.00% of their basic salary for daytime work and 125.00% of their basic salary for nighttime work for the first hour and 140% of their basic salary for the following two hours. Each year, 150 hours of overtime are permissible.
Leave
Paid Time Off
A comparable amount of vacation time is due to the employee during the first calendar year of work. Holiday time in a five-day workweek is calculated as twenty working days of paid vacation for the employment year, with the figure rounded up for shorter periods.
After twelve months of employment, holiday time is increased by one working day in the second calendar year. As a result, by the end of the second calendar year, an employee who works a five-day week is entitled to 21 working days of paid vacation.
In the third calendar year, the employee is eligible to receive all of their vacation time, including on January 1st. The employee is entitled to 22 working days of paid vacation following 24 months of employment, spread across a five-day workweek.
Holiday time is determined on the basis of 25 working days for a five-day employment for employees who have worked for more than 12 years for any employer or for more than 10 years for the same employer. The employee is entitled to 26 working days of paid vacation after 25 years of service, plus an additional day beyond that.
Public Holidays
On weekends, public holidays are usually lost.
Sick Days
Employees are entitled to a certain amount of paid sick leave based on the number of completed service years as long as they submit a professional medical certificate within 48 hours.
- Those who have worked for the company for between one and four years are entitled to one month of paid sick time.
- Three months of paid sick leave are available to workers with between four and 10 years of service.
- For every ten to fifteen years of service, an employee is entitled to four months of paid sick time.
- Six months of paid sick leave are available to workers who have more than fifteen years of service.
- For the first three days of illness during the first year of employment, half pay is given, then 15 days at full pay.
Maternity Leave
Employees who are pregnant are entitled to 119 calendar days of maternity leave. The employee must not be employed during the 63 days immediately following the child’s birth and the 56 days before to it, in order for this benefit to be paid.
The first month of the employee’s maternity benefit is covered by the employer at 100% of regular income. Employer and e-EFKA begin paying the benefit in the second month at a rate of 50.00% of the usual salary rate (equivalent to the covered person’s insurance contribution class), plus payment of child benefit for each child. A extra maternity allowance is also available, starting in the second month, and is equivalent to the difference (if any) between the employer-paid salary rate and the maternity benefit.
Employees who are uninsured receive a basic maternity benefit of EUR 220.10.
Paternity Leave
Every working father has a right to 14 days of paid paternity leave, which must be used as soon as the kid is born. This leave may be approved either a) two days prior to the anticipated delivery date, in which case the remaining 12 days may be approved in full or in part within 30 days of the child’s birth, or b) following the child’s birth. The employer must provide paternity leave, and it is not contingent on the employee’s marital status, seniority, past employment, or family responsibilities. Paternity leave is given from the moment the child enters the family in cases of adoption or foster care of a child up to the age of eight.
Parental Leave
Any parent who has worked for one year is eligible for parental leave, which is four months long (either continuously or intermittently, as agreed upon with the employer) until the child is eight.
After giving birth or adopting a child, employees are eligible for 30 months of paid parental leave, which entitles them to a one-hour reduction in daily work hours (paid) or 18 months of a two-hour reduction in daily work hours for the first 12 months. This equates to 3.5 months of paid absence taken in one period or one less working hour over the remaining six months.
Termination
Termination Process
The procedure for terminating a contract differs depending on the type of contract, the grounds for termination, the employment agreement, and any applicable collective agreements. An employer must give a written notice of termination to an employee with an indefinite contract, and the worker must have been registered with the Unified Social Security Fund (EFKA).
Notice Period
If the notice durations under the collective agreement differ from the statutory periods of notice, then collective agreements may contain provisions on notice periods. In that situation, both the employer and the employee are required to abide by the collective bargaining agreement’s specified notice periods.
The length of service and the reason for termination affect the amount of notice. The following notice time applies if the employer terminates the contract:
- For the first year of probation, no notice is necessary.
- Employees with one to two years of service are subject to a one-month notice period.
- Those with between three and five years of service are given a two-month notice period.
- 6- to 10-year-old employees are subject to a three-month notice requirement.
- 4 months’ notice for employees with more than 10 years of service
Severance Pay
The amount of severance depends on how long the individual worked for the company. The following severance benefits are available to employees after one year of service:
- 2 gross salary after 1-4 years of employment
- 3 gross salary after 4-6 years of employment
- 4 gross wages for 6 to 8 years of employment.
When a worker resigns, there is no need for severance.
Probation Period
Probation Period
Greece does not have a probationary period in place, but a worker there has the right to be fired without cause or severance pay throughout the first year of employment.
Immigration
Before traveling to Greece, non-EU workers must get a Type D visa, which allows them to stay for longer than 90 days while working there. An employee must submit an application for a residence/work permit at the neighborhood municipal office or police station within 30 days of their arrival in Greece. Work permits normally have a one-year lifespan, and they must be renewed at least 60 days before they expire.
Unless they are visa-exempt, business travelers to Greece normally need a localized Schengen C visa. The Schengen Area imposes a 90-day maximum stay every 180 days. Greek authorities decide the precise length of stay on a case-by-case basis, but business visits must normally be kept to a few days.
The EU Blue Card is appropriate for highly skilled local hires, the Installation of Equipment Visa is appropriate for short-term installation, testing, and maintenance of supplied items by technical staff under a service agreement, the Work and Residence Permit for Senior Employees is appropriate for long-term work and residence under a local employment contract, the EU Intra-Company Transferee (ICT) Permit is appropriate for intra-company transfers, and the EU Work and Residence Permit for Younger Workers is suitable for temporary work and residence under European Union.
VAT
The commonly used standard rate of VAT in Brazil is 24.00%