Published in Government Gazette 178/A/17.10.2025: Law 5239/2025 “Fair Work for All: Simplification of Legislation – Support for Employees – Protection in Practice – Pension Provisions”

The most significant labor provisions include the following:

I. Overtime
Under Article 7, the legal daily overtime that an employee may work is increased by 1 hour, provided that the 11 consecutive hours of mandatory rest are observed. The annual limit of 150 hours remains unchanged.

Thus, the provision regarding overtime is as follows:

Employment beyond forty-five (45) hours per week for employees in the enterprises referred to in paragraph 1 is considered overtime work with all legal consequences, formalities, and approval procedures. For employees under a six (6)-day workweek system, overtime is considered work beyond forty-eight (48) hours per week. In any case, the regulations for the legal daily working hours remain in force. Employees have the right to refuse to provide such overtime work, as stipulated in Article 12. Refusal to provide additional work does not constitute grounds for termination of the employment contract, nor can it lead to any detrimental change or adverse discrimination against the employee by the employer.

Employees working overtime are entitled, for each hour of legal overtime, up to four (4) hours per day and up to a total of one hundred fifty (150) hours per year, to compensation equal to the hourly wage paid, increased by forty percent (40%), subject to existing regulations on working and rest hours, especially Articles 169 to 186.

Employees refusing to work overtime are also protected from dismissal under Article 16 of the law.

II. Leave – Fragmentation
Articles 10 and 11 regulate matters concerning annual leave and its declaration in the ERGANI II system.

The new provision regarding leave fragmentation is as follows:

1. Leave is taken primarily in consecutive days. Exceptionally, employees may take part of their leave according to their personal needs, following a written request and approval by the employer. At least one portion of leave must include at least six (6) working days for a six-day workweek, five (5) working days for a five-day workweek, or, in the case of minors, twelve (12) working days.
2. The employee’s request and the employer’s decision do not require approval from the competent Labor Inspectorate and are kept by the enterprise for five (5) years, in electronic or printed form, and are available to Labor Inspectors.

Furthermore, the electronic notification of leave in the ERGANI II system is made retrospectively, within the following calendar month after the leave is granted.

III. Parental Leave Allowance – Non-Seizure
Article 11 stipulates that the parental leave allowance is tax-free, non-transferable, and exempt from seizure by the State or third parties, notwithstanding any contrary provision. It cannot be seized or offset against confirmed debts to tax authorities, public entities, legal entities under public law, local government organizations, their legal entities, social security funds, or credit institutions for the public or third parties, and is not included in total, actual, or imputed family income.

IV. Protection of Foster Mothers
Article 12 extends maternity leave to foster mothers. Article 13 extends protection from dismissal to foster mothers.

V. Voluntary Departures – Procedure
Article 14 modifies the procedure for reporting voluntary departures. The revised provision shortens the periods of unexcused absence and the mandatory notice period before a voluntary departure can be declared without the employee’s signature from 5 consecutive working days to 3 days for the first period and 2 days for the second.

Specifically, unexcused absence exceeding 3 consecutive working days may be considered a contract termination by the employee, provided an additional 2 consecutive working days have passed after mandatory employer notice, which must be: a) reported in ERGANI II and b) documented in any suitable written form.

The employee automatically receives notification of the employer’s notice via the “MyErgani” electronic application.

In such cases, the employer must report the employee’s voluntary departure in ERGANI II within 2 working days of the end of the above period, without the employee’s signature. Paragraph 6 allows the employee to submit the notification themselves, with the employer receiving automatic notification through ERGANI II.

VI. Commencement of Work Notification – Fast Track Hiring
Articles 20 and 21 concern the notification of employment commencement in ERGANI II and introduce a fast-track hiring procedure.

Employers are no longer required to post the basic employment terms or the written individual contract at hiring, maintaining only the obligation to submit the “Digital Employment Commencement Notification.”

The employer must submit this notification electronically before employment starts. It must include essential employment terms under Article 73 of Presidential Decree 62/2025.

The digital notification requires the employee’s signature, approved e-signature, digital certification via gov.gr, or acceptance through the MyErgani system. Any change in terms must be submitted electronically and accepted by the employee. Employment without a Digital Commencement Notification incurs administrative penalties for undeclared work.

Article 21 allows employers to hire employees for urgent needs under fixed-term contracts of up to 2 days per week via a special “Fast Hire” electronic application, substituting for the commencement notification, worktime organization declaration, and termination notification.

VII. Flexible Attendance – Preparation
Article 22 introduces regulations for flexible attendance, preparation time, and single digital card recordings. Employers in the digital work card system may agree in writing with employees on flexible attendance up to 120 minutes daily. Digital card timestamps are made at the start and end of the declared schedule, considering preparation time. Preparation time limits differ between industry (30 minutes) and other sectors (10 minutes). Unjustified deviations can trigger Labor Inspectorate review.

Article 15 considers unjustified reductions of employee remuneration due to the digital card system as a unilateral detrimental change.

VIII. Repealed Provisions – Obligations
Article 17 removes the obligation to post personnel lists, work schedules, leave books, or individual contract terms and wage slips for at least the last quarter.

Article 24 repeals, as of January 1, 2026:
A) The obligation to report personnel and terms; “Personnel List” now refers to “Digital Worktime Organization.”
B) The requirement to record annual leave in ERGANI; remaining 2025 leave days must still be recorded in the leave book.
C) Annual recording of 2025 leave in ERGANI II remains obligatory.

IX. Rotating Employment
Article 6 allows overtime for rotating employees.

X. Work Time Arrangement
Article 8 allows work time arrangement periods from one week to one year (previously 6 months). Reduced hours may be compensated with additional rest days, extra paid leave, or a combination. The previous two systems are abolished. Collective agreements determine arrangements; if no union or agreement exists, individual employee-employer agreements are possible. The 10-hour limit during increased workload remains, and refusal cannot be a termination reason.

Read the full text of the law here