The new labor law (Law 5239/2025, Government Gazette A’178/17.10.2025) has been published, titled "Fair Work for All: Simplification of Legislation - Support for the employee - Protection in Practice - Pension Arrangements and Other Provisions".
Below are the most important provisions of the new law:
Working Time Limits (article 7)
The limit of overtime per day is increased from 3 to 4 hours, making it possible to work up to 13 hours per day (including breaks) for one employer. This regulation is provided under the following conditions:
- Increase of the hourly wage by forty percent (40%).
- 11 consecutive hours of daily rest for employees.
- Maximum limit of overtime: 150 hours per year.
- Employee consent, as the employee has the right to refuse this overtime work without this constituting a legitimate reason for termination of their contract.
Arrangement of working hours (article 8)
The option of four-day employment is provided, with a maximum work limit of 10 hours per day and 40 hours per week. The period of increased and decreased employment cannot be less than one (1) week or more than one (1) year.
These specific provisions can also be applied to:
- seasonal businesses
- employees with a fixed term employment contract of less than one (1) year.
Segmentation of Annual Leave (article 10)
Exceptionally, the employee may take part in their leave, according to their personal needs, upon written request and acceptance by the employer.
At least one part of the leave must obligatorily include at least six (6) working days in a six-day workweek and five (5) working days in a five-day workweek, or, in the case of minors, twelve (12) working days.
Extension of maternity leave and protection against dismissal to include child fostering (articles 12 & 13)
Maternity leave is extended to foster mothers for a child up to 8 years old. The leave has a duration of 9 weeks. It is also established that foster mothers will be protected from dismissal during maternity leave.
Notification of voluntary resignation in the “ERGANI II” Information System (article 14)
- The possibility of voluntary resignation notification by the employees themselves is now provided.
- The obligation for the voluntary resignation notification to be co-signed by the employer has been abolished.
- The duration of the employee's unexcused absence after which it may be deemed as tacit voluntary resignation is reduced.
Unilateral adverse modification in case of inclusion in the digital work card (article 15)
The unjustified reduction of any kind of employee remuneration is considered a unilateral detrimental modification, especially when it results from the employer's integration into the digital work card system.
Protection against dismissal due to refusal to perform overtime work (article 16)
The employee's refusal to provide overtime work does not constitute grounds for dismissal.
Abolition of the obligation to keep documents in the workplace (article 17)
The following are no longer considered as violations:
- failure to post the personnel table and working hours schedule,
- failure to present the leave book,
- failure to present the individual employment contract terms of the staff,
- failure to present the employees’ payslipsfor at least the last three months
New hiring option to cover urgent needs (article 21)
A new “Rapid Hiring” procedure is being introduced for full-time or part-time employment, for a fixed term of up to two days, to cover urgent business needs.
Flexible arrival - Preparation time - Single markings (article 22)
The following regulations are introduced regarding the Digital Work Card:
- The possibility of flexible arrival is provided, following a written agreement with employees, for a period of up to one hundred and twenty (120) minutes per day.
- Preparation time is foreseen, which may not exceed ten (10) minutes before the start and after the end of work. For industries, the preparation time is thirty (30) minutes.
- The detection of more than three (3) single markings per month per employee (due to the employee's negligence) constitutes grounds for inspection by the Labor Inspectorate.
Repealed provisions (article 24)
As of 01.01.2026, the following obligations are abolished:
- the obligation to submit the annual Personnel List (form E4 ERGANI),
- the commencement of the validity of the entry of regular leave in the ERGANI Information System
- the obligation to record annual leave (form E11 ERGANI)
It is noted that employers are required to keep the leave record book exclusively for leaves with the reference year 2025, until 31.3.2026, by which time the period during which these leaves can be granted ends. Similarly, employers are required to submit the Annual Leave Table (E11) for the 2025 leaves of their staff.
Required level of safety technician knowledge (article 30)
Employers of small and very small businesses can themselves undertake the duties of Safety Technician, by attending an appropriate training program, in their businesses provided that the number of employees does not exceed twenty (20), instead of fifty (50) as previously applied.
Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and Heimlich maneuver mandatory training (article 39)
The employer is required to provide cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and Heimlich maneuver training to employees, aiming to enhance health and safety in the workplace, as well as overall public health.
Specifically, if the employer employs up to 50 workers at one facility, the training is conducted through educational videos and material provided free of charge by the Ministry of Labor and Social Security. In cases where the employer employs more than 50 workers at one facility, this training is provided through courses by certified first aid training organizations to at least half of the employees at the facility, at least once every three years.
