Phase
-Law 4808/2021 (Official Government Gazette A’ 101/19.06.2021), "For Labour Protection - Establishment of an Independent Authority 'Labour Inspection' - Ratification of Convention 190 of the International Labour Organization on the Elimination of Violence and Harassment in the World of Work - Ratification of Convention 187 of the International Labour Organization on the Framework for the Promotion of Safety and Health at Work - Incorporation of Directive (EU) 2019/1158 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 June 2019 on the balance between professional and private life, other provisions of the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs and other urgent regulations", as amended by Law 5053/2023 (Official Government Gazette A' 158/26.09.2023), "To strengthen work - Integration of Directive (EU) 2019/1152 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 June 2019 - Simplification of digital processes and strengthening of the Work Card - Upgrading the operational function of the Ministry of Labour and Social Security and the Labour Inspectorate" -Law 4093/2012: Adoption of the Medium-Term Fiscal Strategy 2013-2016 - Urgent Measures for the implementation of Law 4046/2012 and the Medium Term Financial Strategy 2013-2016 (Government Gazette A 222/12-11-2012) -Law 3863/2010: New Social Security System and relevant provisions. Regulations on Labour Relations; Law 3899/2010: Urgent measures to implement the programme to support the Greek economy; Law 4093/2012: Approval of the Medium-term Framework Fiscal Strategy 2013-2016 – Urgent Measures for the Implementation of Law 4046/2012 and the Medium-term Fiscal Strategy Framework 2013-2016
Native name
-Νόμος 4808/2021 (ΦΕΚ Α' 101/19.06.2021), "Για την Προστασία της Εργασίας - Σύσταση Ανεξάρτητης Αρχής «Επιθεώρηση Εργασίας» - Κύρωση της Σύμβασης 190 της Διεθνούς Οργάνωσης Εργασίας για την εξάλειψη της βίας και παρενόχλησης στον κόσμο της εργασίας - Κύρωση της Σύμβασης 187 της Διεθνούς Οργάνωσης Εργασίας για τo Πλαίσιο Προώθησης της Ασφάλειας και της Υγείας στην Εργασία - Ενσωμάτωση της Οδηγίας (ΕΕ) 2019/1158 του Ευρωπαϊκού Κοινοβουλίου και του Συμβουλίου της 20ής Ιουνίου 2019 για την ισορροπία μεταξύ της επαγγελματικής και της ιδιωτικής ζωής, άλλες διατάξεις του Υπουργείου Εργασίας και Κοινωνικών Υποθέσεων και λοιπές επείγουσες ρυθμίσεις", όπως τροποποιήθηκε από το Νόμο 5053/2023 (ΦΕΚ Α' 158.09.2023), "Για την ενίσχυση της εργασίας - Ενσωμάτωση της Οδηγίας (ΕΕ) 2019/1152 του Ευρωπαϊκού Κοινοβουλίου και του Συμβουλίου της 20ής Ιουνίου 2019 - Απλοποίηση ψηφιακών διαδικασιών και ενίσχυση της Κάρτας Εργασίας - Αναβάθμιση της επιχειρησιακής λειτουργίας του Υπουργείου Εργασίας και Κοινωνικής Ασφάλισης και της Επιθεώρησης Εργασίας" -N. 4093/2012: Έγκριση Μεσοπρόθεσμου Πλαισίου Δημοσιονομικής Στρατηγικής 2013−2016 − Επείγοντα Μέτρα Εφαρμογής του ν. 4046/2012 και του Μεσοπρόθεσμου Πλαισίου Δημοσιονομικής Στρατηγικής 2013−2016 --N. 3863/2010: Νέο Ασφαλιστικό Σύστημα και συναφείς διατάξεις. Ρυθμίσεις στις Eργασιακές Σχέσεις; N. 3899/2010: Επείγοντα Μέτρα Εφαρμογής του Προγράμματος Στήριξης της Ελληνικής Οικονομίας; N. 4093/2012: Έγκριση Μεσοπρόθεσμου Πλαισίου Δημοσιονομικής Στρατηγικής 2013−2016 − Επείγοντα Μέτρα Εφαρμογής του ν. 4046/2012 και του Μεσοπρόθεσμου Πλαισίου Δημοσιονομικής Στρατηγικής 2013−2016
Type
Notice period to employees
Added to database
08 May 2015

Article

-Law 4808/2021, Section IV: 'Regulations to Protect Work', Chapter A: 'Regulation Individual Labour Law', Article 64, para. 1 & 2: 'Abolition of discrimination between white -and blue -collar employees' -Article 1, Paragraph XI.12 of Law 4093/2012 -Art. 74 Para. 2 of Law 3863/2010; Art. 17 Para 5 of Law 3899/2010;


Description

-As of 1 January 2022, by virtue of art. 64, of Law 4808/2021, any discrimination between white - and blue -collar workers regarding the notice period, and the termination of dependent labour contract, is abolished, and all provisions governing the termination of the employment contract of employees are now also applicable to blue-collar workers. For implementation hereof, 22 daily wages are considered as the monthly salary of the blue-collar workers, unless they are already paid a monthly salary.

-Employment with an open-ended employment agreement is considered to be employment for a probationary period for the first 12 months from the date that it comes into force, which may be terminated without notice and without severance pay, unless otherwise agreed by the parties. An open-ended employment agreement of a private employee that has a duration of more than 12 months cannot be terminated without prior written notice from the employer, which will take effect from the day after the employee is notified, under the following conditions:  

  • For employees who have served from 12 completed months to two years, one month's notice is required before dismissal;
  • For employees who have served from two to five years, two months' notice is required before dismissal;
  • For employees who have served from five to 10 years, three months' notice is required before dismissal; and
  • For employees who have served 10 years or more, four months' notice is required before dismissal.

An employer who gives an employee written notice in accordance with the above pays half of the statutory severance pay to the dismissed employee.

These provisions apply for all forms of dismissals, including collective dismissals.

A fixed-term contract can be terminated before its end immediately, i.e. without notice period, for a significant reason, either by the employer or by the employee. 'Significant reason' consists of the existence of events during the contract which make it impossible to continue the agreement in good faith (for instance, breach of contractual obligations and damage caused by the employee with failure to comply with the essential terms of the contract and detraction of the employee by the employer, etc.). If a significant reason exists, the employer is not obliged to pay compensation. If the contract is terminated and no significant reason exists, the employee can go to court to claim the wages that would have been received until the end of the contract.


Commentary

-Employment legislation in Greece made, for several years, an important distinction between the entitlements of white and blue-collar employees such as, in terms of notice periods and severance payments. These differences, by virtue of art. 64, of Law 4808/2021, have been abolished, in their majority, with the calculation of entitlement to the national minimum wage remaining the main exception.

-Under the previous legal framework there was an obligation to give notice and pay severance after two months of employment with the same employer, while the periods of notice were longer. The laws that successively reduced the periods of notice and the level of severance pay (Law 3863/2010, Law 3899/2010 and Law 4093/2012) are part of a series of laws implementing commitments made by the Greek government to its creditors with the signing of successive Memorandums of Understanding in the framework of Greece’s accession to the Financial Stability Mechanism to bring about recovery from the economic crisis. Reducing periods of notice and severance pay was considered by the government to be a necessary measure to alleviate business costs in the context of the economic crisis, while it was heavily criticised by the unions.


Additional metadata

Cost covered by
None
Involved actors other than national government
National government Public employment service
Involvement (others)
None
Thresholds
Affected employees: No, applicable in all circumstances
Company size: No, applicable in all circumstances
Additional information: No, applicable in all circumstances

Citation

Eurofound (2015), Greece: Notice period to employees, Restructuring legislation database, Dublin, https://apps.eurofound.europa.eu/legislationdb/notice-period-to-employees/greece

Download as PDF