Additional leave compliance rules and complexities

Working patterns

In Greece, full-time employment is 8 hours a day, or 40 hours a week. Greek employment law differentiates between “extra time” (limited to 1 hour a day at 120% of the employee’s regular salary) and overtime (limited to 2 hours a day, 120 hours a year, and paid at 140% of the employee’s regular salary).

Annual leave

Full-time employees get 20 days of annual leave a year. This extends to 21 days after 1 year of employment and 22 days after 2 years of employment. Long-serving employees can boost their entitlement to up to 26 days a year.

Sick leave

Employers are obliged to pay sick leave. In an employee’s first year in employment, they must pay sick leave for up to 13 days. From the employee’s second year onward, this extends to 25 days.

Maternity and paternity leave

Mothers get 119 calendar days of maternity leave, of which they’re to take 56 days before birth and 63 days after birth. Fathers get 2 days of paid leave following birth.

Marriage leave

Employees in Greece are entitled to 5 days’ marriage leave.

Bereavement leave

Employees in Greece are entitled to 2 days’ bereavement leave.

Election leave

Employees in Greece are entitled to 3 working days’ leave for voting in elections.