HR Services in Greece
HR support for US, UK and international companies hiring in Greece: Greek contracts and policies, payroll coordination, compliance and recruitment. Build your Greek team without building an HR department first.
Last reviewed October 2026. Collective agreements can set other terms.
Expand Into Greece With an HR Partner Who Knows Greek Labor Law
Greece’s economy produced €249.7 billion in 2025, and visitors from abroad spent 131.1 million nights in its tourist accommodation, the fourth most in the EU. It also brings detailed employment rules: a digital start-of-work notice before day one, holiday bonuses on top of salary, severance by length of service, digital time recording in many sectors, and works councils that staff can elect from 50 employees, or 20 without a union.
Europe HR Solutions is your HR partner for Greece. We prepare Greek contracts, policies and handbooks, put payroll foundations in place and coordinate your payroll provider, support hiring and reward, and review your HR practices as Greek law changes.
Expanding beyond Greece? The same team covers 27+ European countries, so you manage one relationship instead of a provider in every market.
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Tell us about your plans for Greece. We’ll tell you honestly what we see.
Book a Free Consultation Free, no commitment.HR Outsourcing in Greece With Europe HR Solutions
One senior Europe HR Solutions team coordinates your HR in Greece, working with independent in-country HR professionals from our European network who understand Greek employment practice.
Everyday HR, handled
Payroll coordination, recruitment, compliance and employee relations for your team in Greece, handled as one service, so you can focus on growing the business.
Compliance with Greek labor law
We make sure your HR operations comply with Greek law, and review your contracts and policies as the Labor Code and collective agreements change.
Cost-effective HR
Outsourcing means you don’t need your own HR team in Greece, which reduces cost and frees resources for growth.
Flexible engagement
We work ad hoc, on an interim basis, by project or on a retainer, from a few weeks to several years.
HR Services We Provide in Greece
Each of our services is available for Greece.
Compliant contracts, payroll registration and statutory foundations in place before your first Greek hire.
Employment Documentation Package→Greek contracts, policies and handbooks aligned with Greek labor law.
Systems & Payroll Coordination→Your HR systems and payroll providers aligned, with consistent data and full visibility for leadership.
Compensation & Benefits Strategy→A structured reward framework aligned with Greek law, market data and internal equity.
Recruitment Support→Roles calibrated, salaries benchmarked and hiring aligned with Greek employment law.
HR Compliance Audit→A structured review of your HR compliance risk in Greece, with a clear action plan.
Retained HR Services→Ongoing senior HR oversight on a monthly retainer, including manager coaching and support with works council interactions.
M&A HR Support→HR due diligence, employee transfer and post-deal integration for deals in Greece.
Key Employment Regulations in Greece
The Labor Code (Presidential Decree 62/2025) sets the baseline. The national general collective agreement adds minimum non-pay terms for all employees, and sector or company agreements can add more.
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Contracts and written terms
As a rule, before work starts, the employer files a digital start-of-work notice on ERGANI II with the main terms of the job, and the employee signs or accepts it, for example through MyErgani. The notice also serves as the written statement of terms. Part-time work must be agreed in writing, or full time is presumed.
Working hours and overtime
Full time is usually 40 hours a week. On a five-day week, hours 41 to 45 earn a 20% premium; after that, overtime earns 40%, up to 4 hours a day and 150 hours a year (more only with ministry authorization). Overtime without the legal formalities costs 120%. Weekly hours can’t exceed 48 on average over 4 months.
Minimum wage and holiday bonuses
Since April 1, 2026, the minimum wage is €920 a month for full-time employees and €41.09 a day for manual workers. It rises with prior service, by up to 30%, counting service before February 14, 2012 and from 2024. Employees also get a Christmas bonus of a month’s pay, an Easter bonus of half a month’s and a leave allowance of up to half a month’s.
Paid leave and public holidays
20 working days a year on a five-day week (24 on six days), pro rata in the first year, rising to 22 from the third year, 25 after 10 years with the same employer or 12 in total, and 26 after 25 years. Leave is used by the end of March of the next year. Greece has 9 statutory public holidays, and work on them or on Sundays earns a 75% premium.
Sick pay
After at least 10 days of work, an employee off sick keeps their pay for up to half a month in the first year of employment, and up to a month after that. The employer pays half pay for the first 3 days and, for later days, can deduct the sickness benefit paid by health insurance (e-EFKA).
Maternity, paternity and parental leave
Mothers get 17 weeks of maternity leave, 8 of them before the birth, and eligible mothers then get 9 months of special maternity leave paid by the Public Employment Service (DYPA). Fathers get 14 working days of paid paternity leave. With a year’s service, each parent can take 4 months of parental leave before the child turns 8, the first 2 paid by DYPA at the minimum wage.
Probation
Probation is optional and lasts up to 6 months on an open-ended contract. On a fixed-term contract it can’t exceed a quarter of the term or 6 months, and a renewal for the same job can’t have one. Separately, an open-ended contract can be ended without notice or severance in its first 12 months, unless agreed otherwise.
Notice and dismissal
After 12 months, the employer gives 1 to 4 months’ written notice by length of service and pays half the severance, or pays it in full without notice: 2 months’ pay after 1 year, rising to 12 after 16 years, plus more for those with over 17 years with the same employer on November 12, 2012. A dismissal needs written form, the severance due and the employee’s e-EFKA registration, and is void if it’s discriminatory or a reprisal.
Employee representatives
In companies with at least 50 employees, or 20 where there’s no union, staff can elect a works council, which the employer must inform before decisions on restructuring, staffing, new technology or planned overtime. Staff can choose a health and safety representative at any size, more from 20 employees, and a committee above 50.
Collective agreements
A company agreement you sign covers all your employees. A sector agreement binds members of signing employers’ organizations, and the minister can extend it to the whole sector, as a rule when the signatories employ over 40% of its staff. Agreements can improve on the law, and depart from it only where it allows, such as rest rules for some activities.
Social security
Non-wage costs, such as employer social contributions, add about 26% on top of gross wages in Greece (Eurostat, 2025). As a rule, each employee must be declared through the start-of-work notice on ERGANI II before they start work.
Pay transparency
Greece transposed the EU Pay Transparency Directive through Law 5316/2026. From November 1, 2026, employers need gender-neutral pay structures, give candidates the starting pay or range before the interview, can’t ask about pay history, and answer pay information requests within 2 months. Gender pay gap reports start in June 2027 from 150 employees and in June 2031 from 100.
The Benefits of Expanding to Greece
What Greece offers companies that set up properly.
A euro area economy
Greece’s GDP was €249.7 billion in 2025, inside the euro area and the EU single market (Eurostat, provisional).
Growth above the EU
Greece’s economy grew 2.1% in real terms in 2025, against 1.4% across the EU (Eurostat, provisional).
Competitive labor costs
Average hourly labor costs in industry, construction and services (excluding public administration) were €18.20 in Greece in 2025, against €34.90 across the EU (Eurostat).
A tourism leader
Visitors from abroad spent 131.1 million nights at Greek tourist accommodation in 2025, the fourth most in the EU (Eurostat).
Sea links
Greek ports handled 81.2 million sea passengers, embarked and disembarked, in 2025, second among EU countries reporting (Eurostat).
Years in education
Children in Greece can expect 20.9 years of schooling, the most of the 119 economies with data (Global Innovation Index 2026).
The Challenges of Expanding to Greece
Six things to plan for before your first hire.
Employment costs
Non-wage costs add about 26% on top of gross wages (Eurostat, 2025), plus holiday bonuses and a leave allowance worth up to two months’ pay.
Filings before day one
As a rule, each hire needs a start-of-work notice on ERGANI II before work starts, and each exit a filing within 4 working days.
Digital time recording
In sectors under the digital work card, hours are recorded in real time, and each employee without an activated card costs €10,500.
Severance by service
Dismissal after 12 months costs 2 to 12 months’ pay in severance, more for some long-serving staff, halved when you give 1 to 4 months’ written notice.
Overtime limits
Overtime is capped at 4 hours a day and 150 hours a year, and overtime without the legal formalities costs a 120% premium.
Pay transparency from November 2026
From November 1, 2026, employers need gender-neutral pay structures and must give candidates pay information before the interview.
Key HR Compliance Risks in Greece
Eight mistakes to avoid in Greece, and what each one leads to.
Employee not declared
As a rule, each hire needs a start-of-work notice on ERGANI II before work starts. An undeclared employee costs a €10,500 fine, reduced if you then hire them full time, and higher for repeats within 3 years.
Pregnant employee dismissed
Dismissing an employee during pregnancy or in the 18 months after the birth, or a father in the 6 months after it, is void unless there’s a serious reason.
Dismissal not valid
A dismissal without written form, the severance due or the employee’s e-EFKA registration is invalid, though a court can award extra compensation of 3 months’ pay up to double the severance instead, if either side asks.
Digital work card not active
Where the digital work card applies, each employee without an activated card costs €10,500, and 3 breaches within 12 months bring a 15-day closure.
Fixed terms misused
Without an objective reason, successive fixed terms beyond 3 years, or more than 3 renewals within 3 years, are presumed to be an open-ended contract.
Part-time not in writing
A part-time arrangement not agreed in writing is presumed to be full time.
Illegal overtime
Overtime worked without the legal formalities costs a 120% premium instead of 40%, and dismissing an employee for refusing overtime is void.
Holiday bonuses missed
Christmas and Easter bonuses and the leave allowance are due by law, and unpaid amounts can be fined at €300 to €50,000 per breach.
Not sure where you stand? Our HR Compliance Audit gives you a structured review of your HR compliance risk in Greece, with a clear action plan.
Key Sectors in Greece
Greece’s leading export sectors in 2025, based on Eurostat trade data.
Hiring in Greece: Your Questions Answered
Questions companies ask before they hire in Greece.
Do we need written employment contracts in Greece?
In practice, yes. As a rule, before work starts, you file a digital start-of-work notice on ERGANI II with the main terms, and the employee signs or accepts it. The notice also serves as the written statement of terms. Fewer hours than full time must be agreed in writing, or full time is presumed, and an undeclared employee costs a €10,500 fine. We draft contracts that comply with Greek law.
Is there a probation period in Greece?
Only if you agree one: up to 6 months on an open-ended contract, and on a fixed-term one, a quarter of the term or 6 months at most, none on a renewal for the same job. An open-ended contract can also end without notice or severance in its first 12 months, unless agreed otherwise, but the exit goes on ERGANI II within 4 working days. We make sure your contracts reflect these rules.
How much does an employee in Greece cost on top of salary?
Non-wage costs, such as employer social contributions, add about 26% on top of gross wages (Eurostat, 2025). Employees also get a Christmas bonus of a month’s pay, an Easter bonus of half a month’s and a leave allowance of up to half a month’s, and the statutory minimum rises with prior service, by up to 30%. Our Compensation & Benefits Strategy builds a reward framework aligned with Greek law, market data and internal equity.
How many hours can staff in Greece work?
As a rule, 8 hours a day and 40 a week, with 11 hours’ rest between working days. On a five-day week, hours 41 to 45 earn a 20% premium. After that, overtime earns 40%, capped at 4 hours a day and 150 hours a year (more only with ministry authorization), and weekly hours can’t exceed 48 on average over 4 months. We structure work schedules that comply and still leave room for flexibility.
What happens when an employee in Greece is off sick?
After at least 10 days of work, an employee off sick keeps their pay for up to half a month in the first year of employment, and up to a month after that. You pay half pay for the first 3 days and, for later days, can deduct the sickness benefit paid by health insurance (e-EFKA). We put clear sick leave policies in place.
How much paid leave do employees in Greece get?
20 working days a year on a five-day week (24 on six days), pro rata in the first year, rising to 22 from the third year, 25 after 10 years with the same employer or 12 in total, and 26 after 25 years. Greece also has 9 statutory public holidays, and work on them or on Sundays earns a 75% premium. We keep you compliant with leave entitlements and help you offer a competitive benefits package.
Is it really that hard to terminate employees in Greece?
It’s structured, not impossible. An open-ended contract can end without notice or severance in its first 12 months, unless agreed otherwise. After that, you give 1 to 4 months’ written notice and pay half the severance, or pay it in full: 2 months’ pay after 1 year, rising to 12 after 16 years. A dismissal needs written form and the severance due, and is void if it’s discriminatory or a reprisal. We guide you through every step.
Can we put everyone on fixed-term contracts in Greece?
Not indefinitely. Renewals are unlimited if an objective reason, such as replacing an absent employee or a temporary peak in work, justifies them and is stated in the written agreement. Without one, successive fixed terms beyond 3 years in total, or more than 3 renewals within 3 years, are presumed to be an open-ended contract, unless you prove otherwise. We make sure every fixed-term contract meets these rules.
Do collective agreements apply to us in Greece?
Yes, in part. The national general collective agreement sets minimum non-pay terms for all employees. Sector agreements bind members of the signing organizations, unless the minister extends one to the whole sector, and a company agreement covers all your employees. If several apply, the more favorable one generally wins, and none can set pay below the statutory minimum. We keep you compliant with any agreement that applies, with as much flexibility as it allows.
Do we need employee representatives in Greece?
Not automatically, but staff can set them up. In companies with at least 50 employees, or 20 where there’s no union, staff can elect a works council, which you must inform before decisions on restructuring, staffing, new technology or planned overtime. Staff can choose a health and safety representative at any size, more from 20 employees, and a committee above 50. We guide you in working with employee representatives.
What does pay transparency mean for us in Greece?
Greece transposed the EU Pay Transparency Directive through Law 5316/2026, with its main duties from November 1, 2026. Employers need gender-neutral pay structures, give candidates the starting pay or range before the interview, can’t ask about pay history, and answer pay information requests within 2 months. Gender pay gap reports start in June 2027 from 150 employees and in June 2031 from 100. Our Compensation & Benefits Strategy covers EU Pay Transparency readiness.
What happens if we fail a labor inspection in Greece?
The Labor Inspectorate can fine €300 to €50,000 per breach and, for repeated serious breaches or an immediate safety risk, suspend operations. An undeclared employee costs €10,500, more for repeats within 3 years, and where the digital work card applies, each employee without an activated card also costs €10,500, with a 15-day closure after 3 breaches within 12 months. We conduct regular compliance audits so your documentation is ready for inspection.
Plan Your Greek Expansion With an HR Specialist
Tell us about your plans for Greece, whether it’s your first hire or a growing team. We’ll tell you honestly what we see.
- Greece and 27+ European countries, through one team.
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