According to Greek labor law, March 25th is designated as a mandatory public holiday, as noted in a statement by GSEE and KE.P.E.A./GSEE, which provides details on how employees should be compensated on this day.
It is emphasized that on mandatory public holidays, employees cannot be required to work, and businesses are not permitted to operate, except for those that are legally allowed to function on Sundays and public holidays.
Compensation for March 25, 2025
For businesses that do not operate:
Employees will receive their regular daily wage without any additional increase.
- Employees paid daily wages (day-rate employees) will receive their usual pay for the day.
- Salaried employees will receive their regular monthly salary as usual.
For businesses that legally operate:
Employees who work on March 25th will be compensated as follows:
- For employees paid on a daily wage basis:
They will receive their regular daily wage plus a 75% increase, calculated based on their legal hourly wage for the hours worked. - For employees receiving a monthly salary:
a) If the business is usually closed on Sundays and public holidays but exceptionally operates on March 25th, employees are entitled to:- 1/25 of their regular salary plus a 75% increase on their legal daily wage for the hours worked.
- Only the 75% increase, which is calculated on 1/25 of their legal daily wage for the hours worked.
Additional Points Employees Should Be Aware Of:
- It is illegal to offset a mandatory public holiday with a rest day (day off) owed to the employee.
- If an employee works over 40 hours on March 25th, they are entitled to additional pay for overtime or extra work, in addition to the public holiday compensation.
- Employees who are on leave on March 25th are still entitled to their regular wage for the day, but the holiday does not count as part of their leave days.
- If more favorable conditions (e.g., from a Collective Labor Agreement, Work Regulations, company policy, or established workplace customs) apply regarding public holiday or Sunday work compensation, these take precedence over the standard legal provisions.
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