The Ministry of Labor’s new bill, which is being voted on in Parliament today, provides “tools” through flexible working hours to meet the needs of both employees and businesses.

At the same time, the bill introduces simplified procedures, including express hirings and resignations with a single click, replacing “paperwork” with digital operation. Moreover, the arrangement of working time on a weekly, monthly, or yearly basis can benefit almost all sectors of the economy — especially today, when the scourge of labor shortages is troubling the job market.

The bill also provides the possibility for an employee to work up to 13 hours a day (by exception) for a single employer, with a 40% pay increase, and includes safeguards that explicitly state that employees cannot be dismissed if they refuse overtime work.

As Minister of Labor Niki Kerameus emphatically notes, “the use of flexible hours in no case overturns workers’ rights to an 8-hour day and a 40-hour work week — on the contrary, these rights are strengthened through the use of the Digital Work Card. This bill responds to the needs of the modern labor market, and it comes from its core — employees and businesses themselves.”

The General Secretary of Labor, Nikos Milapidis, referred to a “culture of good faith”, adding: “Working time in no case constitutes a field of free determination by the employer, since our legislation sets clear limits on exceeding daily and weekly working hours: 40 weekly hours in a five-day or six-day system, and 48 hours total, including extra work or overtime, over a four-month period. In addition, on an annual basis, the maximum overtime limit cannot exceed 150 hours. Refusal to work overtime or to modify schedules is protected by law within the framework of good faith and cannot lead to any adverse change, discrimination, or dismissal of the employee.”

Most provisions of the bill have a dual purpose: to make life easier for both employees and businesses. Below is an analytical look at the benefits for each side.

Benefits for Employees

1. Flexible working hours – What changes:
Currently, an employee can exceptionally work up to 13 hours a day, but only by combining work for two or more employers. Under the new bill, this 13-hour limit can apply even when working for a single employer, with a 40% overtime pay increase, provided rest periods and weekly working hour limits are strictly respected.

The 13-hour schedule cannot be applied daily, only occasionally, when business needs require it. Weekly work time cannot exceed 48 hours over any four-month period, including extra and overtime work — roughly 37 days per year, or about three days per month.

Example: A supermarket employee working six days a week may need to work 13 hours on Friday and Saturday due to higher demand. For the 9th hour (extra work), they earn +20%, and for hours 10–13 (overtime), +40% per hour. Having worked 26 hours in two days, they have 22 hours left for the week (48 total), so they’ll work about 5.5 hours per day from Monday to Thursday.

2. Higher pay for overtime:
Example: A worker employed by two employers earning €8/hour who works 13 hours total earns €104/day.
If they work the same 13 hours for one employer, they earn €119/day thanks to the 40% overtime premium.

3. Work time arrangement:
The bill introduces the possibility of a four-day workweek throughout the year (not just for six months), benefiting especially working parents or people with family obligations.

Arrangements can be made weekly, monthly, or annually, allowing employees to plan their time flexibly. For example, a parent could work 4 days/week and take Fridays off year-round — provided the employee consents. Extra hours can be offset with shorter days, time off, or paid leave later.

Example: An insurance company employee agrees to work 10 hours Monday–Thursday and have Friday off. Overtime beyond 10 hours is prohibited. Total weekly hours remain 40 (10 × 4).

4. Overtime rights for part-time workers:
Under the new rules, part-time employees can choose to work beyond their regular 8-hour shift, receiving the 40% overtime premium.
Example: A restaurant worker employed Friday–Sunday can increase their income by working extra hours if they wish.

5. Split annual leave (minimum 5 days):
Employees gain more autonomy in scheduling their annual vacation. They can split their summer leave into smaller parts, by agreement with the employer.

6. End of abuse through the Digital Work Card:
It is explicitly stated that any reduction in pay after implementing the Digital Work Card is considered a unilateral harmful change — protecting workers from retaliatory wage cuts.

Some employers, after being forced to pay for newly visible overtime, tried to offset costs by lowering base pay (e.g., from €1,800 to €1,500). Under the new bill, such pay reductions are invalid under labor law.

Benefits for Businesses

The new provisions aim to better serve business needs during peak periods and reduce bureaucracy.

1. Less bureaucracy:
As Minister Kerameus noted, the new system will require only one document for hiring instead of four.

2. Express hirings:
“Fast track” hirings via a mobile app will be possible, especially for urgent needs on holidays or weekends — for example, in restaurants or hotels.

Each employer can hire staff for urgent needs with a fixed-term contract up to two days per week through a special “Quick Hire” app.

Previously, many employers in hospitality complained they couldn’t process weekend hirings because their accountants were unavailable — pushing some toward illegal (“off-the-books”) employment.

All hires must still be declared to ERGANI, the official employment database.

Importantly, the bill does not allow “express firings” — dismissal rules remain unchanged.

3. Voluntary resignation with one click:
Similarly, a “one-click” digital resignation process is introduced to reduce bureaucracy.

Currently, when an employee resigns, the employer must wait 10 days before hiring a replacement, otherwise the resignation could be deemed a dismissal (requiring severance).

With the new fast-track hiring and resignation process, replacement hires can be made immediately, without waiting ten days.