The Ministry of Interior is preparing a bonus equivalent to a 13th salary for at least 25,000 public sector employees, as part of the full implementation of the productivity bonus for 2025.

Minister of Interior Thodoros Livanios and Deputy Minister Vivi Charalampogianni succeeded in doubling the amount allocated to productive staff in the public sector, increasing the relevant budget to €40 million.

Under the final plan, during the first months of 2026, approximately 25,000 beneficiaries will receive an additional reward ranging from €1,250 to as much as €2,000.

These employees work in 99 public bodies and in critical services across all municipalities in the country. “In essence, this is an additional salary—a 13th salary—granted as a productivity and goal-achievement bonus,” a relevant source stated.

Steady effort

According to the leadership of the Ministry of Interior, the philosophy behind the bonus reflects the ministry’s ongoing effort to reward productivity in the public sector. In this context, beneficiaries for the current year were selected based on the achievement of specific high-level targets set in the Annual Action Plans, aimed at meaningfully improving citizens’ daily lives.

These targets are linked, among other things, to the digitization of public services, faster responses to citizens’ requests, and the promotion of both foreign and domestic investment, which in turn contributes to positive economic growth rates.

For this reason, beneficiaries include public employees serving across all ministries, and for the first time, the potential pool of eligible employees has been expanded. Notably, employees of Local Government Authorities responsible for preparing and approving financial statements for previous years were also included among the potential beneficiaries.

It is noted that the final approval of the plan will be granted by the Cabinet in December. However, the Ministry of Interior has already finalized all details of the mechanism that will identify the final beneficiaries on an individual basis.

It is recalled that all targets were formulated with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence and the SMART method. This approach produced indicators that are specific, measurable, achievable, and time-bound.

Measurement scale

The degree of achievement of the selected targets is calculated using a performance measurement scale, and the data are transferred to the Reward Information System. The selection of beneficiary employees and the amount of the reward is then carried out by their immediate supervisors, not by the political leadership.

To prevent the productivity bonus from becoming a general allowance, a minimum reward per employee is set, and potentially a maximum number of beneficiaries per organization. Forty percent of the total bonus amount is distributed equally among beneficiaries, while the remaining 60% is allocated non-uniformly, based on each employee’s contribution to achieving the target.

According to the designers of the scheme, the expected benefits include:

• Rewarding capable and effective public employees through the introduction of incentives in the public sector
• Improving the effectiveness of public administration
• Strengthening cooperation between services that pursue shared, rewarded objectives
• Better public services and improved service to citizens
• Faster implementation of ministerial reforms and priorities
• Enhancing the image and attractiveness of the public sector as an employer, in order to attract qualified staff from the private sector

Statement by Charalampogianni

Ms. Charalampogianni stated to THEMA:

“For the first time, employees of Local Government Authorities have been included among the potential beneficiaries. In addition, the total amount to be allocated reaches €40 million, meaning it has doubled compared to 2024, and it may reach up to 15% of an employee’s annual earnings.

It is therefore clear that we are aiming to establish a new culture of rewarding productivity in the public sector, and in this direction, we are also examining additional initiatives for the period ahead. Some people work hard, perform their duties diligently, and honor public service, and we have a responsibility to reward them.”