How to hire and pay employees in Greece
With Instahirin, your business can easily hire employees in Greece. No more worrying about local laws, complex tax systems, or managing international payroll.
Before hiring
EMPLOYEES IN The Greece
Before hiring employees in Greece, one key thing employers should be aware of is compliance with the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Employers must ensure that employee personal data is collected, processed, and stored lawfully and transparently, with a strong emphasis on consent, data minimization, and secure handling especially when data is transferred outside the EU.
Employment contracts must be in writing, even for fixed-term or part-time arrangements, and must comply with Greece’s Labour Code, which regulates working hours, overtime, termination procedures, severance pay, and employee protections.
At a glance
CURRENCY
Euro - EUR
OFFICIAL LANGUAGE
Greek
PAYROLL FREQUENCY
Monthly
EMPLOYER TAXES
21.8%
of gross salary
13th / 14th SALARY
N/A
Good to know
Greece offers universal healthcare through the National Organization for the Provision of Health Services (EOPYY), funded by mandatory social security contributions from both employers and employees. Public healthcare covers most medical services, though many employers also provide private health insurance for faster access and broader coverage.
The standard workweek in Greece is 40 hours, typically 8 hours per day over 5 days. Overtime is permitted and must be paid at 120% of regular wage for the first 3 hours per day, increasing to 140–160% for extended hours, depending on the total overtime worked. Employees are entitled to 20–26 days of paid annual leave, depending on tenure and sector, plus 12 national public holidays each year.
Labor laws in Greece
Working hours and overtime
Standard working hours are 8 hours per day, 40 hours per week. The standard workweek is from Monday to Friday. However, if both parties agree the standard working hours can be 6,4 and the working days from Monday to Saturday.
In Greece, there are two types of overtime: "iperergasia" and "iperoria." It is required by law to pay overtime to employees, and the rates vary depending on the type of overtime.
There are limitations in place: employees cannot work more than an average of 48 hours per week over a period of up to 4 months, including both types of overtime. Additionally, it is not allowed to include overtime in the employment agreement.
Employment contracts
Contracts must be in Greek and can be bilingual. They must be in writing and signed by both parties. A contract must include:
- Name
- Start date
- Length of the employment
- Job description
- Termination conditions
Probationary period
Probation periods are not mandatory. The minimum probation period is 30 days and the maximum probation period is 6 months. For fixed-term contracts, the probation period must be limited to one-quarter of the duration of the contract term and cannot be longer than 6 months.
Calculate costs to hire internationally
Benefits and leave in Greece
Annual leave in Greece
In Greece, employees are entitled to 20 working days of paid annual leave after one year, increasing with service to 25 days after 10 years. Leave accrues monthly in the first year and must be used by March of the following year. A vacation bonus equal to half a month's salary is paid before the leave begins.
Sick leave
Employees are entitled to paid sick leave for 13 days in their first year of employment and 25 days in all subsequent years. This leave is paid at different rates and by different payers depending upon length.
Parental leave
Employees are entitled to 30 months of reduced working hours as parental leave from the end of maternity leave or special maternity protection benefit. Employees must have worked for their employer for a minimum of 1 year to be eligible.
Both parents can decide how to distribute the time off, which can be taken until the child reaches the age of 8 and either parent can take parental leave. This leave is considered PTO, and is paid the same way as vacation is paid.
Parental leave can’t be extended.
Holidays
Greece observes 12 annual national public holidays, including fixed dates like New Year's Day (Jan 1), Epiphany (Jan 6), Independence Day (Mar 25), Labour Day (May 1), Assumption Day (Aug 15), Ochi Day (Oct 28), Christmas (Dec 25–26), plus Orthodox religious holidays such as Clean Monday, Good Friday, Easter Monday, and Whit Monday.
Holidays falling on Sundays (except May 1) are not shifted, with public holiday entitlements and overtime compensation regulated under Greek labour law .
Employer tax
In Greece, employers typically contribute 21.8% to 22.3% of an employee’s gross salary to social security, covering pensions, healthcare, and unemployment. Contribution caps apply based on monthly salary thresholds.
Individual tax
In Greece, resident individuals pay progressive income tax from 9% to 44%, depending on income levels. Employees also contribute around 13.37% to social security, resulting in a combined personal tax burden of approximately 35%.
Termination in The Greece
Terminations in Greece can be complex. The conditions will depend on the term of the contract, length of service, and the employee's salary. The authorities must be notified within 4 working days (i.e. Monday to Friday) for all terminations.
For indefinite term contracts, compliant terminations include:
- Voluntarily by the employee
- By mutual agreement (only in cases of retirement)
- By the expiration of the contract
Terminations and resignations must take place on Fridays. They cannot take place on other weekdays, weekends or public holidays.
Notice period
Notice will depend on the contract term, what is agreed in the employment agreement, the salary of the employee, and the reason for the termination.
Fixed-term contracts
- By the expiration of the contract: no notice is required
Termination by the employer:
- No notice up to one year of employment
- 30 days over one year of employment
Start hiring employees in
Greece
Setting up a business entity in every country where you want to hire isn’t scalable it’s time-consuming, expensive, and legally complex. In Greece, employers must comply with detailed labor laws, mandatory social security contributions, and strict income tax regulations. Managing employment contracts, collective agreements, and payroll reporting can be complex. Handling HR and compliance tasks manually increases the risk of errors, fines, and administrative inefficiencies.
With InstaHirin, you can easily manage HR, payroll, and automate compliance in Greece and 180+ countries all from one user-friendly platform so you can hire quickly and confidently without setting up a local entity.
Disclaimer: The information provided in this resource is for general educational purposes only and shall not be construed as legal advice. While InstaHirin yster strives to provide current and accurate information, InstaHirin makes no warranties or representations as to the correctness of the content provided and accepts no liability or responsibility for any errors or omissions in the content provided. By using this resource you acknowledge and agree that you do so at your own risk. The content of this resource is subject to change without notice.
