🇬🇷
Greece
Employment Guide & Cultural Intelligence
Overview
Capital
Athens
Currency
EUR
Language
Greek
Time Zone
UTC+2 (EET)
GDP per Capita
$22,600
Work Week
40 hours
Employment Basics
| Standard Work Week | 40 hours |
| Notice Period | 1-12 months based on tenure |
| Probation Period | 12 months |
| Overtime Rules | 20% first 5 hrs, 40% additional, 80% rest day, 75% night |
| Termination Rules | Notice + severance based on tenure; collective dismissals capped |
| Minimum Wage | €830/mo (2024; reviewed annually; 14 monthly payments) |
Statutory Benefits
20
Annual Leave Days
12
Public Holidays
32
Total Paid Days Off
| Parental Leave | 17 weeks maternity; 4 months parental leave per parent |
| Sick Leave | Half pay by employer for short term, then social insurance (IKA) |
Employer Cost Summary
22.29%
Employer Tax/Contribution Rate
| Mandatory Insurance | EFKA social security covers health, pension, unemployment |
| Retirement/Pension | EFKA state pension; age 67 (or 62 with 40 years contributions) |
| Healthcare | Universal public + many opt for private supplementary |
Cultural Intelligence
Communication Style
Expressive, warm, animated; relationship-driven
Hierarchy
Hierarchical; family-business culture common
Meeting Norms
Time flexible; relationships precede business; long discussions
Negotiation Approach
Expressive; bargaining expected; trust and personal connection essential
Gift Giving
Welcome; quality items; flowers (avoid white lilies — funerals)
Taboos
Avoid Macedonia naming dispute; respect Orthodox religious calendar
Hiring Tips
1
Salaries paid 14 times yearly (12 + summer + Christmas + Easter)
2
Severance pay structure formal and tenure-based — plan terminations carefully
3
Strong English in Athens tech and tourism sectors
4
Work culture more relationship-driven than Northern Europe — invest time
5
Recent labor reforms allow longer probation periods (up to 12 months)
Quick Facts
- Work Week 40 hrs
- Annual Leave 20 days
- Public Holidays 12
- Employer Burden 22.29%
- Probation 12 months
- Currency EUR