Greece
Make employment in Greece easy. Let us handle payroll, benefits, taxes, compliance, and even stock options for your team in Greece, all in one easy-to-use platform.
- Capital City
Athens
- Currency
Euro (€, EUR)
- Languages
Greek
- Population size
10,724,599
Facts & Stats
- Capital City
Athens
- Currency
Euro (€, EUR)
- Languages
Greek
- Population size
10,724,599
- Ease of doing business
Easy
- Cost of living index
$$$ (39 of 139 nations)
- Payroll frequency
Monthly
- VAT - standard rate
24%
- GDP - real growth rate
1.9 (2019)
Greece, officially known as the Hellenic Republic (Greek: Ελληνική Δημοκρατία; Ellinikí Dimokratía) is a sovereign democracy located in Southeast Europe.
Considered the birthplace of western civilization, Greece has given us democracy, theatre, philosophy, and pathfinders like Hippocrates, Herodotus, and Alexander the Great.
On the economic front, Greece is home to a highly educated population with a large proportion of skilled professionals. The nation is driven by its tourism and shipping industries, but the high quality of living and natural beauty of the Hellenic nation creates an attractive proposition for remote workers and those looking to relocate.
Grow your team in Greece with Remote
Looking to employ workers in Greece? Companies hiring in Greece must either own a legal entity in the country or work with a global employment solutions provider, usually one that provides employer of record services.
Remote can employ your team in Greece on your behalf through our local legal entity in the country and handle payroll, benefits, taxes, and compliance for your Greece team. You can also pay contractors now in Greece with Remote.
Risks of misclassification
Greece, like many other countries, treats self-employed individuals or contractors and full-time employees differently. Misclassification of contractors in Greece may lead to fines and penalties for the offending company.
Employing in Greece
Greek employment provisions are spelled out across several government regulations which define terms for employee protections, workers’ rights, and labor relations applicable to Greece’s workforce of 4.7 million. Employees in Greece enjoy protections against discrimination based on age, religion, sexual orientation, gender expression, and race.
Common questions that could come up during the hiring process may cover the topics of supplemental benefits, overtime rates, and additional paid time off. Remote can help you offer a complete, competitive, and compliant benefits package to your employees in Greece.
Minimum Wage
The Greek minimum wage is set at 780 EUR per month, or 910 EUR per month when 13th and 14th salary payments are factored in.
Payroll Cycle
For customers of Remote, all employee payments will be made in equal monthly installments on or before the last working day of each calendar month, payable in arrears.
Workers in Greece are also entitled to the equivalent of 14 months pay in a year. This includes the normal 12 month pay, one month pay as a Christmas bonus; half a month pay as an Easter bonus; and half a month pay as an annual holiday bonus. The Christmas, Easter, and annual holiday bonus payments are all treated as part of the agreed salary in Greece. Employers looking to calculate the total cost of employment should include these payments.
Onboarding Time
We can help you get a new employee started in Greece fast. The minimum onboarding time we need is only 2 working days.
Our team ensures your employees are onboarded and paid as quickly as possible while keeping your business compliant with all local employment legislation. The minimum onboarding time begins after the employee submits all required information onto the Remote platform. The onboarding timeline is also dependent upon registration with local authorities.
For all non-nationals of the country of employment, the Right to Work assessment (if applicable) will add three extra days to the total time to onboard. There may be extra time required if we need to follow-up on the right to work assessment.
Please note, payroll cut-off dates can impact the actual first day of employment. Remote has a payroll cut-off date of the 10th of the month unless otherwise specified.
13 Public holidays
Competitive benefits package in Greece
At Remote, we’re obsessed with helping you craft the best possible employee experience for your team. We are leading the way in practicing “fair equity,” which means making sure employees everywhere have access to both the required and supplemental benefits they need to thrive (and that will allow you to attract the best local talent).
Our benefits packages in Greece are tailored to fulfill the local needs of your employees. Typically, our packages contain some or all of the following benefits:
Health Insurance
Dental Insurance
Vision Insurance
Mental Health Support
Pension or 401(K)
Life and Disability Insurance
Taxes in Greece
Learn how employment taxes and statutory fees affect your payroll and your employees’ paychecks in Greece.
13.33%
Pension fund contribution
4.3%
Healthcare contribution
0.25%
Supplementary health contribution
3.25%
Supplementary insurance
1.41%
Additional contributions
Types of leave
After working with an employer for an entire year, employees are entitled to a maximum of 26 days of paid time off annually. The final figure depends on their tenure with the employer’s organization.
Employees who work a five-day week get 20 prorated days of vacation annually, which increases by a day, up to 22 days, every year the employee stays with the same employer. Employees who have been in the labor force for 12 years, with 10 of those spent with one employer will be entitled to 25 days of paid leave annually.
Leave entitlements are calculated at a rate of 50% of the employee’s normal wages.
Employment termination
Termination process
Employee contracts can be terminated if a just cause is established, such as dishonesty, negligence, fraud, or any other work-related offenses.
Notice period
Notice periods in Greece depend on employees’ seniority within the employer’s organization.
1 month: employed for 12 months to 2 years
2 months: employed for two years to 5 years
3 months: employed for 5 years to 10 years
4 months: employed for 10+ years
Severance pay
Greek labor laws stipulate severance payments that depend on the employee’s tenure with the employer’s organization, ranging from none, for employees who’ve worked less than a year, all the way to 24 months of monthly wages for employees who’ve worked with the same employer for at least 28 years.
Probation periods
In the event of an indefinite-term employment contract, the probationary period may not exceed 12 months, during which time the contract may be terminated without due notice and without any compensation for dismissal, except if otherwise agreed between the parties. The employee shall receive wages during the probationary period as well.