Hiring in Greece: Minimum Wage and Employment Guide

Popular for sun-kissed beaches and amazing ancient architecture, Greece isn’t just a popular tourist destination anymore. Greece has a large bilingual population due to its tourism-focused economy. There is also an increasing number of STEM-educated engineers in the country. Combine that with the competitive salary rates, and Greece is increasingly becoming a great destination for American companies to hire their next talent. This guide explains the fundamentals of hiring in Greece, from the current minimum wage rules to payroll, benefits, onboarding, work permits, and dismissal standards.

Key Facts About Employment in Greece

Employment Contracts in Greece

Greek employers most commonly use the following contract structures:

• Permanent contracts: These are the standard arrangement for ongoing work and are the default model for long-term employment relationships.
• Fixed-term contracts: These are used when the role is tied to a specific duration, project, temporary business need, or lawful replacement scenario. Repeated renewals should be handled cautiously to avoid reclassification risk.
• Part-time or temporary arrangements: These may be used for reduced schedules, seasonal activity, or short-term staffing, but the terms still need to comply with statutory labor protections.

In practice, employment contracts in Greece should be clear, written, and aligned with mandatory labor rules. At a minimum, employers should state the employee’s job title, duties, place of work, salary, normal working hours, start date, and contract type. They should also address any probation period, benefits, remote-work arrangement, if applicable, confidentiality or post-termination restrictions, and the applicable notice and termination terms. 

Greek labor law includes mandatory disclosure obligations regarding the material terms of employment. Employers should use a written contract or written statement of terms that clearly covers the role, pay, working time, and other material employment conditions.

Payroll, Taxes, and Social Security in Greece

Managing payroll in Greece requires careful handling of income-tax withholding, employee social-security deductions, employer contributions, and mandatory wage supplements. Total payroll cost varies by salary level, contribution caps, and benefit design, so employers should assess each hire individually rather than relying on a single flat percentage for every case.

Employer Contributions and Payroll Costs in Greece

Employer social-security costs are around 21.8% to 22.3% of salary, subject to caps and employee classification rules.

Employee Contributions and Deductions

Employee social-security deductions are around 13% to 16%, depending on the worker category and the applicable scheme.

Compensation & Benefits in Greece

The minimum wage framework sets the statutory floor, but a competitive package usually goes further. Greek employees expect compliance with public social insurance coverage and, in many sectors, additional market-standard benefits.

Working Hours and Overtime in Greece

Greek working-time rules are formal and should be tracked carefully, particularly if employees work beyond a standard weekday schedule or in hybrid arrangements.

Leave and Statutory Time Off in Greece

Greek employees receive a comparatively robust set of statutory leave rights. Employers should build these entitlements into workforce planning and employee handbooks from day one.

Sick Leave

Sick-pay treatment depends on service length, certification, and social insurance coordination. Employers pay an initial statutory portion, with social insurance covering part of the broader entitlement.

Greece has 13 public holidays:

• New Year’s Day (1 January)
• Epiphany (6 January)
• Clean Monday (variable)
• Independence Day (25 March)
• Good Friday (variable)
• Easter Sunday (variable)
• Easter Monday (variable)
• Labor Day (1 May)
• Holy Spirit Monday (variable, sector-dependent)
• Assumption Day (15 August)
• Ohi Day (28 October)
• Christmas Day (25 December)
• Synaxis of the Mother of God (26 December)

Hiring and Onboarding Process in Greece

• Set up the employing structure: Most companies hiring directly in Greece need a local entity or a compliant local hiring solution before running payroll.
• Prepare a compliant contract: The agreement should cover job title, duties, salary, working hours, work location, benefits, probation terms, and termination language.
• Collect employee identifiers: Employers need the employee’s AFM tax number and AMKA social-security number.
• Register for payroll and social insurance: The new hire must be reflected correctly in payroll and social insurance systems before work begins.
• Gather payment and identity documents: Employers should collect ID details, bank account information, and any role-specific certifications.
• Address immigration early: For non-EU nationals, work permits and residence authorization should be secured before employment starts. EU citizens face fewer barriers but may still need local registrations.
• Use a structured onboarding plan: A practical onboarding process should include policy acknowledgements, working-time rules, leave procedures, equipment setup, and manager check-ins during the first weeks.

Termination & Notice Periods in Greece

Notice requirements

Grounds for dismissal: Open-ended contracts are often terminable without formal cause, but dismissals can still be challenged if they are abusive, discriminatory, retaliatory, or procedurally flawed.

Severance pay: Employees with at least 1 year of service are entitled to severance, with the amount linked to tenure and regular remuneration and affected by whether notice was given.

Useful Resources

• Ministry of Migration and Asylum

Disclaimer: This article is provided for informational purposes only and should not be relied on as legal advice or used as a substitute for advice from qualified legal counsel.