Greater flexibility to workerswithout affecting their basically regulated labor rights (8 hours, etc.) brings the labor bill presented by the Minister of Labor, Niki Kerameos last Monday, June 30, 2025.
The new Kerameos labor bill enables any employee who wishes to work up to 13 hours a day (exceptionally) to an employer with a 40% increase in pay. It also provides for the possibility to work in rotating work – if wishes – in overtime with salary increased by 40% (eg in work 4 days a week).
The three key points of the work bill:
- It simplifies procedures (removes forms, accelerates and facilitates recruitment for everyone), limiting bureaucracy.
- Introduces arrangements that strengthen workers.
- It enhances labor inspection controls in order to have more faithful observance of labor legislation.
More specifically, the bill provides:
- Greater freedoms for employees in arrangement of working time, eg the ability for a parent to work 4 days a week and be with their child on the 5th day for the whole year, and not just for a semester that is currently in force
- Greater freedom in the request that the employee can submit to distribute the annual leisure permit
- More women to be beneficiaries of pregnancy and rationality allowance
- Parental leave allowance to be tax -free, unmistakable and unmistakable
- Many arrangements for further protection of health and safety at work (eg the compulsory presence of health and safety coordinator in technical projects, depending on their size, to prevent accidents at work)
- The ability to work in rotating work – if wishes – in overtime with salary increased by 40% (eg in work 4 days a week)
- The ability to work up to 13 hours a day (exceptionally) to an employer with a 40% increase in pay
- Education in first aid courses (CPR, Heimlich)
- Expansion of maternity leave and to foster mothers
- The explicit prohibition of reducing remuneration after applying the digital work card.
How does the bill facilitate business?
Provides:
- Great simplification of the recruitment process
- Fast-track fixed-time recruitment for up to 2 days for urgent needs
- Remove many forms whose information is already undergoing the ERGANI II Information System
- Further exemption of surcharges in insurance contributions for overwork, overtime, nightclubs and holidays
- Special Application for Employers (Myergani)
- Merger policies against force and harassment.
What is the case with the 8 -hour
According to Labor Circles, the eight -hour daily employment is acquired and remains in full force. In every European country, as in our own, there is the possibility of overtime following an employee and business agreement and under certain conditions.
Today, an employee has the ability to work exceptionally up to 13 hours daily in two or more employers.
With the bill, the possibility of 13 -hour employment extends to employees employed by an employer, provided that the limits of rest and maximum weekly working hours are strictly respected and the payment of legal increases from overtime (plus 40%).
Indeed, with the new arrangement the employee is favored by salary. Example: Employee who is employed by two employers and is paid 8 euros per hour if he is employed 13 hours in two employers will be paid a salary of 104 euros. If employed at a single employer will receive 119 euros in the same hours.
Also, working on overtime employee (ie 10th to 13th in one day) requires his consent. In addition, the employer cannot refuse to pay overtime if the employee is employed beyond his planned hours.
Anyone who works overtime is entitled to a fee equal to the hourly wage paid by 40%. This is also guaranteed by the application of the digital work card, as if the overtime is not declared, the additional time is considered illegal and a 120%increase is due. At the same time, a worker cannot be employed 13 hours a day all year.
No, the maximum working time is 48 hours a week in a 4 -month reference period, and the maximum overtime limit of 150 hours per year. Therefore, an employee can work 13 hours a day up to a total of 37.5 days a year. At the same time, the employer cannot be fired by simply sending a text message (SMS).
There is no such provision in the bill. Nothing changes absolutely in the current institutional framework for redundancies.
Annual leisure leave
To date, by law, the license had to be obtained by the employee indivisible at one time, and at the request of the employee it was possible to divide the leave time, but the 2 weeks had to be taken continuously. The new bill enables the employee the opportunity to claim his / her license to divide more times if he / she wishes. B.C. It will be able to receive its annual leave in part in 4 different periods within the same year if it wishes. The license period is selected in consultation with the employer.
Overtime and in rotating employment
With the new regulation, the rotation employees will have the right to work in addition to their eight -hour period, receiving the corresponding 40% increase for each hour of overtime if they wish. For example, someone who works in a restaurant that operates Friday, Saturday and Sunday will be able to complete his income and overtime if he wishes.
Work card
With the bill, the reduction of earnings, immediately after the application of the digital work card, is considered a unilateral harmful change and is prohibited.
4 -DAY WORK OUT OF TIME
To date, the 4 -day work (10 hours a day), in consultation with the employer, is valid for six months. With the new bill, this feature is given for the whole year. Any employee, without restriction, for example a parent with a minor child, will be able to work on a 4 -day basis throughout the year, upon consultation with the employer.