ΓΣΕΕ explained how work on Christmas and New Year is paid

General Confederation of Labor of Greece (ΓΣΕΕ) explains to private sector employees the procedure for remuneration during the period Christmas and New Year holidays.

According to current legislation, Christmas and New Year refer to mandatory holidayswhich is enshrined in a number of regulations, including ΝΔ 3755/1957, ΒΔ 748/1966, N. 4554/2018, N. 4808/2021 And ΠΔ 62/2025.

In particular, mandatory non-working days are:

• December 25 – Christmas (this year – Thursday),
• December 26 – second day of Christmas (Friday),
• January 1 — New Year (Thursday),
• January 6 – Feast of Epiphany (this year – Tuesday).

In days obligatory holiday rest It is prohibited to attract workers to work and operate enterprises, with the exception of those that by law can operate on Sundays and holidays.

The law does not allow counting a mandatory day off (ρεπό) against a holiday.

Days of obligatory holidays are not included in annual paid leave.

Payment for holidays

For businesses that do not work on holidays:

If the enterprise does not operate on the day of a mandatory holiday, employees:

• when paying at the daily rate it is paid regular daily pay no surcharges,
• when paid on a monthly basis no additional payment is duein excess of the established salary.

In exceptional cases, if an enterprise that usually does not work on holidays temporarily opens according to legal procedureThat:

• employees with a monthly salary receive bonus in the amount of 1/25 of the monthly salary,
• daily wage workers additional daily remuneration,
• and also 75% premiumcalculated from the legal hourly rate.

For businesses that legally operate on Sundays and holidays:

Workers working on such days have the right:

• for daily payment – on regular daily pay plus 75% premium from the legal hourly rate for hours actually worked,
• with a monthly salary – at 75% premiumcalculated from the legal hourly rate for hours of work.

Please be reminded that when working more than 5 hours on Sunday the employer is obliged to provide compensatory day off (ρεπό) lasting 24 hours on any working day next week.

Employees who, according to the established schedule, have a day off on a mandatory holiday, are not entitled to an additional day of rest.

However, if they are actually involved in workthen, in addition to payment, they also receive compensatory day off next week.

It is noted that if employment on holidays leads to exceeding a 40-hour work weekin addition to the holiday bonus, it is also payable additional pay for overtime work.

In case they act more favorable conditions (collective agreement, company regulations, established practice or custom), they have priority before the minimum legal requirements.

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