The Ministry of Labour has recorded a significant rise in both recorded overtime and in workers’ earnings and the revenues of the social security funds, attributing this development to the implementation of the Digital Labour Card and recent interventions on social security contributions.
Labour and Social Security Minister Niki Kerameos stresses that the gradual extension of the measure to more and more sectors has contributed to better protection of workers and a more accurate recording of actual working time. At the same time, she points out that changes in the way insurance contributions are calculated for overtime, overtime, night work and work on public holidays have created stronger incentives for the legal declaration of additional work.
Under the current regime, contributions for these forms of employment are calculated on the basis of the hourly wage for regular eight-hour work, without taking into account the surcharge provided for overtime, night work or work on public holidays.
According to the ministry, this regulation has contributed to improving compliance by businesses, limiting undeclared or under-declared work and strengthening conditions of healthy competition. At the same time, workers continue to receive in full the prescribed increases in their wages.
Increase in pay and contributions
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Data from the ERGAN II information system for the period March to December 2025 show a significant increase in reported overtime and overtime contributions.
Related pay amounted to €455.7 million, up from €328.8 million in the same period in 2024, an increase of 39%. Similarly, social security contributions increased from €116.7 million to €150.9 million, an increase of 29%.
Although contributions are now calculated in a different way, the increase in declared earnings also resulted in a boost to the overall revenues of the insurance system.
Wages associated with night work and work on public holidays also moved upwards. Remuneration in these categories increased from €277.3 million to €320.5 million, while the corresponding contributions reached €108.5 million, up from €76.4 million in the previous year.
The data show that the strengthening of declared work is not a temporary phenomenon, as it is recorded throughout the year, with a particularly strong presence in the spring and summer months.
New expansion of the Digital Card
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The ministry is now moving on to the next stage of implementing the Digital Job Card, extending the measure to new professional activities.
The expansion will be carried out through two new pilot phases and is estimated to cover around 476,000 additional workers.
The aim is to gradually integrate almost all economic activity into the digital working time recording system, enhancing the control of working time compliance, the protection of workers and the fight against tax evasion.
With the completion of the new phases, the number of workers covered by the system is expected to approach 2.5 million.
Which sectors are included
The first pilot period began on 2 June and will run until 11 October 2026. It involves healthcare providers, such as hospitals, diagnostic and treatment centres, excluding doctors, as well as companies operating in telecommunications and employment support services.
Service providers such as hairdressing salons, beauty centres, dry cleaners and cleaning companies for buildings and outdoor areas are also included.
The second pilot phase will start on June 29 and will end on November 15, 2026. It will cover activities related to consultancy, advertising, office administration, repairs, warehousing and logistics, as well as the water, wastewater and gaming sectors.
Dialogue with stakeholders will be conducted throughout the pilot to take into account the specificities of each sector and improve the operation of the system.
Striking increase in reported overtime
According to data from the sectors already included in the measure, the Digital Job Card has led to a spectacular increase in declared overtime, which in some cases even exceeds 1,200%.
In total, around 2.7 million more overtime hours were declared in 2025 than in the previous year, confirming the measure’s contribution to recording actual working time and enhancing transparency in the labour market.
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