The provision of paragraph 1 of Article 203 of Decree 62/2025 kdefines as compulsory public holidays, for all businesses, farms and work in general, which are late on Sundays and public holidays.
Specifically, the following are now designated as mandatory public holidays:
a) 1 January.
b) The Feast of the Epiphany (January 6).
c) The 25th of March.
d) Easter Monday.
e) May 1.
f) The feast of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary (15 August).
g) The 28th of October.
h) The Feast of the Nativity of Christ (25 December).
i) The 26th of December.
By decisions of the Minister of Labour and Social Security issued after an opinion of the Supreme Labour Council (A.S.E.) and published in the Government Gazette, other holidays, up to five (5) per year, may be designated as compulsory or optional holidays throughout the Territory. In the case of local public holidays, the authority shall be vested in the Regional Governors. The prescribed public holidays may be abolished or changed by the same procedure.
So it follows that on the day of 25March , employment of employees and the operation of businesses, except those that are legally operating on Sundays, is prohibited.
The pay of an employee-employee on the holiday who is not employed on account of the prohibition shall not be reduced or increased , because the pay given in return for his employment on the working days of the month ( A.P. 96/77 ).
On the contrary, if the employee-employee paid with a monthly salary during a holiday – which by law is allowed to work – is absent without justification, the salary is reduced by 1/25.
A person paid on a daily wage if, on a holiday for which work is permitted, they do not work on the holiday through no fault of their own, they are not entitled to the daily wage, but if they do not work for reasons not attributable to them, they are entitled to receive their daily wage.
If the public holiday coincides with the first or last day of arbitrary absence of the daily wage earner, so that it is difficult to diagnose whether he would have been absent on that day, he is entitled to the daily wage( N.If the holiday is included between two days of arbitrary absence, he is not entitled to the daily wage of the holiday ( Law No. 919/62).
If it is difficult to determine whether the holiday is included between two days of arbitrary absence, he is not entitled to the daily wage of the holiday ( Law No. 919/62).
If the holiday-holiday coincides with a Saturday, the daily wage earners shall receive in accordance with paragraph 3 of Article 2 of Law No.D 3755/1957, “To the daily paid employees who are not employed for reasons not due to them on the days referred to in paragraph 2, an amount shall be paid for each of them in respect of their daily wage, without any other increase”, one day’s pay in addition to the 6 which they normally receive, i.e. 7, since they are not employed on the day of the holiday for reasons not attributable to them.
The decision of the Ministry of Labour No. 1643/1987 states that there is no provision as per para.D 3755/1957, for those paid a monthly salary, on the payment of additional pay for the holiday similar to the provision for daily wage earners.
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But according to Section 648 of the A.C. -“Meaning. By a contract of employment the employee is obliged to provide, for a fixed or indefinite period of time, his work to the employer and the employer to pay the agreed wage. A contract of employment also exists when the wage is calculated per unit of work performed or at a flat rate, provided the employee is engaged or employed for a fixed or indefinite period.” , the claim for expiration of 1/25 plus wages is based on the actual fact of the extra work for which pay is due since it is not covered by wages.
“Oi plus monthly salary: 1/25 plus 1/25 of their monthly salary as pay for the holiday( whose hours were covered by employees during the other 5 days of the week since their monthly salary corresponds only to the working days of the month (which includes Saturday in the pay system) and not to any holidays that may fall in the month”. ( NOT issue 1331-March 2000)
In the event the holiday falls on a Sunday, daily wage earners are entitled to receive their regular daily wage ( A.If two public holidays (e.g. Easter Monday and May Day) coincide on this day, daily workers are entitled to two (2) days’ wages (N.S.K. 239/78).
If the day coincides with two public holidays (e.g. Easter Monday and May Day), daily workers are entitled to two (2) days’ wages (N.S.K. 239/78).
If the public holiday coincides with a worker’s sick leave, the daily wage for that day should still be paid as if that worker were working normally, but from which any wages he or she receives from the I.K.S.A. for that day. If the worker was on regular leave at the time when the public holiday coincides with the public holiday , then the day of the public holiday shall not be counted in such leave, and if such leave is without pay or if there is a strike on that day, then the worker shall not be paid the daily wage.
According to Article 2 of Law 435/76 and Decisions No. 8900/46 and 25825/51 of the Ministries of Labour and Finance,
stating that: “Employees working on Sundays and the holidays mentioned below shall be entitled, irrespective of the validity of the agreement on such employment and other possible consequences, to the benefit of the payment of the wage and salary referred to in the agreement on the employment of the employees under Secretary of State No. 8900/1946 Joint Decision of the Ministers of Finance and Labour, as authentically interpreted by Joint Decision No. 25825/1951, to the 75% increase provided for in those Decisions as they stand today.’,
“Dec. 8900/46 of the Ministry of Finance and Labour “on the determination of increased pay for employees in general on Sundays and holidays”
It is the general personal of all the businesses and operations in the country, including sleeping hotels, which, by the nature of his work, is employed on Sundays and on the holidays established by law as non-working days of the year, shall be paid, for such days, the daily wage rate established for each day, increased by seventy-five percent (75%).
The provisions herein shall not apply to waiters and waitresses in restaurants, cafes, cafeterias, pastry shops and similar establishments who are paid on a pro rata basis.
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This Agreement shall take effect from the date of its signature, shall extend throughout the country and shall include the employees employed by the Allied Authorities in sleeping hotels and other such establishments.
“Dec. 25825/51 of the Ministry of Finance and Labour “on the interpretation of Decisions Nos 8900/46 and 18310/46 on the increase of wages during Sunday and night hours”
Article 1. 8900/46, we shall determine the 75% increase in the daily wages or 1/25th of the monthly wage of employees working on Sundays and other statutory non-working holidays of the year, business and operations in general, whether or not they are in continuous operation, are entitled to be employed from midnight on the day preceding such days until the following midnight, and this is independent of any other supplementary allowance for night work.
II. The 75% increase in wages and salaries referred to above shall always be calculated on the statutory minimum wage and salary limits, shall not be offset against any additional remuneration paid, and shall be reduced proportionately for working less than the normal working hours.
Those paid a monthly salary at 1/25th of their salary shall receive a 75% increment and those paid a daily salary at their statutory daily salary with a 75% increment. Therefore, daily wage earners will receive their holiday pay for the holiday with a 75% increase , while monthly wage earners, if the company they work for is exempt from the Sunday holiday, will only receive a 75% increase calculated at 1/25th of their monthly wage. On the contrary, employees with a monthly salary who work in enterprises in which Sunday work is not allowed and who work on a public holiday will receive, in addition to the 75% increase, 1/25 ( specifically as many hours as they work, since 1/25 of the salary corresponds to 6.66 hours ) of their monthly salary, because their salary corresponds to the working days of the month and therefore does not include the remuneration for work on public holidays. If the compulsory holiday coincides with a Sunday, then the employer must grant all employed employees compensatory rest on another day of the week.
To be eligible for the 24 consecutive hours of compensatory rest on another day of the week, these employees must be employed on Sunday for more than five (5) hours. Employment on Sunday for up to five hours does not establish the right to receive a compensatory rest day, (Article 10 of the B.D. 748/66) shall be entitled to receive pay for employment for up to five hours, unless he requests an equal rest period, and the employer shall have no obligation to do so if no request is made.
If the rest day coincides with a public holiday, there is no obligation for the private sector to grant another rest day for the employer.
Finally, the employee’s claim for Sunday and public holiday pay and for the 75% increase thereof, where such employment is lawful, is barred after 5 years and where such employment is unlawful it is barred after 20 years, measured from the end of the year in which the claim arose. ( A.P. 1184/74 )
“From the combination of the provisions of Article 250 No.17 and 253 CC, it follows that the limitation period for periodically recurring salary benefits of any kind is five years and that the limitation period begins to run as soon as the calendar year in which the claim for payment of the salary arose and became due has expired. The same limitation period also applies to claims for other remuneration, such as holiday bonuses, holiday pay and additional remuneration for work performed on a Sunday. Mon. Athens Prot. 2770/15
Article by Andreas K. Sakellariadis, Accountant – Tax Consultant, for Greece 24
