Greece bans outdoor work and two-wheeled deliveries in four regions as heatwave intensifies to 43C
The Greek government has ordered a mandatory four-hour halt to outdoor manual work, including two-wheeled deliveries, across four regions on Wednesday as temperatures are expected to reach up to 43 degrees Celsius.
Extreme heat sweeping across Greece has triggered an emergency ban on outdoor manual labor and two-wheeled deliveries in four regions, beginning at 13:00 on Wednesday, July 22. The Ministry of Labor and Social Security issued the circular, signed by General Secretary of Labor Relations Nikos Milapidis, enacting protections last outlined in the 2024 thermal stress prevention framework.
Mandatory work stoppage
From 13:00 until 17:00, all outdoor manual work must stop in Eastern Central Greece, Thessaly, Eastern Peloponnese, and the whole of Attica. The ban applies to employees on construction sites, in ship-repair zones, and doing technical works irrespective of their contract type, including those working through digital platforms. Employers in affected regions are also temporarily exempt from pre-declaring schedule changes in the ERGANI information system.
Delivery restrictions
During the four-hour window, delivery by any form of two-wheeled vehicle, scooter, or skates is suspended for both physical stores and online platforms. Businesses may keep takeaway service active and can deliver orders using private or public vehicles that have air conditioning, provided they are not motorcycles. Ride-hailing and food-delivery platforms operating with bikes or mopeds must halt dispatching in the affected areas.
Penalties and enforcement
The Labor Inspectorate can levy a fine of 2,000 euros for every worker affected by a violation of the mandatory stoppage. The circular instructs employers to implement technical and organizational measures against thermal stress and to adapt working hours. For workers classified as high-risk, companies should enable remote work when the nature of the job permits it.
- Mandatory suspension of outdoor manual work begins in Eastern Central Greece, Thessaly, Eastern Peloponnese, and all of Attica.
- All delivery by two-wheeled vehicles, scooters, or skates is suspended; takeaway and air-conditioned car deliveries remain permitted.
- Mandatory suspension of outdoor manual work ends; normal operations can resume.
Exempted sectors
Critical social infrastructure is not subject to the outdoor work stoppage. Healthcare units, water and electricity supply services, air transport and ground handling, as well as sea, land, and rail transport remain operational. Even exempted entities must apply the prescribed protective measures including appropriate work-time organization.
Forecast peak
The Hellenic National Meteorological Service emergency bulletin projects temperatures of up to 43 degrees Celsius in Thessaly, 42 in Central Greece and the Peloponnese, and 41 in Attica. Three regions are also on a red alert for wildfires. Thursday is described as the hottest day of the summer so far.
