Greece extends digital work card to 500,000 more workers and eases parental leave rules
Labour Minister Niki Kerameus said the digital work card will cover about 2.5 million employees once its new phase is completed in November. A draft bill would also scrap the one-year wait between parental leaves and let parents who work for the same employer take leave without declaring the order.
Digital work card expansion
Labour Minister Niki Kerameus said the digital work card, which records actual working hours in real time, is entering a new phase that will extend it to 500,000 more employees. This phase began in mid-October 2026 and is due to be completed in November. The expansion covers telecommunications, private healthcare, dry cleaners, hairdressers, consulting and advertising services, logistics, repair services and cleaning services. Once it is complete, about 2.5 million workers will be covered by the card. The aim, she said, is more accurate tracking of time worked, better protection for employees and a crackdown on undeclared and hidden work. Kerameus told ERTnews that declared overtime rose by as much as 1,200% in some sectors after the measure took effect. A worker found without the card's required marking faces a fine of 10,500 euros.
Parental leave changes
A draft bill that the ministry is preparing would change the rules on parental leave. Kerameus said the one-year wait between a parent's first and second leave, which applies for example to parents of two children, will be abolished. She stressed that parents need complete freedom over how they take the leave.
Every working parent is entitled to four months of parental leave for each child up to eight years old.
Where both parents work for the same employer, they will no longer have to declare the order in which they take the leave. Caregiver leave will also be available before an employee has completed six months with the employer, a restriction the minister said is being lifted. She listed earlier measures already in place, including extending maternity leave from six to nine months, introducing paternity leave, letting part of maternity leave pass to the father, assisted reproduction leave, and a parental leave allowance that is tax-free, non-assignable and unseizable.
Unemployment and remote work
Kerameus said unemployment has fallen to 7.4%, the lowest level in 18 years, and that the country now has its highest employment rate in its history. She argued that further reductions will require more targeted measures for groups that still face barriers to the labour market. Women, unemployed mothers and residents of remote areas are a particular focus. The minister previewed a new subsidised employment programme in an interview with ERTnews that will let workers do their jobs remotely while staying in their place of residence.
AI rules and the draft bill
The same draft bill contains provisions to limit uncontrolled use of artificial intelligence in the labour market.
Artificial intelligence is a very useful tool, which in the labour market in particular will help increase productivity, but safeguards are needed.
The bill aims to clarify how the algorithm used for workers on digital platforms operates. Kerameus said the text is still being drafted, so its final wording is not yet set. The bill also carries the parental leave changes described above, which places several labour reforms in one text.
Enforcement and complaints
Workers who believe labour law has been breached can contact the Labour Inspectorate by calling 1555. They can do so anonymously. Kerameus said the card ensures that real hours are recorded and that workers are paid for the hours they work, while supporting fair competition between companies and the social insurance funds. The 10,500 euro fine applies to any worker found without the card's marking.
