Greece expands digital work card to half a million more workers
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The Ministry of Labour and Social Security in Greece will extend full implementation of the Digital Work Card to an additional 500,000 workers in new sectors of the economy.
The expansion will occur in two phases, beginning with a pilot program on June 2, 2026, and fully implemented on October 12, 2026, for sectors including healthcare facilities, employment support services, and telecommunications.
A second phase, starting a pilot on June 29, 2026, and fully implemented November 16, 2026, will include workers in consulting, repair services, logistics, water management, and gambling. Niki Kerameus, the Minister of Labour and Social Security, stated that the card ensures workers are compensated for their actual working hours, combating undeclared and underdeclared labor, and protecting legitimate businesses from unfair competition.
The Ministry released a clarifying circular drafted by General Secretary for Labour Relations, Nikos Milapidis, after discussions with worker and employer representatives to ensure a smooth transition. Data from “ERGANI”, a labour ministry system, show that in 2025, 2.7 million more overtime hours were declared than in 2024. In the first seven months of 2026, over 5.7 million overtime hours were recorded in the sectors included in the expansion, a 36.8% annual increase.
With these new expansions, the total number of protected workers is estimated to reach approximately 2.5 million.
