How Greek Employers Are Bypassing the Digital Work Card

“Where there’s a law, there’s a loophole.” This old legal maxim appears to fit perfectly with the rollout of Greece’s Digital Work Card, as many employers are already finding ways to sidestep the new online system designed to protect workers’ rights.

The Digital Work Card was introduced to accurately record employees’ real working hours and strengthen the tools available to labor inspectors. It aims to combat undeclared and underreported work while addressing social security contribution evasion, a chronic problem undermining both workers and compliant businesses.

Yet, reports suggest that many employers have already found ways to game the system, while employees remain reluctant to report violations, as they fear they will be fired.

Some of the tactics used are:

• A supermarket chain has allegedly instructed department supervisors to adjust workers’ schedules so that official records never exceed the legal eight-hour limit, even though employees actually work between nine and nine and a half hours per day.
• In a meat-processing factory, staff reportedly clock in at 8 a.m. and out at 4 p.m., while in reality they start at 6 a.m. and finish at 6 p.m.
• Many small and medium-sized businesses are accused of employing staff full-time but officially registering them as part-time, paying fewer social security contributions as a result.

Expansion of the system

Since June 26, 2025, the Digital Work Card has been extended on a pilot basis to an additional 350,000 employees across wholesale trade, energy, finance, and administrative support services in tourism. Full enforcement for these sectors is set to begin on November 3, 2025.

With this expansion, 1.85 million employees are now covered by the measure.

A surge in recorded overtime

Data from the “ERGANI” employment system reveal striking changes since the card’s introduction. Recorded overtime has surged by 78% in just one year across all sectors. Tourism stands out in particular, with a staggering 1,105% increase in logged overtime hours. These figures suggest that while some employers attempt to circumvent the rules, the Digital Work Card is already shining a light on long-hidden practices.

Source: tovima.com