Greece is moving toward the full implementation of its Digital Work Card, with another 1 million private-sector employees expected to enter the system after November as its pilot phase for several sectors comes to an end.
The digital system records employees’ working hours and is intended to provide a more accurate picture of working time, including overtime.
The latest expansion began in early June following a decision by Labor Minister Niki Kerameus, bringing an additional 476,000 workers into the system and increasing the total number of employees covered to about 2.5 million.
New sectors enter the system
The first pilot phase of the latest expansion runs from June 2 to October 11, 2026 and covers several sectors.
These include human health activities, such as hospitals, treatment centers and diagnostic centers, excluding doctors; employment support services; telecommunications; selected personal services, including hair salons, beauty centers and laundries; and services provided in buildings and outdoor areas, particularly cleaning services.
A second pilot phase began on June 29 and runs through November 15. It covers consulting, advertising and other office activities, repair services, warehousing and transport-support activities including logistics, water and wastewater management, and gambling.
Once the pilot phases are completed, the sectors covered by the latest expansion are expected to move to mandatory implementation.
Some sectors remain undecided
Several sectors have not yet been included in the Digital Work Card system.
These include transportation companies, shipping companies and private-sector educators. No decision has yet been made on whether they will be covered, with the source noting that these professions have particular characteristics that make their inclusion more complex.
A consultation with the relevant organizations is expected before any decision is made.
Overtime reporting rises sharply
Despite the expansion of the Digital Work Card and the gradual digitalization of labor inspections, undeclared work remains one of the most significant violations in Greece’s labor market.
The level of violations varies between sectors, with higher rates reported in areas including private health care, cleaning services, employment agencies, telecommunications and personal services such as hair salons and beauty centers.
At the same time, the system has led to a significant increase in contributions to social security funds and tax revenues and has helped improve the recording of actual overtime.
During the first seven months of 2026, more than 5.7 million overtime hours were recorded in sectors covered by the Digital Work Card.
An additional 1.54 million overtime hours were paid, representing an increase of 36.8% compared with the same period in 2025.
The increase was particularly pronounced in several sectors. Wholesale trade recorded a 212.8% increase, equivalent to 594,913 additional overtime hours.
Administrative and support services in tourism recorded a 172.8% increase, or 47,991 additional overtime hours, while overtime in food services increased by 67.2% and in industry by 15.4%.
The figures indicate a substantial increase in the overtime being formally recorded and paid as the Digital Work Card expands across Greece’s private sector.
