The General Confederation of Greek Workers (GSEE) has issued clarifications on how private sector employees are compensated when working on the Assumption Day holiday, through the Workers’ and Unemployed Information Center of the Confederation (KE.P.E.A./GSEE) www.kepea.gr.
August 15th is classified as a mandatory holiday (Article 60 of Law 4808/2021, Article 203 of Presidential Decree 62/2025), during which employee work is prohibited, as well as business operations, except for those that legally operate on Sundays and mandatory holidays.
This year, August 15th falls on a Friday, and the following compensation rules apply:
For businesses that do not operate
Businesses that do not operate must pay the regular daily wage without any surcharge to those paid daily wages, while those receiving monthly salaries are paid their regular monthly salary.
For businesses that legally operate
Employees who work are entitled to:
- If paid daily wages: their regular daily wage plus a 75% surcharge calculated on their legal hourly wage for the hours worked.
- For employees receiving monthly salaries:
a) If the business normally closes on Sundays and holidays but operates exceptionally on August 15th: 1/25 of their regular monthly salary plus a 75% surcharge on the legal daily wage for hours worked,
b) If the business legally operates on Sundays and other statutory holidays: only a 75% surcharge calculated on 1/25 of their legal daily wage for hours worked.
Additionally, as stated in the official announcement, workers should know that:
- It is not legal to offset a mandatory rest day with a mandatory holiday,
- If work on August 15th, for both daily wage and monthly salary employees, legally exceeds 40 hours, both the holiday surcharge and overtime/legal overtime surcharges are owed.
- Employees on leave are entitled to the August 15th daily wage without counting this day toward their working vacation days. Monthly salary employees will not receive additional daily wages for the holiday, but the holiday will not count toward their working vacation days.
In cases where more favorable terms exist (e.g., from Collective Labor Agreements, work regulations, business practices, or customs) regarding compensation surcharges for working on mandatory holidays or Sundays, these take precedence.
