The Assumption Day public holiday, which in 2026 falls on a Saturday, is classified as a mandatory public holiday in Greece. On this day, the employment of salaried workers and the operation of businesses are prohibited, except for those legally permitted to operate on Sundays and mandatory public holidays.
Assumption Day: What applies to businesses that remain closed
In businesses that do not operate, employees working a five-day week who will not be working on Saturday, August 15, are entitled — provided they are paid on a daily wage basis — to one additional day’s pay. Employees paid a monthly salary will receive their regular salary as normal.
For those working a six-day week who will not be working on the public holiday, daily-wage workers are entitled to their normal daily wage — meaning a total of six daily wages for the week — while monthly-salaried employees will receive their regular salary as normal.
What applies to businesses legally permitted to operate on Sundays and public holidays
In businesses legally permitted to operate on Sundays and public holidays, employees who work on Saturday, August 15 and are paid on a daily wage basis are entitled to their usual daily wage, plus a 75% supplement on their legal hourly rate for every hour worked.
Employees paid a monthly salary are entitled to a 75% supplement, calculated on 1/25 of their legal monthly salary and corresponding to the hours they work.
What applies to five-day workers and the sixth working day
For employees on a five-day working week for whom Saturday, August 15 constitutes their sixth working day of the week, their working hours on that day may not exceed eight hours.
In addition, their daily wage — as calculated with the applicable supplements — is further increased by 40%, subject to all other provisions of labour legislation.
If a business that normally closes decides to open exceptionally
If a business that normally closes on Sundays and mandatory public holidays opens exceptionally on Saturday, August 15 — having followed the required legal procedures — monthly-salaried employees are entitled, for a full day’s work, to an additional payment equal to 1/25 of their monthly salary.
Daily-wage workers are entitled to one additional day’s pay.
In both cases, a further 75% supplement on the legal hourly rate also applies for work performed on the public holiday.
Public holidays cannot be offset against days off
Greece’s General Confederation of Labour (GSEE) stresses that it is not legally permissible to offset a day of owed rest — i.e. a day off — against a mandatory public holiday.
If work on August 15 is lawfully provided beyond 40 hours per week, employees are owed — in addition to the public holiday supplement — the applicable supplements for overtime and statutory overtime hours.
What applies to employees on annual leave
Employees who are on annual leave and paid on a daily wage basis are entitled to their daily wage for August 15, without that day counting toward the working days of their leave.
Employees paid a monthly salary are not entitled to an additional day’s pay; however, for them too, the public holiday does not count as a working day of their annual leave.
