The time counting down for the payment of the Easter gift to private sector workers has started, as, according to the current legislation, it should be paid by M. Wednesday, April 12.
Employees in the private sector with a dependent work relationship of indefinite or fixed duration, who worked from January 1 to April 30, are entitled to an Easter gift. This is half a month’s salary if paid on a salary and 15 days’ wages if paid on a daily basis.
The Easter Gift is expected to be paid to private sector workers by Holy Wednesday 12 April 2023. Of course, this does not mean that it cannot be deposited into bank accounts earlier than the employer.
Who will get an increased Easter Gift?
Workers who are paid the minimum wage and saw an increase from April 1st will receive an increased Easter Gift. It concerns 585,000 workers. Therefore, the gift will be calculated based on the new salary and will be proportional to the period from January 1 to April 30.
The Easter gift is calculated based on the regular wages paid on the 15th day before Easter, as long as they are equal to or higher than the legal ones.
The General Confederation of Greek Workers (GSEE) and the Confederation’s Workers & Unemployed Information Center (KEPEA/GSEE) through a series of answers to basic questions, informs private sector employees about the Easter gift.
Confirmation of the Easter Gift
As stated in a relevant announcement, the Easter Gift, as well as the Christmas Gift and the leave allowance, which were further guaranteed by the National General Labor Code of the year 20101 (article 1) for private law employees throughout the Greek territory, are included in the Code Individual Labor Law (articles 135-142, 213 PD 80/2022).
Provisions of laws, decrees, ministerial decisions, collective labor agreements, arbitration decisions, internal regulations and other relevant acts, which provide for more favorable conditions for the provision of Christmas and Easter holiday benefits, prevail.
The provisions of the institutional framework for holiday gifts are public, with the consequence that any express or implied agreement to the contrary is not allowed and is invalid, as well as the employee’s waiver of the claim for their payment.
Which employees are entitled to it?
According to the current legislation, all employees who are employed in the private sector with an open-ended or fixed-term dependent work relationship, full or part-time, for any employer, are entitled to an Easter gift.
How is the Easter Gift calculated?
For the calculation of the amount of the Gifts, the method of remuneration of the employees is taken into account, i.e. whether they are paid by a daily wage or by a salary. The time period for which the Easter Gift is calculated starts from January 1st until April 30th of each year.
Thus, employees whose employment relationship with the employer lasted without interruption throughout this time period (1/1-30/4), are entitled to the entire Gift, which is equal to half (1/2) of a monthly salary for wage earners and 15 day wages for day wage earners.
However, in the event that the employment relationship of an employee with his employer did not last the entire aforementioned period, he is entitled to receive a proportion of the gift, which is calculated as follows: in the case of a wage earner, an amount equal to 1/15 of half monthly salary or one day’s salary, while, for those paid by the day, for every eight calendar days of the duration of the employment relationship. If the employment relationship lasts less than eight days, he is entitled to a corresponding fraction for the Easter Gift.
The Easter Gift, under no circumstances, may be given in kind, but is paid only in money.
In particular, for the acceptance of the Easter Gift:
The Easter Gift is calculated, on the basis of the regular salaries actually paid on the 15th day before Easter (this year April 16, 2023), as long as they are equal to or higher than the legal ones.
In case the employment relationship has been terminated, before the above date, the Easter Gift is calculated, based on the wages paid on the day the employment relationship was terminated.
Regular remuneration is considered the salary or daily wage, as well as any other benefit (whether in money or in kind) paid by the employer as a contractual or legal consideration for the work provided regularly every month or repeated periodically at certain intervals of the year.
As of April 1, 2023, the legal minimum wage and the legal minimum daily wage for full-time employment for employees and artisans throughout the country will be increased to 780 euros and 34.84 euros, respectively (GA no. 31986 GOVERNMENT B΄ 2003/2023 ).
Therefore, the Easter Gift is calculated, based on these new minimum salary limits, as long as the employment relationship has not been terminated, until 1/4/2023.
Regular remuneration includes, inter alia, remuneration for regular legal overtime, overtime, Sunday, public holidays, night work, productivity bonuses, housing allowance, etc., when granted repeatedly at regular intervals and .etc..
Vacation allowance is also included in regular wages.
Therefore, the employee will receive the Easter Gift, increased by the leave factor, which amounts to 0.04166. The Easter Gift is subject to EFKA contributions and payroll tax.
Example: An employee with an Easter Gift of 900 euros, with the addition of the leave factor, should receive 938 euros.
Except in the case that the work was provided without interruption throughout the period from January 1 to April 30, this period also includes all the days that the employees are legally absent from their work (e.g. with annual leave, with maternity leave, with study leave).
In particular, with regard to the absence of employees due to illness, the “three days of sickness” are included in the calculation period of the Easter Gift, i.e. the time of absence, during which no sickness benefit is paid, while the periods paid by the insurance company are subtracted .
Example: If an employee was absent from work due to illness for 60 days and received sickness benefit from his insurance fund for 40 days, only the 40 days for which he was subsidized and not the 60.
When is the statute of limitations for accepting gifts
According to article 250 par. 17 of the civil code, the acceptance of gifts in the private sector is time-barred, after five years from the end of the year in which they were due, based on article 250 par. 17 of the civil code.
What should the employee do if the Gift is not paid?
In the event that the Easter Gift is not paid on time, the employees and/or the unions can and must appeal to the relevant Labor Inspectorate, in order to draw up a complaint.
The complaint is forwarded to the Public Prosecutor for individual prosecution against the employer, while, at the same time, it is also forwarded to the relevant police department for the initiation of the automatic procedure.
Employees and/or their unions have the right to file a complaint directly with the relevant police department and request the application of the automatic procedure.
It should be noted that the petition should include the details of the business and the address of the employer, if possible, since the autoforo process takes up to 48 hours.
In any case of non-payment of the Easter Gift within the set deadline, the Labor Inspectors have an obligation to intervene immediately, carrying out checks and to be fully prepared for the exercise of the self-imposed procedure and the imposition of the relevant sanctions.
Employees can make named or anonymous complaints to the single service line 1555 or to the online anonymous complaint submission service of the Labor Inspectorate or by sending a message, via e-mail, to the Inspection Department of their place of work.
GSEE informs that the Information Center for Workers and Unemployed of GSEE (KE.PEA./GSEE) (www.kepea.gr) is available to employees for submitting complaints or monitoring complaints to the Labor Inspectorate regarding the non-payment of the Easter Gift.
It is possible to submit a question or complaint: calculation of the Easter Gift with the online application of the KE.PEA./GSEE employment rotation:
Ways of communication
With the constant aim of timely and valid information, GSEE emphasizes that it will continue to be available to unions and workers throughout the territory for any issue of information, support and collective action:
- the Information Center for Employees and Unemployed of GSEE, KE.PEA./GSEE (www.kepea.gr) and
- the Network of Information & Counseling Services for Workers and Unemployed of the Labor Institute of GSEE (
At the same time, employees have the possibility, through the online application, created by K.E.P.E.A., to calculate the Easter Gift they are entitled to by themselves, at the following link:
Also, the K.E.P.E.A. of GSEE has created an application, making available to employees modern information tools, so that they know and claim their rights. In the app they will find online applications, coded (alphabetically) electronic library of work topics, as well as updates on current affairs.
For the most direct communication, special forms for submitting questions or complaints have been created.
If you have an Android Smartphone, you can download the app from the Play Store (while, if you have an iOS device from the App Store, by doing a simple search for “KEPEA GSEE” or at the following link
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**Interview with Ilias Koutouzis, Labor Expert at the General Confederation of Greek Workers (GSEE)**
**Editor**: Good morning, Ilias. Thank you for joining us today to discuss the upcoming Easter gift for private sector workers in Greece.
**Ilias Koutouzis**: Good morning! Thank you for having me.
**Editor**: The countdown for the Easter gift payment has begun, with the deadline set for April 12. What can you tell us about who is eligible for this benefit?
**Ilias Koutouzis**: Yes, indeed! All employees in the private sector with either an open-ended or fixed-term work relationship are entitled to the Easter gift. This includes both full-time and part-time workers who have been employed from January 1 to April 30 this year.
**Editor**: And how is the amount of the Easter gift determined?
**Ilias Koutouzis**: Great question! The Easter gift is calculated based on the employees’ salary or daily wage. For salaried workers, the amount is equivalent to half a month’s salary, while daily wage earners receive a gift equivalent to 15 days of wages. This calculation takes into account any increases in minimum wage announced on April 1.
**Editor**: So, if an employee’s salary was increased on April 1, they would receive an enhanced Easter gift, correct?
**Ilias Koutouzis**: Yes, that’s correct. Around 585,000 workers who are paid the minimum wage will see their Easter gift calculated based on this new salary. This means the gift will be proportional based on their employment duration from January 1 to April 30.
**Editor**: What should employees do if they do not receive their Easter gift by the deadline?
**Ilias Koutouzis**: If employees do not receive their gift on time, they can report the issue to the Labor Inspectorate. It’s crucial for workers to take action, as the Labor Inspectors are obligated to address such complaints promptly. They can even do this anonymously if they wish.
**Editor**: Lastly, is there anything specific that employees should keep in mind regarding the payment of this gift?
**Ilias Koutouzis**: Yes, employees should be aware that the Easter gift must be paid in cash and cannot be given in kind. Furthermore, workers should ensure they have all relevant employment documentation in case they need to lodge a complaint. Importantly, the statute of limitations for claiming this benefit is five years from the due date, so there’s no rush, but timely attention is essential.
**Editor**: Thank you, Ilias, for providing insightful information on the Easter gift for workers. It’s important for employees to understand their rights and benefits.
**Ilias Koutouzis**: Thank you for having me! It’s essential that workers are informed and empowered regarding their entitlements.