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Eurofound's EU PolicyWatch collates information on the responses of government and social partners to the COVID-19 crisis, the war in Ukraine, rising inflation, as well as gathering examples of company practices aimed at mitigating the social and economic impacts.

Factsheet for measure GR-2020-12/690 – Updated – measures in Greece

Organisation of work in the public sector

Έκτακτες ρυθμίσεις στην οργάνωση εργασίας στον δημόσιο τομέα (άρθρο 5 παρ. 6 της από 11.03.2020 ΠΝΠ (ΦΕΚ Α΄ 55) και 14.03.2020 ΠΝΠ (ΦΕΚ Α΄ 64), εγκύκλιοι ΔΙΔΑΔ/Φ.69/108/οικ.7874/2020 και ΔΙΔΑΔ/Φ.69/109/οικ.8000 του Υπουργείου Εσωτερικών)

Country Greece , applies nationwide
Time period Open ended, started on 19 March 2020
Context COVID-19
Type Legislations or other statutory regulations
Category Protection of workers, adaptation of workplace
– Changes of working hours or work arrangements
Author Penny Georgiadou (INE GSEE)
Measure added 16 April 2020 (updated 27 May 2021)

Background information

The government in the context of the emergency measures, with the art. 5 of 11 March 2020 Legislative Act (Government Gazette A' 55) as amended by art. 24 of the 14 March 2020 Legislative Act (Government Gazette A' 64) in conjunction with circulars of Ministry of Interior no 108/oik.7874/2020 and 109/οικ.8000 of the Ministry of Interior, introduced changes in the provision of public sector labour in order to address the consequences of the spread of COVID-19.

Content of measure

Civil servants, employees in the local government authorities and employees in all legal entities of public interest independently of the type of their employment relationship and in the event of an emergency situation, during the operation of a public service should be suspended or restricted, then the competent Minister (or the person in charge) has the authority to determine the number of employees who must be present at the service on a daily basis, with the option of shift work or with the appointment of exceptional security personnel. In this case, the necessary measures are taken in order to ensure, depending on the nature of the nature of the service, the possibility of remote provision of work using electronic means.

Updates

The following updates to this measure have been made after it came into effect.

10 May 2021

In the public sector, the Ministry of the Interior, throughout the pandemic and after its 1st Ministerial Decision of March 2020, has taken a number of decisions and issued Circulars, in which introduced the necessary measures and arrangements for the prevention, protection and limit the dispersion of COVID 19 and gave the necessary instructions for the organisation and operation of the public sector.

Measures taken throughout this period include:

  • Operation only with the necessary personnel
  • Mandatory protection of employees belonging to groups of increased risk by granting special leave of absence and providing teleworking where possible.
  • Mandatory teleworking at the maximum possible rates
  • Servicing the citizens only in urgent cases and obligatory after appointment.
  • Keeping a distance of one and a half (1,5) metres between persons
  • Extension of the electronic service of citizens where possible
  • Changes in working hours
  • Organize the working or procedural meetings of the collective bodies or other working groups either by teleconference, or by keeping the distance of one and a half (1.5) meters and with the participation of up to seven (7) persons. During the meetings, in which an interview is provided, it shall be carried out using electronic means without the physical presence of the interviewer.

The measures taken, depending each time on the epidemiological and scientific data, shall be updated or specified accordingly. For example, the last circular No 43, on 10 May 2021, contains instructions for the application of the mandatory measure of testing for COVID-19 to officials of the civil service, who provide work with a physical presence at the workplace.

Use of measure

The number of employees affected by the measure is not known.

Target groups

Workers Businesses Citizens
Employees in standard employment
Does not apply to businesses Does not apply to citizens

Actors and funding

Actors Funding
National government
No special funding required

Social partners

Social partners' role in designing the measure and form of involvement:

Trade unions Employers' organisations
Role No involvement No involvement
Form Not applicable Not applicable

Social partners' role in the implementation, monitoring and assessment phase:

  • No involvement
  • Main level of involvement: Unknown

Involvement

There is no involvement of social partners.

Views and reactions

The government has designed and implemented all the measures.

Sources

  • 19 March 2020: Circulars of Ministry of Interior no 108/7874/2020 (www.taxheaven.gr)
  • 20 March 2020: Circulars of Ministry of Interior no 109/οικ.8000 (www.taxheaven.gr)
  • 13 October 2020: Circular of Ministry of Interior no 19/οικ.18771 (Εγκύκλιος Υπ. Εσωτερικών Νο 19 στις 13 οκτωβρίου 2020 (www.ypes.gr)
  • 07 November 2020: Circular of Ministry of Interior no22/οικ.20764 (Εγκύκλιος Υπ. Εσωτερικών Νο 22 στις 7 Νοεμβρίου 2020 (www.ypes.gr)
  • 30 November 2020: Circular of Ministry of Interior no 24/οικ.22080 (Εγκύκλιος Υπ. Εσωτερικών Νο 24 στις 30 Νοεμβρίου 2020) (www.ypes.gr)
  • 11 January 2021: Circular of Ministry of Interior no 27/οικ.431 (Εγκύκλιος Υπ. Εσωτερικών Νο 27 στις 11 Ιανουαρίου 2021 (www.ypes.gr)
  • 01 March 2021: Circular of Ministry of Interior no 33/οικ.3713 (Εγκύκλιος Υπ. Εσωτερικών Νο 33 στις 1 Μαρτίου 2021) (www.ypes.gr)
  • 20 April 2021: Circular of Ministry of Interior no 40/οικ.6988 (Εγκύκλιος Υπ. Εσωτερικών Νο 40 στις 20 Απριλίου 2021) (www.ypes.gr)
  • 10 May 2021: Circular of Ministry of Interior no 43/οικ.8032 (Εγκύκλιος Υπ. Εσωτερικών Νο 43 στις 10 Μαιού 2021 (www.ypes.gr)

Citation

Eurofound (2020), Organisation of work in the public sector, measure GR-2020-12/690 (measures in Greece), EU PolicyWatch, Dublin, https://static.eurofound.europa.eu/covid19db/cases/GR-2020-12_690.html

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Disclaimer: This information has not been subject to the full Eurofound evaluation, editorial and publication process.