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EU PolicyWatch

Database of national-level policy measures

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-2020-36/1627 – measures in Greece

Replacing the house quarantine period with overtime work

Αναπληρωση της καραντινας με υπερωρίες

Country Greece , applies nationwide
Time period Temporary, 01 September 2020 – 31 December 2020
Context COVID-19
Type Legislations or other statutory regulations
Category Promoting the economic, labour market and social recovery into a green future
– Flexibilisation and security
Author Penny Georgiadou (INE GSEE)
Measure added 23 December 2020 (updated 11 January 2021)

Background information

On 15 September, a new law passed (No. 4722 (Part B, art. 15)), which includes temporary and urgent measures to limit the dispersion and deal with the consequences of the COVID 19 pandemic. The law provides, inter alia, for the replacement of the time of absence of a worker from his work, in cases where he has remained under house quarantine in order to avoid the spread of COVID 19. The new regulation is complementary to the measures taken in March 2020, concerning private sector employees and applies for the period after the first of September 2020.

Content of measure

The government's new measure, in line with the measures taken in March 2020, provides that employers, employing workers placed in preventive house quarantine for seven or fourteen days, in order to protect themselves and their colleagues from possible exposure to risk due to COVID-19 may request the worker to provide his work with the teleworking system.

If teleworking is not possible, the worker after the end of his forced absence must make up for half of the working days and hours of his quarantine. This replacement will take place over a period of four months, until 31 December 2020 and will include one hour of additional work after the end of his daily hours.

The replacement period shall not be considered overtime and the worker shall not be entitled to any increase in his remuneration. The employee's stay at home is covered in its entirety (salary and social security) by the employer.

Use of measure

There is no information. The programme is in progress.

Target groups

Workers Businesses Citizens
Applies to all workers Applies to all businesses Does not apply to citizens

Actors and funding

Actors Funding
National government
Company / Companies
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: N/A

Involvement

There was no involvment of social partners.

Views and reactions

There are no reactions by the social partners.

Sources

Citation

Eurofound (2020), Replacing the house quarantine period with overtime work, measure GR-2020-36/1627 (measures in Greece), EU PolicyWatch, Dublin, https://static.eurofound.europa.eu/covid19db/cases/GR-2020-36_1627.html

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