Labor Violations Persist in Greece Despite Digital Work Card

Labor law violations in Greece remain stubbornly high despite the expansion of the digital work card system, a reform designed to curb undeclared employment and abuse of working hours.

Working-time violations and undeclared labor continue to dominate inspection findings, even as the digital card now covers more than two million employees and is approaching nationwide implementation. While labor market data collected by the Labor Inspectorate points to some improvement, levels of non-compliance remain significant.

Inspections have intensified in the opening months of the year, with the Independent Labor Inspection Authority planning more than 72,000 checks in 2026. Recent figures illustrate the slow pace of progress: the violation rate stood at 29.1% in 2023, edged up to 29.98% in 2024, and fell to 26.97% in 2025. Early data for 2026 suggest the trend is stabilising rather than improving further, with the rate reaching 27.15% during the first two months of the year.