ΟΟΕ: Letter to the bank administrations for the Digital Work Card

The Federation of Bank Employees’ Organizations of Greece (ΟΟΕ) sent a letter to the managements of the banks, drawing their attention to the need to correctly record working hours and any excesses thereof, as well as to the need for bilateral monitoring and dealing with the observed problems, based on information from associations- its members on the observed problems from the implementation of the digital job card in the sector.

As he points out, in implementation of Law 4808/2021 and 49758/2022 Y.A. for the digital work card, from 1/7/2022, all banks are obliged and have already started to implement an electronic work time measurement system, connected in real time to the “ERGANI II” Information System.

According to OTOE, especially in banks, the digital work card must be a means of ensuring the contractual hours of all bank employees, with a correct recording of the actual working time and immediate payment of the legally prescribed remuneration in any case of exceeding the contractual hours (overtime, overtime, etc).

It also emphasizes that it is already receiving reports from its member associations for:

– problems of correct recording of the actual working time of physically present employees (declaration of entry, after the actual start of work and/or declaration of exit before its actual completion or even its continuation with undeclared telework).

– problems of correct application of the criteria for the characterization of managers during the inventory process in each bank, resulting in an abusively unusually high number of “managers”, who are considered “free time”.

– problems from the exclusion of telecommuting from the digital work card application. For this exception, as the Federation notes, there is a serious delay on the part of the State in joining the digital work card, in order to ensure the correct recording and observance of the contractual hours, as well as the full exercise of the employee’s right to disconnect, which in the specific sector, based on the relevant SSE, the employer must fully ensure.

“Given that the main responsibility for recording and observing the schedule remains with the employer and because the above problems or any others that arise along the way must be monitored systematically and together with the collective representation in each area, we consider it imperative that there be full information and the participation of a representative of the most representative Association in the procedures for applying the digital work card and for there to be a bilateral monitoring mechanism for telework applications, in order to avoid de facto problems of extending the actual working time and the inability to balance between family and work life” underlines OTOE.

At the same time, the Federation notes that, for its part, it monitors and will closely monitor, together with its member associations, the applications of the digital job card in the industry, it will do everything necessary, in order for the Digital Card to be a useful tool for employees and considers that the State has an obligation to support the correct application of the law, so that the working hours of the employees are guaranteed and any excesses of the contractual hours are recorded and thus paid.

At the same time, OTOE states that both it and its member associations are closely monitoring the implementation of the digital work card and calls on every employee in the sector to report to his Association any possible violation or distortion of the legally prescribed time keeping and for the recording and remuneration of the actual working time.

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