The deadline for employers who have not paid the Easter Gift to private sector workers ends today, Holy Wednesday, April 12. Employees who will not be paid the Easter Gift by today should know that this constitutes a criminal offense for the employer.

The period over which the Easter Gift is calculated is from January 1 to April 30, and is calculated based on the new minimum wage.

  • The amount of the allowance is a little more than 50% of April’s salary.

If they have worked less than 4 months, they will get the proportion of the time they worked.

  • Those who are paid by the day should receive as Easter Gift 15 days’ wages, or if they worked less, they are entitled to 1 day’s wages for every 8 calendar days.

It is noted that there is the possibility of online calculation of the Gift, by filling in the corresponding fields in the app application or through the website at the following link: http://kepea.gr/calc-doro-pasxa.php

  • In case 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 report.
  • The indictment is forwarded to the Prosecutor for individual prosecution against the employer, while, at the same time, it is also forwarded to the relevant police station 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.

Free if not paid on time

Outright for those who do not pay it on time, he requests an urgent circular to Regional Directorates of Social Inspection its special secretary APR, Michalis Chalaris.

In the circular, the special secretary of SEPE points out that the payment of the Easter Gift, within a certain period of time, i.e. until Holy Wednesday at the latest, “derives from the current legislation and in no case it is not at the discretion of each employer. The reaction of the state must be strict, immediate and decisive, so that there is no scope for violating the existing legislation”.

Based on the above-mentioned provision, any employer or director or authorized representative or representative of any business, operation or work, who does not pay the Easter Gift wages due to the employees in due time, is punished following a complaint by the interested parties or the bodies of the Ministry of Labor (Labor Inspection Body) or the relevant Police Authority or the relevant professional organization of the employees, with imprisonment of up to six months and a fine, the amount of which cannot be set below 25% nor above 50% of the overdue amount.

  • The adjudication of the above cases is carried out by the autoforos procedure, as provided for by articles 417 et seq. of the CPC.
  • The special secretary calls “all of them Labor Inspectors to respond once again “with conscientiousness and integrity to their work and to contribute with their strengths and knowledge to compliance with labor legislation”.