From March 1, 2025 begins its full application Work cardf in tourism and focusafter the pilot phase, which preceded the previous semester, in order to give adequate time for businesses to adapt to the new data.

The digital work card is already applied to banks, large supermarkets, insurance companies, security companies, DEKO, industry and retailing, and with its new expansion into tourism and catering, they are now integrated to approximately. 1.500,000 workers Overall in the private sector.

With the implementation of this measure, the Ministry of Labor and Social Security seeks to fully record the actual working hours, full earnings for every time of work, to deal with illegal changes and overruns of working time, contribute to the fight against undeclared and indicated work, as well as levy evasion and facilitating work inspections.

Overtime increase

According to the latest available data from the Ministry of Labor, the measure is considered effective, as the data of the “ERGANI” information system reflects a significant increase in recorded overtime in the sectors of the digital work card.

Indicatively, overtime in its application sectors increased cumulatively by 815,509 compared to the years before the measure was implemented.

Specifically, recorded overtime increased:

– In the supermarket by 60% (216,731 hours in 2024 versus 135,466 hours in 2021),

– in banks by 38.3% (82,236 hours in 2024 versus 59,470 hours in 2021),

– In Security Companies by 27.8% (454,547 hours in 2024 versus 355,584 hours in 2022),

– in the industry by 34.3% (2,019,082 hours in 2024 versus 1,503,813 hours in 2023) and

– 28.1% in retail (474.999 hours in 2024 versus 370.883 hours in 2023).

In this context, as announced by the Minister of Labor and Social Security, Niki Kerameos, in its public placements, it is considering further reduction of non -wage costs in favor of employees and businesses.

Based on the Legislative Initiative, which is being processed by the Ministry of Labor, the possibility of reducing insurance contributions for overtime, overtime, nights and holidays, especially after the steady rise of recorded overtime in the sectors already included in the digital Work card.