Greece has entered a new phase in labor market digitization with the pilot launch of Ergani II, an upgraded digital platform designed to streamline employment procedures for businesses and offer greater transparency for workers. Introduced last week, the new system is expected to eliminate several bureaucratic hurdles and support the implementation of modern employment models.
Ergani II replaces the original Ergani system, which was not equipped to handle emerging forms of employment, including on-demand work contracts. Under this new model, employers have the flexibility to call in workers as needed, while employees are contractually obligated to accept these work assignments. These types of contracts do not involve fixed schedules. Instead, employers must declare in advance the total number of agreed monthly hours, the specific days and time frames when work might be requested, the guaranteed minimum number of paid hours (which must be at least one-quarter of the total), and the corresponding wages. They are also required to give employees at least 24 hours' notice before assigning work, except in objectively justified urgent cases, and must indicate the time frame within which such assignments can be canceled.
The platform also supports other employment formats introduced under the new labor law, including a six-month trial employment period, during which an employee can work on a provisional basis. These trial periods must now be included in official employment contracts and registered on the platform. Another major change facilitated by Ergani II is the introduction of parallel employment, where a worker can legally hold a full-time job and take on up to five additional working hours per day with another employer. In all cases, the system will monitor compliance with labor protections, such as ensuring at least eleven hours of daily rest and a maximum of six working days per week.
One of Ergani II’s most significant innovations is its ability to reduce administrative burden for businesses. It eliminates the need for several mandatory paper forms, such as the annual personnel report (E4) and the part-time employment declaration (E9). In their place, the new platform offers a unified digital framework for recording and monitoring all types of employment relationships and their changes. It also enables full digital submission and modification of labor declarations, allowing businesses and accounting firms to handle processes without physical presence and even retroactively in certain cases.
Beyond simplifying administration, Ergani II empowers workers by offering real-time access to information about their wages, working hours, and any updates to their schedules. At the same time, it strengthens the role of the Ministry of Labor by providing a clearer, up-to-date picture of the national labor market, including salary levels, insurance contributions, and employment trends across sectors.
