Greece establishes new paid leave for single parent public employees

Under Law 5270/2026, new paid leave provisions have been established for Greek public sector employees who have sole custody of minor children. The regulation applies to employees under the Civil Service Code as well as those working for local government organizations (OTAs) and Public Law Entities.

Single parents are entitled to six working days of paid leave per calendar year. For those with sole custody of three or more minor children, this entitlement increases to eight working days. The leave is additional to any other leave granted under existing legislation.

To qualify, employees must provide official documentation proving sole custody, such as a court decision or a formal agreement between parents. The definition of a single parent includes widowed parents, parents with sole custody, and cases where the child has not been recognized by the other parent. The leave must be used within the calendar year (January 1 to December 31) and cannot be carried over to the following year.