# Greek labor market trends and digital monitoring > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/greek-labor-market-trends-and-digital-monitoring > Updated: 2026-09-29T10:17:13.000Z. Sources: 44. Developments: 9. Data from Eurostat indicates that the expected duration of working life in Greece has increased by three years over the last decade, rising from 32.1 years in 2014 to 34.8 years in 2024. While this growth outpaces the European Union average, Greece’s projected working life of 35.3 years for 2025 remains below the EU average of 37.5 years. To address labor market dynamics, the Greek government is implementing a Digital Work Card system to track arrival, departure, and schedule changes. For the public sector, the Ministry of Interior has established a central monitoring system under Article 102 of Law 5331/2026. This framework requires electronic recording of entry and exit times, as well as daily schedule changes, for civil servants, municipal and community employees, and personnel under both public and private law. These records must interoperate with a central information system managed by the Ministry of Interior to ensure oversight. The system allows for the exceptional use of biometric technology to confirm physical presence and aims to eliminate “virtual” overtime, with unit heads held responsible for record accuracy. The rollout for the private sector is proceeding in phases. Following a pilot program that began on June 2, 2026, the first mandatory phase commences on October 12, 2026, covering approximately 500,000 employees in sectors including human health activities (excluding doctors), telecommunications, and service industries like hair salons and cleaning. A second phase, scheduled for November 16, 2026, will include consultancy, advertising, logistics, and waste management. This expansion is expected to bring the total number of covered private-sector employees to roughly 2.5 million. Labor Minister Niki Kerameus stated the tool ensures workers are compensated for actual hours worked and helps combat undeclared labor. ## Claims - The Digital Work Card expansion covers approximately 500,000 additional workers. (corroborated by 3 sources) - Total workers protected by the measure are estimated to reach 2,500,000 after the expansion. (corroborated by 3 sources) - The use of the Digital Work Card has led to increases in declared overtime of up to 1200% in specific sectors. (corroborated by 3 sources) - In 2025, 2.7 million more overtime hours were declared compared to 2024. (corroborated by 3 sources) - The first phase of the expansion includes human health activities, telecommunications, and certain service sectors. (corroborated by 3 sources) - The second phase of the expansion began a pilot implementation on June 29, 2026. (corroborated by 3 sources) - Nikos Milapidis issued a clarifying circular regarding the implementation of the Digital Work Card in new sectors. (corroborated by 3 sources) - The expansion of the Digital Work Card covers approximately 500,000 additional workers. (corroborated by 3 sources) - The total number of workers protected by the measure is estimated to reach approximately 2,500,000 following the expansion. (corroborated by 3 sources) - Full implementation for the first phase of the expansion, covering health activities, telecommunications, and certain service sectors, begins on October 12. (corroborated by 3 sources) - The Digital Instruction Book for occupational physicians and safety technicians is transitioning to a fully digital format. (corroborated by 3 sources) - The digitalization was mandated by labor law 5239/2025. (corroborated by 3 sources) ## Timeline ### 2026-09-29: Greece imposes 34.6 million euros in labor law fines Greek authorities issued 34.6 million euros in labor law fines between January and August 2026, with nearly 10 million euros specifically related to digital work card violations. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/greece-imposes-346-million-euros-in-labor-law-fines ### 2026-09-28: Greece implements digital work cards for public sector employees Greece is implementing a mandatory digital work card system for public sector employees to automatically track working hours, schedule changes, and overtime compensation via the Ministry of Interior. 4 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/greece-implements-digital-work-cards-for-public-sector-employees-1 ### 2026-09-26: Greece expands Digital Work Card to new sectors and public sector Greece is expanding its Digital Work Card system to include new private sector industries and the public sector to ensure accurate recording of working hours and overtime compensation. 7 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/greece-expands-digital-work-card-to-new-sectors-1 ### 2026-09-26: Greece digitizes occupational health and safety instruction books Greece is digitizing the Instruction Book for occupational physicians and safety technicians to enhance workplace health and safety monitoring and transparency via the Labor Inspection Information System. 3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/greece-digitizes-occupational-health-and-safety-instruction-books ### 2026-09-23: Greece expands Digital Work Card to 500,000 more employees Greece is expanding its Digital Work Card program to 500,000 more workers across sectors like health, telecoms, and logistics to combat undeclared labor and ensure accurate overtime pay. 14 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/greece-expands-digital-work-card-to-500000-additional-workers-1 ### 2026-09-21: Greece implements digital work card for public and private sectors Greece is expanding its digital work card system to track working hours for millions of public and private sector employees, aiming to modernize administration and ensure accurate overtime payments. 6 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/greece-implements-digital-work-card-for-public-and-private-sectors ### 2026-09-19: Greece introduces digital work cards for public sector employees Greece is introducing a digital work card for the public sector to track working hours, reduce bureaucracy, and prevent misuse through a centralized Human Resources Management System. 14 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/greece-implements-digital-work-cards-for-public-sector-employees ### 2026-09-16: Greece expands Digital Work Card to new sectors Greece is expanding its Digital Work Card system on October 12, 2026, to include new sectors like healthcare and logistics, though workers raise concerns over potential overtime evasion. 3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/greece-expands-digital-work-card-to-new-sectors ### 2026-09-04: Greece working life duration increases by three years over last decade Greece's expected working life has increased by three years over the last decade, reaching a projected 35.3 years in 2025, according to Eurostat data. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/greece-working-life-duration-increases-by-three-years-over-last-decade --- Cite as: Greek labor market trends and digital monitoring. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/greek-labor-market-trends-and-digital-monitoring