Everything you need to know about the Easter gift. Until when it is paid, who is entitled to it and how you can calculate it.
A few days left for its payment Easter gift to the employees of the private sector with the closing date being until Holy Wednesday May 1st
According to the current legislation, all employees who are paid a salary or a daily wage and work either full-time or part-time and have an employment contract either for a fixed or indefinite period, they are entitled to an Easter gift equal to half their monthly salary from their employers, for wage earners and 15 days’ wages for wage earners. In each case, the duration of the employment relationship matters, so that the final amount is calculated.
A condition for payment of the Easter 2024 allowance is the existence of employment (employment relationship) of the private sector employee within the period from 01-01-2024 to 04-30-2024. The basis for calculating the Gift is the regular wages paid on the 15th day before Easter. It is clarified that from April 1, 2024 for those paid with the Y.A. 25058/29.03.2024 (Government Gazette 1974/2024) a new statutory minimum wage and a new statutory minimum daily wage apply (calculated by their seniority, in accordance with circular no. 88073/2023 of the Ministry of Labor and Social Security).
For employees whose employment relationship was terminated before the above dayeither due to dismissal or due to voluntary departure, but within the period of calculation of the Gift, i.e. from 01-01-2024 to 04-30-2024, the earnings of the day of termination of the relationship are taken into account.
This means that a laid-off private sector worker who is paid a salary (daily or hourly) can calculate the Easter Gift 2024 that will be paid to him as follows:
- 1/15 of half the monthly salary for every 8 calendar days of the employment relationship, if it is a salaried employee.
- One day’s salary for every 8 calendar days of the duration of the employment relationship, if they are paid by the day.
And employees who worked for a period of less than 8 days and were subsequently dismissed, they are entitled to a corresponding fraction of the Easter gift.
The 2024 Easter Holiday Gift it may not be paid in kind, but only in money.
If the employers do not observe the specific period of time, within which they must settle their obligations, then they will also suffer the consequences of the lawas failure to pay the Gift constitutes a criminal offence.
For their part, workers and unions can make relevant complaintsnamed or anonymous, through the complaint hotline 1555 or online via https://www.hli.gov.gr/asfaleia-kai-ygeia/ergazomenoi-asfaleia-kai-ygeia/katangelia/katangelia-3/. If the employees or the unions appeal to the competent Labor Inspectorate based on the place of work, a relevant complaint report will be drawn up. The indictment report is forwarded to the Prosecutor for criminal prosecution against the employer or his legal representative, in the case of a legal entity (company, organization, etc.). At the same time, it is forwarded to the relevant police station for the initiation of the automatic procedure.
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Furthermore, the employees or their unions have the right to file a complaint directly with the competent police department and request the application of the automatic procedure. It should be pointed out that in the claim report, the details of the business and the residence of the employer should be stated, if possible accurately, in order to facilitate the initiation of the automatic procedure.
THE Labour Inspection will carry out during the holiday period checks on businesses throughout the country and will enforce the legal ones, in cases where a violation of the provisions of the labor legislation is found.
In any case of non-payment of the Easter Gift 2024 within the set deadline, as defined in the aforementioned provisions, the Labor Inspectors will intervene immediately, conducting inspections and labor disputes (art. 23b of Law 4144/2013) and will be fully prepared for the application of the written provisions, including the self-incrimination procedure, as provided by article 417 et seq. of the Code of Criminal Procedure.
For more information, please consult the website of the Labor Inspectorate at the following link: https://www.hli.gov.gr/ergasiakes-scheseis/nomothesia-ergasiakes-scheseis/amoivi/doro-pascha/dikaiouchoi-chronos-katavolis/ .
Also, on the website of the Workers’ and Unemployed Information Center of the GSSE (kepea.gr) you can find detailed information as well as the online application for calculating the Easter Gift 2024: https://www.kepea.gr/calc-doro-pasxa .php
