Greece switches on pay transparency rules from 1 November

From today, Sunday 1 November 2026, Greek employers must be open about pay. Jobseekers must be told the starting pay or range before interview, employers can no longer ask what a candidate earned before, and workers can ask how their pay compares with colleagues doing the same job.

The rules come from Law 5316/2026, passed by the Hellenic Parliament on 2 July 2026 and published on 6 July. It writes the EU’s Pay Transparency Directive into Greek law, after the EU’s 7 June 2026 deadline, which Greece missed. The Labour Ministry issued guidance on 7 October, and the Greek Ombudsman will oversee the new system.

Every employer is covered. Each needs a written pay structure based on gender-neutral criteria — skills, effort, responsibility and working conditions — so equal work, or work of equal value, gets equal pay. Job adverts and titles must be gender-neutral, and the pay or range can be in the advert or sent ahead of the meeting. Staff can ask for their own pay level and the average pay of men and women doing the same or equal-value work, and must get an answer within two months.

Employers with at least 100 staff must also report their gender pay gap. Those with 250 or more report yearly, first due 7 June 2027; 150 to 249 report every three years, also from 7 June 2027; and 100 to 149 report every three years from 7 June 2031. An unexplained gap of at least 5% in any category, uncorrected within six months, triggers a joint pay assessment. Greece’s unadjusted gender pay gap was 13.4% in 2024, against an EU average of 11.1%.

Why it matters

Jobseekers will know the pay before an interview, and an old salary can no longer follow a worker into a new job. Workers gain facts to challenge unfair pay, and employers must show in writing that pay rests on fair, gender-neutral reasons.

What happens next

The duties apply from today, and the first pay-gap reports are due on 7 June 2027. The Labour Inspectorate, working with the Ombudsman, can order an employer to end a breach. Workers who suffer pay discrimination can claim full compensation with no upper limit, and the burden of proof shifts to employers that have not met their transparency duties.

This article is for general information and education only. It is not legal or financial advice.

Sources

• https://lawzana.com/article/employment-law/greece-pay-transparency-law-53162026-duties-apply-from-1-nov-424 (Lawzana, 27 October 2026)
• https://www.teamed.global/eu-pay-transparency/greece (Teamed, last checked 26 October 2026)