Digital Work Card: Implementation rates in banks and supermarkets

One week after the launch of the Digital Work Card in banks and supermarkets with more than 250 employees, the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs announces the results of its use by businesses and employees in these sectors.

According to data obtained from the ERGANI Information System, today, Thursday, July 7, at 12 noon:

• The percentage of employees in the two sectors who used the Digital Work Card from Friday, July 1, to date stands at 79.91%. Out of a total of 120,344 employees (117,017, if we exclude 3,327 executives in positions of responsibility) in these companies, 93,440 used the card in the previous 7 days.

• In the supermarket sector, the percentage stands at 80.41%, while in individual chains it rises to 98%. In the vast majority of businesses, the rate exceeds 80%. However, there are three businesses with a single-digit or even zero implementation rate. The ministry calls on these businesses to comply immediately.

• In banks, the average is 78.3%, with rates reaching up to 100%. Similarly, the majority have complied, but there are also a few cases of small banks with zero rates. In the four systemic banks, the implementation rate ranges from 74% to 85%.

As stated by the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs in its announcement, the rates are satisfactory, considering that only employees with physical presence are currently included in the Digital Card, while a significant number of banks continue to implement teleworking (in June, the percentage of teleworking employees in banks was over 10%). In addition, many employees are absent in July due to summer vacations.

However, according to the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, it is taken for granted that the rate of use of the Digital Work Card will increase further in the coming days, as companies and employees become familiar with the new system, while the period during which no penalties will be imposed for not activating it is coming to an end. «In any case, the high rates of implementation of the Digital Work Card by a number of companies, some of which are among the largest in the country, prove that the organisational preparation of the measure by the State has been carried out in a satisfactory manner. Therefore, companies in the two sectors of the first phase that have not yet implemented the Digital Card can and should do so as soon as possible,» the ministry notes.

He adds: «In light of the complaints that have been made public regarding cases of working hours being circumvented by bypassing the Digital Work Card, it should be noted that the Card is the most effective tool for preventing, control, and address precisely these phenomena. Facilitating inspections and conducting them in a transparent and objective manner is one of the reasons why the Digital Work Card was introduced and will be expanded, which:

• ensures immediate, real-time updating of the ERGANI system regarding the start and end of work,

• allows inspectors to know, before visiting a workplace, how many and which employees should be there,

• provides employees with important evidence for claiming outstanding payments, especially given that the relevant records in the ERGANI system are kept for a decade.

The Minister of Labor and Social Affairs, Kostis Hatzidakis, stated: «The Digital Work Card is a measure in favor of workers, a long-standing demand of the GSEE, which is being implemented by the current government. With its implementation and gradual expansion to all businesses, undeclared and unregistered work is more easily identified, while employees gain a powerful “weapon” to defend their rights. I have emphasized and I repeat that inspections by the Labor Inspectorate, both in the sectors where the Digital Work Card has been implemented and in the market as a whole, are continuing and will be intensified, especially in sectors where non-compliance is high. It is a matter of fairness for employees and fair competition for businesses to ensure that working hours and overtime are respected.

At banks and supermarkets, inspections will focus on the proper use of Digital Work Cards to record actual working hours, but also on the possibility of presenting ordinary employees as executives in order to circumvent working hour restrictions.

It should be noted that the two-month adjustment period for the measure relates exclusively to the activation of the Digital Card mechanism. Any other violation of labor law, such as undeclared or under-declared work, will be punished in accordance with the law.

The Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs reminds that, according to Law 4808/2021 on Labor Protection (Article 74, paragraph 4): «the Digital Work Card is used by the Labor Inspectorate to check that companies are complying with working hours. If, during an on-site inspection of a business, it is found that the employee's Digital Card is not activated, the employer will be fined €10,500 per employee who does not have an activated Digital Card. If, during three inspections within a period of 12 months, a violation of this provision is found, the business will be temporarily suspended for a period of 15 days.

Finally, the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs makes it clear in every direction that companies of all sizes and sectors that are part of the Digital Work Card scheme will be checked for proper implementation and, if violations are found, they will be subject to the penalties provided for by law. It also encourages employees and trade unions who notice any circumvention of the measure to file complaints with the Labor Inspectorate, either by name or anonymously, which will be investigated immediately.