Employee dismissal in Greece: severance, notice and critical deadlines

Dismissal with or without notice

Termination by the employer of an indefinite-term contract may be regular, with notice, or immediate, without notice. In the first case the employment relationship ends when the notice period expires and statutory severance is reduced by half. In the second case termination takes effect immediately and full severance is due.

The notice period and severance amount mainly depend on service with the same employer and regular pay. Fixed-term contracts, probationary periods and specially protected categories of employees require a separate legal assessment.

Formal requirements and severance calculation

For a valid dismissal under an indefinite-term contract, the review includes written form, payment of statutory compensation and the employee's registration or insurance. Severance is generally paid at the time of immediate dismissal or when the notice period ends if valid advance notice was given.

The calculation is based on regular full-time pay in the final month and length of service. Allowances, stable benefits, working-time changes or instalment payments may affect the calculation, so payslips and the actual employment terms should be checked carefully.

• Dismissal document and date of service
• Employment contract, amendments and length-of-service records
• Payslips, regular benefits and proof of payment
• Digital employment filings and insurance records

Three and six months: deadlines that must not be missed

An employee's claims arising from an invalid dismissal must be brought within three months from termination of the employment relationship. This is a short extinguishing period, so legal assessment should begin immediately rather than after prolonged informal discussions.

A different six-month extinguishing period applies to a claim for statutory compensation owed on termination of an indefinite-term contract. It runs from the date on which the particular payment became due. Correctly identifying both the claim and its starting date is essential.

What an employee should do immediately

The employee should retain the dismissal document, contract, payslips, bank records, working-time records, correspondence and any evidence connected with the reason for termination. Particular attention is required if the dismissal followed a protected complaint, the exercise of a statutory right, leave, pregnancy or discriminatory conduct.

Signing receipt of a document or accepting a payment should not be assessed in isolation. Before signing any waiver or settlement, the validity of the dismissal, the exact calculation and the deadline applicable to each claim should be reviewed.