Employer of Record Greece
Greece Business Culture
Employer of Record Greece
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Business Culture in Greece
Anybody considering visiting or relocating to Greece should familiarise themselves with the cultural norms.
Democracy, theatre, philosophy, and pioneers like Hippocrates, Herodotus, and Alexander the Great all have their roots in Greece, which is widely regarded as the cradle of western civilization.
When Greece first joined the European Community (EC) in 1981, it was the sixth member (now the European Union or EU). In 2001, it joined the European Union as the union’s 12th and final member.
Greece is a developed nation with a service-based economy (80%) and an industrial economy (16%). In 2017, the agriculture sector was projected to have contributed 4% of the country’s overall economic output.
Here is a flavour of the rules and standards of conduct that newcomers to Greece should be aware of:
Get to know people who know people. There’s a great emphasis on personal relationships in Greece, with most folks preferring to do business with people they know and trust. Make an effort to cultivate strong personal relationships, and don’t be too surprised to find a degree of nepotism within Greek businesses.
Respect experience. A long culture of democracy and the free exchange of ideas means you can be free to share your thoughts. But don’t let that freedom edge into rudeness. A lot of importance is placed on experience, and although people are free to share opinions, they should do so respectfully, especially with senior colleagues.
Bring gifts. Exchanging gifts is not a standard part of Greek business relationships, and may be misconstrued as an attempt at bribery.
Greece Business Culture
When it comes to Greece business culture, there are a few things to keep in mind to make a good impression:
Do's
- Be punctual for meetings and appointments.
- Dress conservatively for business occasions.
- Show respect for the hierarchy in the company.
- Use formal titles when addressing people.
- Use gestures and facial expressions to emphasize your point in conversation.
Dont's
- Don't be too direct or confrontational in communication.
- Avoid making negative comments about Greece or Greek culture.
- Don't be too informal or casual in the beginning of a business relationship.
- Don't discuss sensitive topics like politics, religion, or personal finances.
- Don't be stingy when it comes to offering hospitality, such as coffee or drinks during a meeting.
getting started
Greece - Working Hours and Overtime
Working Hours
The standard working week 8 hours per day, or 40 hours per week, are considered standard working hours. It is customary to work from Monday through Friday.
Overtime
Overtime is any work performed outside of the normal weekly work schedule and is subject to contractual or collective labour rules. The maximum number of hours an employee may work in a week, including overtime, and throughout a four-month period is 48 hours per week.
Overtime compensation is not a requirement for contracts that pay more than the minimum wage, but unpaid overtime cannot cause a wage to fall below the minimum for the actual hours worked.
Overtime is compensated at 120% for the first hour per day, 140% for following hours, and 125% for overnight work.
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We are Greece Employer of Record experts
We have extensive experience helping businesses expand their workforce in the Greece. Take a look at our areas of expertise below:
Find out how payroll works in Greece and what you can expect when it comes to salaries, bonuses and tax
Enhance your understanding of what your employee is entitled to when working in Greece
Learn more about how you can attract and retain staff in Greece with both statutory and enhanced employee benefits
Unsure about what’s required when employing staff in Greece? Find out about Greece Work Permits and Visas here
We deliver a fully-managed EOR Service in Greece, including Payroll, HR and legal support.
Without Agility EOR, our ability to move quickly and scale would be extremely limited. Superb work from A to Z.
Carol Oliveira
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Frequently Asked Questions
Payrolling the employees is a key part of the service offered by an employer of record company. The EOR will calculate and remit all taxes, social securities and similar payments, on behalf of both employer and employee. The client will be invoiced in advance by the EOR company, for the total cost of the payroll.
Yes. Our clients are free to dictate the structure of the employees’ remuneration including any bonuses or commissions they wish to offer. In some countries, there is a statutory requirement to provide “bonuses”, for example in the form of Christmas or holiday allowances.
Yes. Agility EOR will calculate what pay is due upon termination of an employee, factoring in such things as any untaken leave entitlements.
We find that most of our clients are in the Tech, IT, Finance and Professional Services industries. However, we have acquired the skills, knowledge and experience to help all industries across the globe.
As a private company, we’re not beholden to shareholders or asset-shredding Private Equity targets. We aim to build long-term relationships with our clients. At Agility EOR, our approach is that we never forget that our business is all about people. Our Employer of Record solutions are tailored to each requirement, not a one-size-fits-all tech platform. We do the right thing by our clients and by the laws of each country we operate in. And we believe in openness; if we don’t feel we can offer you the best solution for a specific territory, we’ll say so.
We pride ourselves on our personable-approach so once you enter your new employees details into our dedicated platform, we’ll arrange a call with you to go through the details of the employment contract where together we can review and amend to your requirements. We liaise directly with your employee to build a rapport and obtain the necessary information to hire them compliantly, and set them up ready for their first payroll.
We never stop delivering! Even if you’re employee has been onboarded and is happily working for you and being paid each month, we’re here to partner with you whenever you or your employees need us. Even your ex-employees may need our assistance for tax documents, proof of employment requests etc… Our service never stops!