The draft bill of the Ministry of Labor and Social Security on equal pay for men and women for equal work.

The aim of the bill, titled “Strengthening the Implementation of Equal Pay for Men and Women for Similar Work or Work of Equal Value – Transposition of Directive (EU) 2023/970”, is to eliminate situations where gender influences the determination of an employee’s pay for performing equal or similar work.

The Minister of Labor and Social Security Niki Kerameos stated in this regard: “With this bill, we are taking another step toward substantive gender equality. Workers’ pay must be determined solely by their work and their value. Gender cannot influence salary. The bill establishes specific obligations and rights both before and after hiring while creating a work environment with a more secure framework, greater transparency, and increased accountability. We are putting equal opportunities for all into practice and strengthening the labor market.”

The new bill introduces, for the first time, a comprehensive transparency framework for compensation along two axes: before hiring and during the employment relationship.

Before hiring:

• The employer must disclose the salary or salary range for the position being offered

• The company may not ask about the salary the candidate received in a previous job

• Job postings must be gender-neutral.

During the employment relationship, companies will be required to submit data on:

• the pay gap in wages and additional benefits

• the pay gap by employee category

During the employment relationship, employees will be able to ask:

• their pay grade

• the average pay for men and women for the same or equivalent work

An internal wage gap audit in companies is also being established. Companies will be required to submit data on the gender pay gap, the pay gap in bonuses, the median pay gap, and the pay gap by employee category. This requirement will apply annually for companies with 250 or more employees and every three years for companies with 100 or more employees.

If a pay disparity is identified without an objective explanation (e.g., greater experience, higher qualifications), the company is required to correct it.

The new framework is also linked to efforts to strengthen collective bargaining agreements. It stipulates that when a collective bargaining agreement is in effect, it is presumed, in principle, that there is no unjustified wage discrimination and that collective bargaining agreements may be used as a basis for establishing wage structures within companies.

If an employee believes there is discrimination, they are entitled to request wage data, seek legal recourse, and be represented by a labor union or an equality body.

It is worth noting that before the bill was submitted for consultation, the minister incorporated 65 proposals submitted by the National Social Partners, representatives of employees and employers. During the public consultation phase, 28 additional proposals were incorporated from organizations, social partners, and citizens, which concern, among other things, clarifications on how information is provided to prospective employees and employees’ access to information, as well as issues related to employees’ financial claims, including late-payment interest and statute of limitations rules.

At the same time, the bill includes, among other things, provisions that provide for:

Recognition of apprenticeship time at EPAS as practical training or prior work experience for the acquisition, upgrade, or extension of professional licenses and certifications.

Classification of specific categories of National Health System (ESY) and National Ambulance Service (EKAV) employees as engaged in arduous and hazardous work (nurses, nursing assistants, ambulance drivers, and ambulance attendants/rescue workers)—with the option to retire at age 62 with at least 15 years of insurance coverage, of which 12 years must be in these specific specialties, while the option to recognize and buy back prior years of employment to meet the required insurance conditions is also provided. The retirement requirements are equivalent to those applicable to corresponding specialties under the former IKA-ETAM.

Option for remote participation in the labor dispute resolution process at the Labor Inspectorate.

Establishment of a Digital Registry of Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs) so that organizations can submit collective agreements electronically, with the aim of making it easier for citizens to access the content of the CBA and monitor employee coverage under the CBA.

The draft law has been posted at the following web address: https://www.hellenicparliament.gr/Nomothetiko-Ergo/Anazitisi-Nomothetikou-Ergou?law_id=69819152-96bb-4486-a636-b47201885eb8.

Questions and Answers

Below are 11+1 Questions and Answers regarding the new draft law from the Ministry of Labor and Social Security aimed at promoting equal pay between men and women for work of equal work or work of equal value.

1. What is the essence of the pay equity bill?

In a nutshell, pay should be determined by your work and your value, not by your gender. Gender should play no role in determining pay.

2. Is there currently a pay gap between men and women?

Yes, despite improvements in recent years, the gender pay gap still exists in Greece (according to the latest data, women’s average hourly earnings are 13.4% lower than men’s) and in Europe (11.1% lower than men’s). The new bill is based on the premise that equal pay is not enough to be merely a theoretical concept; mechanisms for transparency, oversight, and effective implementation in the labor market are also necessary.

3. I am a working woman. What will actually change in my daily life?

For the first time, a more structured framework is being established so that you can determine whether you are being paid fairly and more easily assert your rights. Until now, the principle of equal pay existed in law, but in practice, many women found it difficult to prove that discrimination existed or even to get a clear picture of how comparable positions within the same company were compensated. The new bill increases pay transparency, requires companies to have clearer pay structures, grants the right to access more information, and strengthens protections in cases of suspected discrimination. The goal is to ensure that pay is based not on gender but on the actual value of the work.

4. How can I tell if I’m being paid less than a colleague who does the same work as me?

The most important thing is that you now have the right to information. You’ll be able to request data not only on your individual pay, but also on the average salary of men and women performing the same or equivalent work at the company. This fundamentally changes the situation, because employees are often unaware of any pay disparities. Until now, salaries have often functioned as a “closed information system.” Now there is greater transparency, making it easier to identify unjustified discrepancies and inequalities in treatment.

5. Does this mean that all men and women must be paid the same? Is there no meritocracy?

Of course there is meritocracy. What both the bill and the European Directive on which it is based aim to achieve is to ensure that there are no unjustified pay disparities based on gender or other forms of discrimination—that is, a man and a woman in the same job position with the same qualifications and responsibilities should not be paid differently. If there is an objective reason for a pay disparity (e.g., if one person has significantly more experience than the other or holds more degrees), then the issue of equal pay does not arise.

6. What’s changing in the hiring process?

Until now, many candidates went into interviews without even a rough idea of the salary for the position they were applying for. In addition, candidates were often asked about their previous salaries, which could perpetuate existing inequalities. Under the new framework, employers are required to disclose the salary range or pay for the position before the interview; they cannot ask, “How much did you earn at your previous job?” and the hiring process as a whole must be gender-neutral. This means clearer rules from the start and a reduction in the perpetuation of pay inequalities when you change jobs.

7. Who monitors whether a company applies equal pay for equal work?

The Ombudsman plays a central role. The new draft law strengthens the ability to monitor and intervene when there are indications of unjustified pay disparities. In addition, larger companies are required to monitor and report data on the gender pay gap at specific intervals, depending on the number of employees they have. If a significant disparity in pay for equal work is identified without an objective explanation, corrective measures must be taken. Thus, the system is not based solely on an individual employee’s complaint, but it also establishes an obligation for transparency and internal oversight within companies.

8. If I believe I am being discriminated against, what can I do?

You can request information, file a complaint with the Labor Inspectorate, take legal action, and seek support from the Ombudsman or a labor union. The protective provision remains in effect: if there are indications of discrimination, the burden of proof shifts to the employer. In other words, the employee does not have to prove the entire case on their own from start to finish.

9. How are businesses protected from abusive or repeated requests for wage information?

The draft law explicitly provides that an employer may refuse to provide information when the request is disproportionate or abusive due to its repetitive nature. In such cases, the employee retains the right to request the information through the Ombudsman, who will assess the validity of the request. At the same time, employees and employee representatives are subject to an obligation of confidentiality and discretion regarding the salary data they receive, and in the event of a breach of these obligations, the company may seek compensation for the damages it has suffered.

10. What are the possible penalties if discrimination is proven?

If it is proven that there was unjustified wage discrimination, the employee may receive full compensation, back pay, or any bonuses they lost. At the same time, the Labor Inspectorate reserves the right to impose sanctions and fines.

11. If a company has a collective bargaining agreement, what changes?

The new framework places greater emphasis on collective bargaining agreements. It provides that when a collective bargaining agreement is in effect, it is presumed, in principle, that there is no unjustified wage discrimination and that collective bargaining agreements may be used as a basis for establishing wage structures within companies. At the same time, the company is required to adjust job categories so that the value of work within the organization is accurately reflected, and the Labor Inspectorate fully retains its authority, while employees remain protected. Thus, protection is not reduced, but rather an incentive is created for more organized collective agreements.

12. What is changing for nurses, nursing assistants, ambulance drivers, and paramedics in the National Health System (ESY) and the National Ambulance Service (EKAV)?

There has been a distortion for decades: nurses, nursing assistants, ambulance drivers, and paramedics employed in the private sector were classified as working in arduous and unhealthy occupations, while some of their colleagues in the public sector were not. The new draft law includes nurses, nursing assistants, ambulance drivers, and paramedics in the National Health System (ESY) and the National Ambulance Service (EKAB) who are covered by the public sector’s pension system, thereby fulfilling a decades-long demand. The retirement requirements are aligned with those already in effect for corresponding specialties under the Heavy and Arduous Work (BAE) category of the former IKA-ETAM, and the possibility of retiring at age 62 is provided for under specific insurance conditions. It also comprehensively regulates main and supplementary insurance contributions, while allowing for the recognition and buyout of prior periods of employment to establish pension entitlements. This is a comprehensive regulation that takes effect immediately for these specific categories of employees in the public health system.