Court rules some public workers can remain employed until age 74
A lower court in Athens has ruled that certain employees hired by public agencies, including local authorities, under a program for unemployed people aged 55 and above, cannot be dismissed until they meet the minimum insurance requirements for a pension — 15 years of full-time work.
The program, created by the Public Employment Agency (DYPA), initially offered only two-year positions. However, the court determined that the constitutional right to work and social security outweighs the constitutional ban on converting fixed-term public contracts into permanent ones.
As a result, eligible employees may continue working until the age of 74. The court clarified that DYPA’s subsidy for the positions remains limited to two years, after which employers must cover the full cost unless DYPA changes its policy.
