Emergency measures announced to protect private sector workers from heat stress
The Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs issued an urgent circular today, Monday, July 21, 2025, detailing emergency measures to protect private sector employees from heat stress amid an intense heatwave affecting Greece.
Key Measures Include:
Mandatory Work Suspension for Outdoor Manual Labor:
In specific regions where the National Meteorological Service forecasts extremely high temperatures and heat discomfort levels, outdoor manual work will be suspended between 12:00 PM and 5:00 PM on July 21. This includes construction sites, technical projects, ship repair zones, and delivery services using two-wheeled vehicles (such as scooters and bikes). Affected areas include parts of Evros, Serres, Larissa, Viotia, Chalkidiki, Imathia, Trikala, Fthiotida, Aetolia-Acarnania, Ionian Islands, eastern Rhodes, and coastal areas of the Peloponnese.
Delivery Services:
All delivery companies—whether physical stores or digital platforms—must comply with the suspension during this time. However, order pickup directly from stores (takeaway) and deliveries using vehicles equipped with air conditioning (other than two-wheelers) are permitted.
Exceptions:
The suspension does not apply to critical and socially essential sectors such as healthcare, transportation, water supply, electricity, and other utilities, provided they implement technical and organizational protective measures.
Remote Work (Teleworking):
Employers should enable remote work for high-risk employees exposed to heat stress in affected areas, where the nature of their work allows it.
Flexible Working Hours:
Employers may adjust employees’ working hours to help avoid the hottest parts of the day without prior registration of these changes in the national work monitoring system (ERGANI).
Penalties:
Failure to comply with these regulations may result in fines of €2,000 per employee.
The heatwave is expected to persist until at least Friday, July 25, with temperatures soaring above 40°C, reaching locally up to 43-44°C.
