The full implementation of the digital labor card by banks and supermarkets with more than 250 employees has been postponed to October 1. Already at the first stage of the implementation of the flagship reform, the results are considered absolutely encouraging: more than 9 out of 10 workers in two specific sectors used a digital work card in the period from July 1 to August 31, 2022 (92.5% rate). This percentage increases in the case of supermarkets, where the digital measurement of working time was applied to 94.4% of all employees (i.e. 83,280 people out of 88,966 working in supermarkets). But in banks this percentage is 86.7%, which corresponds to 25,717 employees out of 32,163 employed in all financial institutions operating in our country.

The Ministry of Labor has been given a one-month lead so that, along with the universal application of the digital labor card, specific companies will also begin to complete the census process. Thus, from October 1, all banks and large supermarkets will have to have and operate a real electronic time tracking system for their employees, directly connected and interoperable in real time with the Ergani information system.

After all, from October 1, inspections by the Labor Inspectorate will also lead to the imposition of fines, as according to the law and a recent decree signed by the Minister of Labor Kostis Hatzidakis, if during the on-site inspection of the Labor Inspectorate in a company it is found that the employee’s digital card is not activated, the employer will be fined 10 500 euros for each employee who does not have a digital card activated. If the same violation is detected during three inspections within 12 months, a temporary suspension of the enterprise’s activities for a period of 15 days is imposed.

In practice, employers must, along with digital recording of the arrival and departure of an employee, submit applications by which they will inform the Ergani system of any changes both in labor relations and in the organization of working time. These reports will, for example, show whether an employee works 40 hours a week or not, whether the work is a 5-day or 6-day job, or even whether the employee is eligible for a scheduling break or not. They will also be reported if working hours per week are fixed or change during the day (provided before employees start work). Finally, during the first ten days of the month following the month of their issue, even licenses will be announced. In cases of changes in working hours (overtime or overtime), the data must be submitted before the change and in any case before the employee returns to work.

In banks and supermarkets – from January 1, it applies to DECO, production, security companies, insurance companies, etc.

This data (inventory of working hours) must be submitted electronically to the Ergani system from October 1 to November 30 by all enterprises in the country, which will contribute to the gradual but complete introduction of the digital card in all enterprises.

As soon as the inventory is completed, according to the plan, the second phase (probably from 01.01.2023) of the digital card will be activated in terms of its application in DECO, industries, security companies, insurance companies, etc. In the summer of 2023, the Ministry of Labor seeks to introduce a digital card in the field of catering and tourism.

As Tasos Vorias, director of payroll at Piraeus Bank HR, explained in an interview with K, the road to implementing the measure, at least initially, was not paved with rose petals. There were difficulties, mainly in relation to the timetable for the implementation of the digital card, despite the fact that Piraeus Bank had an access system in the central buildings.

According to Mr. Vorias, despite choosing to implement the ministry’s miergani, Piraeus Bank chose an integrated digital implementation, which creates the appropriate technological infrastructure from the very beginning to correctly record real-time data, and further integrates the specifications to meet future needs.

The application, implemented through Epsilon HR, is connected to the employee’s computer and today, after only two months, it is 100% implemented. In fact, participation has reached 85% since the very first day of the implementation of the measure, July 1, 2022.

Complaints

Distortions in the labor market, despite the introduction of a digital card from July 1, are reported by employees of supermarkets and banks, while the main violation is the continuation of work after the end of the shift and after breaking through the card. Among the violations and problems:

The workers were given instructions to start work at 5 o’clock in the morning. punch your card at 6 am so as not to show one hour of night work. Cashiers asked cashiers to “click” their card right at the end of their shift while they were still on duty serving customers. Hourly workers with 4 hours flashed the card and continued to work until 8 hours was completed. Drivers were asked not to touch the card at all when they were outside the store. Employees were called to work on a day off, but with instructions not to “break through” the card. An unusually large number of “executives”, who are considered “free time”, appeared in banks wrongfully.