Digital organization of working time and its phased implementation digital work card in industries and enterprises, it is necessary to simultaneously use the technologies of the early 21st century (hence the “digital” and the use of cloud technologies) to also take into account the developments in the organization of working time of the early 21st century. As authoritatively and objectively recorded by an international organization that has been creating, promoting and updating international labor rules and standards for more than 100 years: International Labor Organization (ILO).

The digital organization of working time and the electronic work card must comply with modern standards for the organization of working time. Instead of imposing bureaucratic regulations based on “outdated” and “too rigid standards” on modern enterprises and modern parts of the labor market. What is it and what do they have to do with trying to enter a digital work book?

The International Labor Organization (ILO) has been talking about “outdated” and “overly rigid” standards for two decades now. In particular, the Committee of Experts on the Application of International Conventions and Recommendations (CECR) of the International Labor Organization (ILO), which evaluates international standards and tools for organizing working hours, adopted a century ago.

In particular, in 2005, the Committee of Experts of the International Labor Organization (ILO) in its general report entitled “Working hours: from fixed to flexible?” came to the conclusion that international standards in 1919 (in this case, the 1st International Convention of the ILO of 1919 on industry, which Greece ratified on time, and with it we marched for a century, and on this basis, an attempt to use a digital work maps) and 1930 (in this case the International Convention on Commerce and Institutions No. 30, which Greece has not ratified) no longer meet current needs in many respects.

The CEPCR stated that: “…government reports and information provided by the social partners show that Convention No. 1 and 30 do not fully reflect the current realities of working time rationing. In fact, there are elements of the conventions that are clearly outdated… In general, a growing number of countries believe that these two documents set too strict standards. The “fixed” working time system adopted by both conventions as the cornerstone of working time regulation runs counter to today’s demands for greater flexibility from all sides: employers, employees, clients, patients, […] Strict restrictions on the number of hours by which standard daily and weekly working hours may be extended have in many cases prevented the ratification of the two Conventions… Moreover, in a growing number of countries working hours are not regulated by law or regulation, such as this is required by certain provisions of the contract, as well as by collective agreements or other arrangements, and in many cases by individual contracts. These problems with the means of implementing the ordinances are reflected in their low ratification rate and lack of prospects for more ratifications in the future.”

This was established by the tripartite Committee of Experts (representatives of governments, workers and companies) of the International Labor Organization (ILO) back in 2005. Almost twenty years ago. In the last two decades of the 20th century, the historical trend of working time, which continues to shrink, changed from standardization to differentiation, decentralization and individualization of working time. And this trend is constantly growing.

The Ministry of Labor should take into account the findings of the ILO about “outdated” and “too rigid standards”. Instead of now trying to digitize them, impose and apply them to the organization of the work of managers and leaders of modern enterprises and their human capital in general in Greece in 2023. Through decisions and circulars that promote neither flexibility for businesses and workers nor legal certainty for businesses, managers and workers. In recording:

Managers and managers must in any case be exempted from digital working time management, both on the basis of International Convention No. 1 of 1919 and on the basis of the European Directive 2003/88 on the organization of working time, harmonizing Greek law fully and adequately with European directive and article 17, paragraph 1.

There is absolutely no reason to inform Ergani and the Ministry of Labor of a change in “fixed” working hours as long as actual working hours are recorded in real time. Organized businesses record actual working time and sometimes use it to evaluate employee performance.

The bureaucratic mechanisms of the “Tool” and the digital map should not hinder “today’s demands for more flexibility on all sides, employers, workers …”, recognized two decades ago by the ILO Committee of Experts. The organization of work for human capital of many functions of modern enterprises, but also of entire modern enterprises, as well as the evaluation of performance, are based solely on the results of labor and flexibility, and not on the measurement and, above all, on the control of “fixed” working hours. Time tracking can help understand the modern world of work that the digital organization and Tool must adapt to.

The working time instruments of the early 20th century should primarily be addressed to sectors, industries and enterprises that have not yet responded to the challenges of the 20th century. In other words, where, on the one hand, undeclared, understated and uninsured work and unpaid working hours are usually observed, on the other hand, low productivity, unskilled labor, tax evasion and tax evasion, poor organization of labor and working hours . In business and human capital of the 21st century, let similar rules apply, also of the 21st century.

*Mr. Christos A. Ioannou is SEB’s Employment and Labor Market Director.