One in three employees works beyond schedule, INE GSEE survey shows

The survey was conducted on a sample of 6,000 employees from across the country, through telephone interviews and stratified random sampling, during the period from 3 November to 9 December 2025.

The findings highlight that working beyond standard hours has now become a structural feature of the labour market. According to the data, 35.5% of employees report working beyond their contractual hours, while of these only 54.7% are paid for the additional hours worked. By contrast, 34.5% receive no compensation at all, while a further 8.9% are compensated with time off or compensatory leave. Overall, more than four in ten employees who work overtime do not receive immediate financial compensation.

The frequency of overwork increases with company size. In businesses with up to nine employees, 32% report working beyond their scheduled hours at least occasionally, a figure that rises to 45.4% in companies with more than 250 employees. However, the highest intensity of overtime is recorded in medium-sized enterprises, where more than one in three employees report working six or more additional hours per week.

Particularly noteworthy are the findings on gender disparities in overtime pay. Men report being paid for additional hours at a rate of 58.8%, compared with 48.9% of women. Conversely, 41.1% of women report not being paid for overtime, compared with 29.9% of men, a finding which, according to the INE GSEE, highlights inequalities in the financial recognition of additional work.

The survey also records strong indications of occupational strain. The main sources of pressure are heavy workload and time pressure, reported by 60.1% of employees, as well as prolonged standing or sitting, at 58.8%. Significant proportions are also recorded for repetitive physical movements and other sources of work-related stress.

The situation appears even more severe for those working extensive overtime. Among employees working more than 11 additional hours per week, 86.2% report experiencing intense time pressure or excessive workload, while 80.8% report prolonged periods of standing or sitting.

The data also show that unpaid overtime is associated with poorer working conditions. Employees who are not paid for additional hours more frequently report working during their free time, experiencing increased work-related stress, limited cooperation in the workplace, and higher incidents of physical or verbal violence.

In terms of health impacts, stress emerges as the most common work-related issue. 42.1% of employees report having experienced or seen their stress worsen over the past twelve months. This is followed by musculoskeletal pain (29.4%), headaches or eye strain (28.9%), and general fatigue (27.3%).

Particularly high rates are recorded in large enterprises, where almost half of employees report increased stress, while significant burdens are also observed in musculoskeletal disorders, headaches, and general fatigue.

The survey further shows that employees who frequently consider changing jobs present a clearly more deteriorated health profile. 63.3% of them report work-related stress, a significantly higher proportion than among employees who are not considering professional mobility.

According to INE GSEE, the findings highlight that job quality depends not only on wage levels or skills, but also on actual working conditions, working hours, and the protection of workers’ health. The extent of overwork and the prevalence of unpaid overtime emerge as critical challenges for the Greek labour market.