Towards the end of 2024, the digital work card will find application within the realms of tourism and hospitality, marking a significant step in labor management within these sectors. Minister of Labor announced the delay in implementing the card until year-end specifically for these branches of the economy.
Introduced at the onset of the year, the digital work card has been operational in the retail and industrial sectors. Ministerial directives have been issued, detailing the terms and procedures for its integration into retail and industrial operations.
Mandatory for all retail businesses, the possession of a Digital Work Card is a requisite. Every salaried employee should be provided with a corresponding digital card by their employer.
The procedure involves employees downloading a designated application onto their mobile devices, while businesses are tasked with installing the app on electronic devices like computers or tablets, offering them a choice in the matter.
The tourism sector’s implementation of the digital work card has been strategically deferred until the year’s end, a move aimed at ensuring a seamless conclusion to the ongoing tourism season, thereby preempting any operational disruptions mid-season.
Primarily, the measure aims at curbing instances of overwork while meticulously recording overtime. The utilization of the digital card significantly streamlines the monitoring process for the Independent Authority for Labor Inspection during routine checks. Imposing fines for identified cases of undisclosed labor amounts to a maximum penalty of €10,500 per employee.
Companies can join this system either by expanding an existing timekeeping system, if available, or by procuring a new system altogether.
However, minor irregularities have been observed on the employees’ part, with slight deviations in clocking in or out a few minutes off schedule. To forestall unwarranted fines—such as for an employee arriving five minutes earlier than the scheduled start—an extension in marking time within the Workforce Monitoring System (known as “Ergani”) is under consideration. This extension might increase from the current 15 minutes to possibly 45 minutes, offering more leeway for employee entries and exits, while providing companies greater flexibility in transmitting necessary data to the Workforce Monitoring System.
Lastly, concerning Sunday work, the Ministry of Labor stipulates that only specific businesses covered by relevant regulations can operate on Sundays. Employees engaged in Sunday work, particularly in the industrial sector, stand to receive an additional 75% of their daily wage along with a further 60%.
