Teleworking in the public sector will begin on 1 April instead of 1 February, as initially scheduled, following a decision by the Council of Ministers. In the first phase, the number of teleworking days approved by the Council of Ministers is set at 20 days per year for 2026, rising to 50 days from the following year.
Speaking on Politis radio 107.6 Morning Review, public servants' union PASYDY Secretary General Stratis Matthaiou said that the Council of Ministers has decided that the measure will take effect on 1 April, giving each employee the right to work remotely for 20 days. He noted that this number of days is too limited to draw firm conclusions.
"It is positive that it is starting even with this number, but I believe that if the days were more, we would be able to reach safer conclusions about the benefits and any difficulties," he said. "We are starting, it is a challenge," he added, repeating his frequent reminder that teleworking does not mean staying at home and doing household tasks, stressing that teleworking is work.
Addressing public servants, he said that "we must exceed ourselves, perform well and be effective because teleworking must succeed. Teleworking is a step forward," he added. "It forms part of the modernisation of the public service and is something that is happening across Europe and around the world. We are already late," he emphasised.
Regarding the allocation of teleworking days for employees, he explained that it will be up to the head of each department to determine them according to the needs of the service. "It is not for all employees, it is for those who can work remotely," he clarified.
Matthaiou also highlighted the voluntary nature of teleworking.
Speaking to Politis and asked how many teleworking days public servants would consider satisfactory, he replied: "Fifty, as was the original plan," noting, however, that according to the Council of Ministers' decision, the 50 teleworking days will apply from next year.
The introduction of teleworking in the public sector is included among the milestones of the Recovery and Resilience Plan.
Flexible working arrangements
Alongside teleworking, flexible working arrangements will also come into effect on 1 April.
Under the Public Service (Working Time) Regulations of 2025, a provision is introduced allowing reduced working hours of up to a maximum of two hours per working day, with a corresponding reduction in pay. This applies to employees covered by the Law on Leave (Paternity, Parental, Care, Force Majeure) and Flexible Working Arrangements for Work-Life Balance. This includes employees who are parents of children up to 15 years old and carers, meaning workers who provide personal care or support to a relative or a person living in the same household who requires significant care or support for serious medical reasons. It also applies to employees with disabilities or serious health problems, upon submission of a medical certificate confirming that they are unable to work full time.
The regulations also provide for the extension of flexible working hours from the current one and a half hours to two hours, setting the working day between 7.00 am and 9.00 am for starting times and between 2.30 pm and 4.30 pm for finishing times. Special arrangements are included for employees of the House of Representatives, where afternoon work also applies.