Ministerial Decision 24525, published on 19 April 2021, extends the measure of COVID-19 self-testing, introduced by Law 4790/2021, to specific categories of private sector employees.
Scope of application
Starting from 19 April 2021, employees in the sectors of retail, food, financial and insurance services, transport (land, coastal shipping, aviation, etc.), cleaning services, driving schools, barbershops, hairdressing and beauty salons, gambling and betting services, are required, as a prerequisite to provide their services physically at the workplace, to undergo weekly COVID-19 self-testing.
Self-testing process
The self-test shall be conducted every week, up to 24 hours before the first working day of the employee at the workplace. In case of urgent need to visit the workplace, the employee may undergo the self-test even on the same day. Instead of self-testing employees may choose to undergo a rapid or PCR test at a public facility without cost or at a private one at their own or the employer’s cost.
By way of exception, during the first week of application of the measure employees may obtain the self-test kit and register the result up to 25 April.
Upon completion of the test, employees are required to register their result on the platform “self-testing.gov.gr”. Following the registration of a negative result, employees are permitted to provide their services physically at the workplace.
If, however, the self-test result is positive, after registering it on the platform, the employee is required within 24 hours to repeat the test, either at a public or at a private facility. Until the result is out, the employee is required to stay in house quarantine. If the repeat test comes out negative, employees are permitted to provide their services physically at the workplace. If the repeat test comes out positive, employees must remain in house quarantine, in accordance with EODY protocols. In both such cases, the result of the repeat test, whether positive or negative, must be registered on the platform.
Employees may only assume work at the workplace if they show to the employer proof of a registered negative (self-test or repeat test) result.
Non-compliance
In case of non-compliance with the above obligations, the employee will not be allowed to provide his/her work physically at the workplace, while the employer will be released from its obligation to pay salary for as long as the employee fails to either undergo the self-test or register the result, whether positive or negative.
Employers will be subject to a fine of Euro 500 for each employee found at the workplace without a registered self-test result or Euro 1,500 for each employee found at the workplace with a registered positive (self-test or repeat test) result.
Employers are required, subject to a fine of Euro 300, to inform by any appropriate means (email, announcement, etc.) their employees about both the mandatory self-testing process and the consequences of non-compliance for the employees.
