Law 5239/2025: what the 13-hour day and Digital Work Card mean

'Thirteen hours of work.' Those words brought people onto the streets in October 2025 and prompted two general strikes. On the other side was a government repeating the same refrain: 'It is optional; it is an exception.' Somewhere between the anger and the reassuring rhetoric lies the text of the law. That is exactly what matters here.

Law 5239/2025 (Government Gazette A 178/2025) is not simply a law 'about the 13-hour day'. It is a broad package of changes to the organisation of working time, recruitment and working-hours monitoring. The 13-hour day is its most contentious chapter - but not the only one that will affect everyday working life.

What the law actually says about the 13-hour day

Let us state it plainly, without glossing over it or dramatising it. The law permits a working day of up to 13 hours for the same employer. Until now, it was possible to work more than eight hours across two employers; the change is that those hours may now be concentrated with one. The conditions, however, are not decorative:

• It applies for up to 37 days per year. In other words, this is not the new 'normal' working schedule, but a tool for peak periods.
• It requires the employee's consent. It cannot be imposed unilaterally.
• The additional hours are paid as overtime, with a 40% premium on the hourly wage.

The criticism is not unfounded: in employment relationships marked by unequal bargaining power, 'consent' may be less voluntary than the law suggests. An employee who fears losing their job may find it difficult to say no. That is the real debate - not whether the 13 hours are paid, but how genuinely optional they are. The law provides a formal answer; how the rule works in practice will be tested before the courts and the Labour Inspectorate.

The question is not whether a 13-hour day is paid. It is whether saying 'no' will cost an employee their job.

The Digital Work Card: the employee's most underrated tool

While public debate centred on the 13-hour day, the chapter that may ultimately change more passed almost unnoticed: the Digital Work Card. The card records arrival and departure times in real time, linking actual presence at work to the schedule declared in the ERGANI II (ERGANI II) information system.

Why does that matter? Because unpaid overtime was invisible for decades. There was no record that someone left at 9 p.m. when their salary covered work only until 5 p.m. The card makes working time visible - and what is visible can be claimed.

Mobile recruitment and leave split into more periods

The law also introduces two more technical changes that employees will encounter in practice:

• Rapid recruitment: an employer may complete a hire through a mobile app, including for a few days of work or an urgent engagement. The aim is to tackle undeclared 'two-day' work, although it remains to be seen whether that is how the measure operates in practice.
• Splitting annual leave: statutory annual leave may now be divided into more than two periods. This may offer useful flexibility, but splitting leave requires agreement and cannot be used to undermine the right to a continuous period of rest.

What employees should remember

In practical terms, if you are a salaried employee, these are the points to keep in mind:

• A 13-hour day is not compulsory; refusing it is not, in itself, a lawful ground for dismissal. If refusal leads to adverse treatment, legal claims may arise.
• Every hour beyond your contractual schedule must be paid with the applicable premium. Do not accept informal hours that are not recorded.
• The Digital Work Card is your ally: it is the strongest evidence of your actual working hours. Check that you record both arrival and departure correctly.
• A pay cut 'because the hours are now visible' is unlawful. Document it and seek legal advice.
• Keep copies of your contract, payslips and messages. In employment law, the party that can prove the facts is in the stronger position.

Frequently asked questions

This article describes the framework of Law 5239/2025 as it stood when written and is for information only. Employment disputes are always decided on their particular facts. For advice on your situation, consult a lawyer specialising in employment law.