April 28, 2025 
11 mins to read Have you ever considered ditching the boring routine to start a new career and experience another work culture in Greece? Your perfect match for your fresh path might be Greece. Sunny beaches, incredible food, amazing ancient and new architecture, and fascinating people – do we need to add more?
However, there are a lot of aspects to take into account and that you’ll need to figure out. And after getting all the formalities out of the way and securing the job, there’s one more very important aspect of your expat life to consider. And that is: The work culture in Greece.
Why move to Greece for work?
Greece is a special country for many reasons, and the Greek work culture, including how they balance work and private life is one of them. In this post, we provide a little rundown of everything you should expect and prepare for when it comes to the people you’ll meet while working in Greece.
Looking for more reasons for starting a new job in Greece? Learn more about it in the “Gap year abroad in Europe: Why Greece and Malta are the most popular” post, or click here if you want to arrange and manage your budget while working in Greece.
Obviously, moving to a different country means a lot of change, but this change doesn’t have to be complicated. And even if it is, you don’t have to face it alone. Here at Job Squad, we not only help you find that perfect job abroad and create a CV that will make you stand out – we also offer tons of advice based on our own experiences with working abroad, so you can easily adjust to the new work culture.
1. Greek working hours and days
Let’s get the most important part of your journey towards adjusting to work culture out of the way. When, and how much will you actually be working? An average working week is 5 days long, and you’re expected to work around 40 hours. That means you’ll most likely spend 8 hours at work each day – including breaks. The break in the middle of your day is usually one hour long, so your working day will typically start at 8.00 or 9.00 and finish at 17.00 or 18.00 – depending on the industry.
A customer support role can have varying schedules with morning, midday, evening, and sometimes even night shifts. But this is never going to be a surprise for you – and you will earn extra money when you work evening, night, and weekend shifts (and on bank holidays).
Most workers in Greece are entitled to days of 20 vacation per year. And if this already makes you excited about the endless opportunities of Greek island hopping, Greece really is your perfect match. Also, keep in mind that Greece is very tourism-focused, which means that many work opportunities and hiring periods fall during the busy summer season – this can also be a fun side gig. You will also experience some differences in work cultures across industry, but the core is the same.
Hungry for more fun facts about Greece and their working culture? Go straight to our Greece general information page.
| DO | DON’T |
| Expect to get flexible with your working hours | Work on your break! |
| Request your time off well in advance, and with a fun plan in mind | Plan to take a lot of time off during the busy summer season (July and August are chaotic, you’ll enjoy it more out of the touristic season) |
2. Building relationships is key in Greek work culture
We all know that you’re a great asset to the team but the truth is that the interpersonal relationships and connections are highly valued in their work culture. It’s often more about who you know than what you know.
Sometimes our hard work and effort get overlooked simply because no one knows about them. You have to make sure that your employer knows you and sees you. That’s why you should open up to people at every opportunity – try to find common topics and interests, that makes you memorable.
Building connections and growing your network can only bring positive outcomes, both in your professional and personal life, which again is not that different in Greek work culture. This is especially true if you’re seeking a long term job in Greece, as well as climbing the corporate ladder.
| DO | DON’T |
| Have a good talk and coffee with your superiors – freddo espresso is the go-to in Greece | Be shy and quiet |
| Hang out with your colleagues outside working hours | Eat your lunch in the corner by yourself |
3. Get ready for paperwork
Bureaucracy in Greece is very important, and it can sometimes get complicated. Be prepared to gather many documents, visit multiple offices, and prepare translations. But don’t worry, we have helped all of our previous candidates do it, and although it seems tedious, it’s absolutely doable. It’s simply procedure, and in innate part of working culture in Greece.
As long as you’re patient, organised, and have a positive mindset, you’ll be just fine. And if that seems overwhelming, you can always ask for help. Our recruiters and your future employer are here to guide you through the process.
| DO | DON’T |
| Make extra photocopies of your documents | Expect everything to go smoothly immediately |
| Get a trustworthy (preferably Greek-speaking) helpful friend | Lose your motivation when something doesn’t work out (it will!) |
4. Navigating the language barriers
It’s no surprise that the most commonly spoken language in Greece is Greek. However, English is widely taught in schools, so a significant portion of the population – especially the younger crowd – are quite fluent.
If you work in some of our more popular roles, like customer service agent, you will most likely have international colleagues, who are used to speaking English. And of course you will have colleagues from your own home country too.
Still, if you want to connect with locals, it’s a great idea to learn a bit of Greek. Learning some daily life phrases and fun expressions is amusing too, and it’s a great ice breaker. Relationships at work are crucial, and if the language can help secure them, a few Greek classes will be worth it. You can even download apps like Duolingo now to get a little head start.
| DO | DON’T |
| Look for other internationals that you can talk to without an issue | Expect everyone to be able to communicate with you in English |
| Take Greek lessons (most companies we work with offer them for free) | Shy away from trying to speak some Greek from the start just because you feel insecure |
5. Balancing private life and work culture in Greece
Greeks are all about “”Σιγά σιγά””(siga-siga), which means “slowly-slowly”. Translated and interpreted to life it means that a job in Greece can hardly ever be more important than your private life, relationships, family, and passions.
But that doesn’t mean that Greeks like to separate their work from their private life – instead, they very often become very close with their coworkers. Greeks do not like to work overtime, stress about their accomplishments at home, or to put the work above their loved ones. They love connecting and interacting on a personal level, even in the professional environment.
That means that you can expect everyone to be planning weekend getaways, long dinners with their friends, and breaks filled with delicious food – without worrying and stressing about the upcoming deadline. So, ease into this work culture and enjoy what life has to offer on a completely new level.
| DO | DON’T |
| Plan your weekends with trips and exciting activities | Talk about work outside of work |
| Make friends with colleagues during time off | Focus on your tasks during time off |
6. Greek work culture means forgetting about the rush
Since people working in Greece are all about that slow life, embracing it at work is no exception. That means that punctuality, strictness and tight schedules are often not the priorities of the workplace.
But this doesn’t (necessarily) mean that Greek workplaces have lazy employers that don’t like to work. Quite the opposite. This relaxed approach to work culture with less stress and worry contribute to well being and productivity. Even though you might take your time with some things, you are expected to deliver, create results, and work hard – when you know you need to.
A great piece of advice for your next job in Greece is to learn how to be a flexible worker. Becoming agile is one of the biggest assets of adjusting to the work culture in Greece, because it means that no matter what type of change and chaos will come your way, you will be able to handle it. Being a true work chameleon will surely pay off.
| DO | DON’T |
| Get really flexible with your time | Expect everyone to keep up with your schedule |
| Make sure your work is done well, not fast – be efficient | Panic if things don’t go your way |
7. The Greeks are serious about their breaks
How do Greeks spend their breaks? Well, each break will always be a reflection of that relaxed and happy lifestyle.
Since Greece is famous for its food, munching on a brand new food discovery will be possible all year round. The Greek streets are filled with cafes selling their famous Freddo Espressos and sweet pastries like Galaktoboureko and Loukoumades.
Lunch is usually light, quite late (often between 14.00 and 16.00), and spent laughing and building relationships with your colleagues. Greeks like to cherish their breaks together – so don’t go hiding in the corner.
Since the weather in Greece is usually lovely, the break can often also be a great time to take a walk outside – moving your body, recharging and getting your good spirits back up. That vitamin D is essential.
| DO | DON’T |
| Memorise your coffee order to perfection | Rush or work through your break |
| Take your time for lunch and adjust to the Greek lunch hours to socialise | Forget speaking to your colleagues |
8. It’s all about the right communication
The Greeks have their own way of communicating, and it is quite interesting… First things first, they do not like beating around the bush. People here are direct and like to tell you how things are. But do not mistake that for being mean. Most of the time they say things out of care and love.
If a Greek person sees you are making a mistake, or they want to help you, they will not hesitate to tell you the truth. While they can be very direct, they are also warm and welcoming. That means that their directness is never intended to make you feel worse about yourself. They love to share advice, recipes, and a good laugh – expect a lot of it.
One more thing that you have to know about, especially when starting a job in Greece, is that they can be LOUD. As a more collectivistic and extraverted community, they do not hide their emotions and make a lot of gestures. So, sometimes a friendly chat over coffee might start to feel like you are getting screamed at, or a family gathering can sound like they’re arguing. Be ready for some heated discussions and fun gossip in the workplace.
| DO | DON’T |
| Practice talking LOUD and open | Assume someone is mean just because they’re being direct – often it’s the opposite |
| Listen to and advise your coworkers | Be scared of speaking up |
Ready for your new adventure in Greece?
With this advice in your pocket, you can be sure that when the time comes, you’ll easily know how to navigate the working culture in Greece. Whatever comes your way: constantly changing meetings, long breaks, screaming colleagues or heavy paperwork, there is always a way to figure them out.
And with the help of Job Squad, that amazing new journey of working in Greece is closer than you may think. To see what position would be the best fit for you, head to the Job Search part of our website. Got any more questions or want to talk to a recruiter directly? Contact us right away.
