New findings on the implementation of the digital labour card and its impact on workers’ daily lives have emerged from a recent survey by kariera.gr, conducted in September through LinkedIn polls.
Participants’ responses revealed the varied experiences workers have had using the card, while also highlighting the challenges that arise in the workplace.
One in four continues working after clocking out
Specifically, 62% of participants say they leave work and switch off as normal when their working day ends. However, more than one in four (26%) say they continue working without the additional time being recorded.
Notably, 7% do not know whether their extra working hours are recorded, while just 3% say they continue working with the additional hours duly logged.
These findings point to differing realities among workers: some leave as soon as they clock out, while others continue working without their additional hours being declared.
What workers do when asked to carry on after hours
Responses also vary when workers are asked by their manager to finish a task, even though they have already clocked out.
Specifically, 36% of participants ask for the additional time to be officially recorded before agreeing to stay at work. By contrast, 25% agree to stay without the extra hours being reflected in their recorded working hours.
Meanwhile, 20% choose not to take on the task because they have already finished work, while 19% say they have never been in a similar situation.
Here, too, workers respond differently to a manager’s request for extra hours: many ask for the additional time to be officially recognised, while others continue working without it being recorded.
Overtime goes unpaid for 42% of participants
But what happens when a worker needs to put in extra hours to complete an important project?
Responses on overtime pay are almost evenly split. Specifically, 45% of participants say they are paid as normal for their extra hours, while 42% report that those hours are neither declared nor paid.
Meanwhile, 7% say their overtime is dealt with in another way, while 4% receive additional leave instead of financial compensation.
The gap of just three percentage points between those who say they are paid for overtime and those who report working extra hours without compensation is one of the survey’s most striking findings.
Extra working hours are not a sign of commitment
The responses also offer an insight into how regular work beyond normal hours is viewed.
Specifically, 36% of participants see overtime as a sign of an increased workload, while 34% consider it an exception that arises during busy periods.
On the other hand, 21% see overtime as an expected part of the job, while just 10% associate it with an employee’s commitment.
Overall, most participants link overtime to increased demands at work or exceptional needs, rather than to an employee’s attitude towards their company.
Zenia Delagrammati, CHRO, Optima Group & kariera.gr, says: “The digital card creates the conditions for greater transparency, but meaningful change does not come through legislation and systems alone. It comes when businesses foster a culture that respects working time and employees feel able to speak openly about their day-to-day experiences. The point is not simply to record hours accurately, but to manage our time and people better.”
In conclusion, the kariera.gr poll kariera.gr presents a complex picture of the implementation of the digital card and the way overtime is managed in practice. Participants’ varied experiences show how working time is recorded, as well as what happens when work continues beyond the declared departure time.