The new procedure for obtaining a divorce by mutual consent in Greece is part of the state's broader effort to relieve the courts of surplus material and to speed up the administration of justice.
Every employer has a managerial right that enables him to take all necessary steps to determine the operating conditions of his business. This includes the employment of the employees. In accordance with the Civil Code, the right is limited by good faith, honest practices and it’s social and economic purpose. The employer's actions often affect the employees, resulting in an unfavorable position for them, either materially or morally. This is the so-called unilateral aggravated change in employment conditions. This change must be unilateral, adversely affecting, definitive and abolish the employee's contractual rights at the same time.
Sexual harassment is defined as any undesirable verbal, non-verbal or physical behavior of a sexual nature that affects the sexual dignity of the individual. Sexual harassment in the workplace, where people spend most of their day's hours, can be among colleagues, by an employer to an employee and vice versa or by a superior to an inferior and vice versa. It is even observed during the job search process and not only in the context of an existing employment relationship.
The demonstration of inappropriate workplace behavior by the employer to the employee and vice versa is now commonplace in modern businesses. Even in public sector organizations, where the employer is the government, there are inappropriate behaviors between supervisors and subordinates. On the one hand, the aggravated behavior of the employer affects the employee's professional, mental and moral status forcing him to resign. On the other hand, the employee's unprofessional behavior undermines the smooth operation of the business and productive cooperation between its executives, resulting in a reduction in its revenue.
The woman, due to her gender, is at a disadvantage to the man in the labor market. Particularly during her pregnancy and the reduced workload she can accommodate, the chances of a worker's dismissal increase because employers want to reduce the payroll burden and replace her with a more productive employee. Fortunately for women, Greek labor law limits and employer's ability to fire a pregnant woman and protects her job security during and after pregnancy.
The necessary complementary measures for the implementation of Council Regulation (EC) No. 1099/2009 are defined by Greek Joint Ministerial Decision 951/44337/2017 (Government Gazette 1447 / Β / 27.04.2017), with regard to the ritual slaughter of animals in slaughterhouses. This JMC regulation has been in force since April 27, 2017, and sets out the terms and conditions under which the slaughter of animals shall take place.
The building boom of recent decades combined with migration and de-urbanization resulted in an increase of vacant apartments in cities and the oversupply of rental properties for lease at low rates. Difficulty in leasing plus overtaxation of real estate forced private owners to either sell or switch to new forms of exploitation, including short-term rental of properties to tourists via the internet. With the use of digital platforms, the most famous of which being Airbnb, hundreds of individuals in Greece are able to lease apartment rooms to luxurious villas to tourists for limited periods of time.
Tax consciousness has never been a virtue of contemporary Greeks. Businesses and individuals prefer tax avoidance and evasion, especially with the great tolerance shown by government and society. Over the years, this has led to a vicious cycle of increasing taxation and tax evasion with regard to public finance. VAT on most products and services has been raised to 24%; corporate tax for companies and sole proprietorships has been set to 29% and 26%, respectively; and, according to the latest social insurance system reform that has taken effect since 01.01.2017, self-employed individuals are directed to pay a social insurance tax of around 30% on their net income as well as an annual self-employment tax of 650,00 euros. This situation has placed a strain on legitimate businesses, which must spend over 80% - 90% of their profit on taxes. For most businesses that have already implemented a series of measures to reduce their expenses, including lay-offs, tax evasion is their last option for survival.
Renting an apartment or even a detached house is a permanent headache for pet owners in Greece. Tenants usually conceal their pet ownership from landlords due to simple negligence or fear of rejection of their tenancy application. Later, if residents complain to the landlord about pets in the tenanted apartment, the landlord may be surprised and break the lease.
Athanasios Rozou and Associates Law Firm
Politechniou 39, P.C. 54626, Thessaloniki, Greece
