Labor Ministry examining Covid-19 as occupational hazard

Greece’s Labor Ministry is exploring legislation that may list the novel coronavirus as an occupational hazard and death from Covid-19 as a work-related accident.

Deputy Minister for Social Security Panagiotis Tsakloglou told Parliament on Monday that the measure is being pondered for employees like frontline workers who are at risk of infection as a direct result of the work they do.

If such legislation is introduced, these workers would be entitled to hazard pay and, in the event of their death from Covid-19, their beneficiaries would receive compensation.

It would not apply, Tsakloglou clarified, to individuals who contracted the virus and became ill off the job.