Greece moves to transpose the EU platform work directive, reversing the burden of proof

Greece is preparing to transpose Directive (EU) 2024/2831 on platform work, expected to affect around 50,000 people working through digital platforms in the country. The central change is a reversal of the burden of proof: rather than a worker having to prove they are effectively an employee, the platform must show the worker is genuinely autonomous. The transposition would also regulate algorithmic decisions affecting income and work allocation, require human oversight of automated decisions, and give workers a right to request review of them.

Why this matters. Reversing the burden of proof changes who carries the cost and risk of a misclassification dispute. Establishing employment status currently means an individual bringing evidence about how they are managed, against a company holding all the data. Under the directive the platform has to make the case for autonomy instead. For freelancers working through platforms in Greece that shifts the balance considerably, though it also means some genuinely independent contractors will find their status actively assessed.

Greece is one of several member states working through this transposition. Member states have until December 2026 to implement the directive, so more national versions will follow over the coming year and the detail will vary between them.

What to watch. No bill text and no date have been published — the government has been tasked with transposing, which is the stage before draft legislation. How “genuinely autonomous” is defined in the Greek text will decide who this actually covers.