The new Health and Safety at Work Act has applied since 23 April 2026 and replaced the 2014 law. Employers must insure all employees against workplace injuries and occupational diseases, and pay the premiums themselves. Any injury that keeps you off work for more than three working days, as well as a serious, collective or fatal injury, must be reported in writing to the inspectorate within 24 hours at the latest, and the employer gives you and the health institution an injury report. You have the right to refuse work if you face immediate danger, and safety measures may not cost you anything. An employer that fails to report an injury pays 500 to 15,000 euros.
This guide explains what your employer must do, what to do when you are injured, when you may refuse work or leave your workplace, what applies to alcohol at work and what the fines are.
What must your employer do?
- Health and safety measures may not cause any cost to the employee.
- The employer must insure all employees against workplace injuries, occupational diseases and work-related illnesses, with premiums depending on the level of risk and paid by the employer.
- Before you start work, the employer informs you of the safety measures and trains you in theory and in practice at the workplace.
- The employer sends you for a medical check that matches the risk of your workplace.
- In the event of serious and immediate danger, the employer must allow work to stop and people to go to a safe place, and cannot ask you to continue, except to save human lives.
- Employers have one year from the law's entry into force to bring their operations in line with the new rules.
What do you do when you are injured?
- Tell your employer about the injury straight away, in writing, orally or through an employee representative.
- The employer reports any fatal, collective or serious injury, and any other injury that keeps you off work for more than three working days, in writing to the health and safety inspectorate immediately, and within 24 hours at the latest.
- The same applies to a dangerous occurrence that could put employees' health at risk.
- The employer gives you and the health institution where you were examined an injury report, on a form set by the Ministry of Health.
- The inspector has the duty and power to investigate serious, collective and fatal injuries on site.
- The employer is released from liability only in cases of force majeure or unusual circumstances whose consequences could not be avoided despite the safety measures.
When may you refuse work or leave your workplace?
- You may refuse work if you have not been informed of the hazards or the employer has not provided the required medical check.
- You may also refuse if you face an immediate danger to life and health because required safety measures have not been taken, until they are in place.
- When you refuse work, you write to your employer, and if the employer considers the refusal unjustified, it must inform the inspectorate at once.
- In serious and immediate danger you may leave the dangerous workplace and may not be put at a disadvantage for it, unless you acted carelessly.
- If the employer does not fix a problem you reported within three days, you can ask the inspectorate to intervene.
What applies to alcohol and drugs at work?
- An employee may not start or carry out work under the influence of alcohol, drugs or similar substances.
- At the employer's request you must undergo a check under the procedure set by the employer.
- An employee who works under the influence or refuses the check pays a fine of 30 to 1,000 euros.
What are the fines?
| Who | Fine |
| employer, company | 500 to 15,000 euros |
| responsible person in the company | 30 to 1,000 euros |
| employer, sole trader | 250 to 10,000 euros |
| employee | 30 to 1,000 euros |
- The employer's fine applies, among other things, when it does not report an injury within 24 hours, does not issue the injury report, does not insure employees or passes safety costs on to them.
- An employee is fined for refusing a medical check, not applying safety measures or working under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
Pay during time off work is explained in our guide to sick leave, and lasting consequences in our guide to the disability pension. Harassment at work is described in our guide to workplace mobbing, and the right to a lawyer free of charge in our guide to free legal aid.
Frequently asked questions
How quickly must an employer report a workplace injury? Immediately, and within 24 hours at the latest, in writing to the inspectorate, for any injury keeping you off work for more than three working days and for serious, collective and fatal injuries.
Who pays for insurance against workplace injuries? The employer must insure all employees, and the premiums are paid by the employer.
Can I refuse dangerous work? Yes, if you face immediate danger because required safety measures have not been taken, or if you have not been informed of the risks.
What if my employer does not fix a problem I reported? If it is not fixed within three days, you can ask the health and safety inspectorate to intervene.
Can my employer charge me for protective equipment? No, health and safety measures may not cause any cost to the employee.
What is the fine if an employer does not report an injury? A company pays 500 to 15,000 euros, the responsible person 30 to 1,000 euros and a sole trader 250 to 10,000 euros.
Sources
The employer's duties, insurance, injury reporting, the right to refuse work and the fines are set by the Health and Safety at Work Act (Official Gazette 51/2026, Articles 7, 37 to 44, 63, 68 and 73), and the injury report on the Ministry of Health's form by the July 2026 amendment (Official Gazette 103/2026). The information was checked on 27 September 2026. Fijaka is a classifieds platform; this text is not legal advice.