Key Information for Employees in Turkey

Salary Payments

Employees who are paid monthly or annually must receive their wages in Turkish currency at least once a month. If an employer delays payment by more than 20 days from the scheduled date, the employee is entitled to stop working without being considered on strike.

Payslips

Turkish employers are required to provide signed payslips, which must include details like the payment date, pay period, bonuses or commissions, and payments for holidays. They must also list all deductions, such as taxes and social security contributions.

Record Keeping and Timesheets

Turkish labor laws regulate how employers retain personnel records:

• Social Security Law (No. 5510): Employers must keep employee records for ten years after the employee leaves the company (Article 86).
• Occupational Health and Safety Regulation: Employers need to retain health-related employee files for 15 years.

Annual Leave

Paid annual leave is protected under Turkey’s constitution and cannot be waived for compensation. Leave entitlements depend on the employee’s tenure:

• Less than one year: no paid leave
• 1-5 years: 14 days
• 5-15 years: 20 days
• Over 15 years: 26 days

Sick Leave

Employees are entitled to a maximum of one week of paid sick leave with a medical certificate. Sick leave can be extended as unpaid. Employers may terminate employment if an employee’s sick leave exceeds six weeks.

Compassionate & Bereavement Leave

Employees can take three days of paid leave upon the death of a close family member, including parents, spouse, child, grandchild, siblings, and grandparents.

Maternity & Parental Leave

Pregnant employees are entitled to 16 weeks of maternity leave, split between eight weeks before and eight weeks after delivery. In case of multiple pregnancies, an additional two weeks are added. During this leave, employees receive two-thirds of their salary from the Social Security Institution.

Other important provisions include:

• Paid leave for medical checkups during pregnancy.
• An option for six months of unpaid maternity leave.
• Five days of paid leave for male employees whose spouses give birth.
• Up to 10 days of paid leave for a parent caring for a child with a chronic illness or disability.

Nursing Care Leave

Female employees with children under one year old are entitled to 1.5 hours of daily leave for breastfeeding. The employee chooses the timing, and this period counts as paid working time.

Marriage Leave

Employees can take up to three days of paid leave for marriage. This benefit can only be used once during employment with a company.