HR Software for Turkey
Leave Policy
Maternity Leave
Pregnant employees are entitled to 16 weeks of paid leave. 8 weeks must be taken before the birth of the child and 8 weeks after the birth of the child. During this period, the employee receives two thirds (66.67%) of her salary. The Social Insurance Institution is responsible for this salary if SGK contributions have been paid for 90 days within the last 12 months from the upper limit of SGK contributions.
Eight weeks after the birth, the employee is given 1.5 hours a day to breastfeed until the child is one year old. These 1.5 hours daily can be used collectively.
The employee can extend the vacation without continued payment of wages and without submitting a medical report.
Paternity Leave
Employees are entitled to 5 days of paid paternity leave. These 5 days must be taken after the birth of the child. The employee receives 100% of his salary during this period and the employer is responsible for this compensation.
Legally, the employee cannot extend the vacation, but this is at the discretion of the employer.
Parental Leave
Parental leave is not regulated by law in Türkiye. However, employees may be entitled to maternity and paternity leave.
Sick Leave
Employees are entitled to 1 week of paid sick leave. The employee receives an allowance paid by social security. Sick leave can be extended, but is unpaid.
Pay & Tax
Minimum Wage Requirements
The monthly minimum wage is 13,414.50 TL gross and 11,402.00 net.
Individual Income Tax
Individual income tax is between 15% and 40%. Income tax is calculated at progressive rates.
| Gross Annual Income in TRY | Tax Rate (%) |
|---|---|
| 0 – 70,000 | 15% |
| 70,000 – 150,000 | 20% |
| 150,001 – 550,000 | 27% |
| 550,001 – 1,900,000 | 35% |
| Above 1,900,000 | 40% |
Payroll Cost
The cost to the employer is generally estimated at 17.5% of the employee’s wages:
- General health insurance: 7.5%
- Long-term insurance premium: 11%
- Short-term insurance premium: 2%
- Unemployment insurance: 2%
- *Subsidy from the Social Security Institute (SSI): – 5%
Please note: The minimum salary used for the calculations is 13,414.50 TL and the maximum salary is 100,608.75 TL.
*The Social Security Administration (SSI) incentive is a discount granted if Social Security contributions are paid on time.
These costs are presented as estimates and are for general information purposes only. To fully understand all associated costs and fees associated with the terms of an employment contract for this country, please contact our sales team for a quote.
Overtime Pay & Maximum Hours
Standard working hours are 9 hours per day, 5 days per week. The standard working week lasts from Monday to Friday.
Termination
Termination Requirements
Dismissals must take into account complex rules and the regulations of the country in which an employee is employed. Off-boarding is always carried out by the employer with the main participants. It may include ad hoc fees as well as required or recommended steps for specific termination cases.
Terminations in Turkey can be complex. Outside the probationary period, the employer in Turkey cannot terminate at his own discretion and the termination must be for a valid reason.
Proper terminations are:
- Voluntary by the employee
- By mutual agreement
- Unilaterally by the employer due to:
- Probation period
- Immoral, dishonorable or malicious behavior or any similar behavior
- Medical reasons that lead to incapacity to work
- Sexual harassment allegations
- Wrongdoing
- Dismissal for disciplinary reasons
- When the contract expires
Notice Period
The minimum notice period is 2 weeks and increases depending on the length of employment.
- Up to a period of employment of 6 months – 2 weeks vacation
- Between 6 months and 18 months of employment – 4 weeks vacation
- Between 18 and 36 months of employment – 6 weeks vacation
- Over 36 months of employment – 8 weeks vacation
No notice of termination is required during the probationary period.
Severance for Employees
In Turkey, all employees who have been continuously employed by the employer for at least one year, as well as employees whose contracts have been terminated (due to military service, etc.), are entitled to severance pay.
The severance payment is one month’s salary for each year of service (up to a maximum of 23,489.83 TL).
In order to protect you from unforeseen financial risks arising from the termination of the employment relationship, IceHrm applies a severance pay provision in all employment contracts in this country. IceHrm has extensive expertise in managing litigation risk worldwide and our severance provision calculation is based on prevailing common law or statutory requirements and best local practices. If your employee resigns or is not entitled to severance pay, you will receive a refund of any unused amounts.
Statutory Time Off
Paid Time Off
Paid time off (PTO) for full-time and part-time employees depends on the length of the employment relationship. PTO is credited monthly on a prorated basis based on the length of vacation to which the employee is entitled. Employees are entitled to annual leave after 12 months of employment.
| Years of Employment | Amount of leave (Annually) |
|---|---|
| 1-5 years | 14 days |
| 5+ years | 20 days |
| 15+ years | 26 days |
| For employees below the age of 18, or above the age of 50 | 20 days |
There is no limit to the transfer of vacation days. The vacation days can either be forfeited or paid out.
Public Holidays
There are 9 national holidays in Turkey. National holidays include:
- New Year’s Day
- National Sovereign and Children’s Day
- Labor Day
- Remembrance of Atatürk and Youth Day
- Democracy and National Unity Day
- Victory Day
- Republic’s Day
- Ramadan Holiday
- Eid-al Adha Feasting Holiday
Onboarding
Onboarding
Onboarding takes 3 working days.
Additional Info
Employment Contract Details
The contracts must be written in Turkish and can be bilingual. They must be in writing and signed by both parties.
A contract must contain:
- Surname
- Start date
- Length of employment
- Number of hours of work
- Job descrption
- Pay and benefits
- Conditions for termination of employment
Probation Period
Probationary periods are not legally required but are determined on the basis of the employment contract. However, it is best practice to have a probationary period. The minimum length of the probationary period depends on the employer, and the maximum length of the probationary period is 60 days (2 months).