Turkey, officially known as the Republic of Turkiye, is a country based in West Asia. It has a workforce population of 34 million people (2022), and a GDP of 1,118.25 billion US dollars (2023). The country’s economy has suffered in recent years, experiencing extreme inflation and loss of foreign investment due to large amounts of private foreign-currency debt, and the collapse of the lira currency.

The Turkish economy is showing signs of improvement, with a GDP growth of 2.4% in 2024. This has encouraged companies to consider hiring employees in Turkey, with a diverse workforce of hard-working people. However, employers must adhere to Turkish labor laws which dictate the mandatory employee benefits in Turkey, such as social security, contracts, working hours, and overtime compensation.

This help guide will provide employers with a thorough overview of Turkish employee benefits, including an explanation of Turkish labor law, mandatory benefits that must be provided to employees, and an overview of how Remote People can help simplify hiring in Turkey. 

Turkish Employment Laws

The Turkish Labor Law is primarily governed by the Labor Act of 2003, which establishes the mandatory benefits employees must receive to protect them from work exploitation. This is a wide framework that provides specific protections related to working hours, overtime, maternity/paternity leave, and annual paid leave.

Turkey is a member of the International Labour Organization, a body that is run by the United Nations and aims to advance social and economic justice.

It’s highly recommended that employers seek legal advice when hiring in Turkey to ensure all Turkish labor laws are strictly adhered to.

Mandatory Employee Benefits in Turkey

The key mandatory employee benefits in Turkey are detailed below:

Social Security

Turkey operates under The Social Security Institution (SSI) with which employers must register their employees. Employees in Turkey registered with the SSI are entitled to the following benefits:

  • Right to healthcare
  • Right to unemployment insurance
  • Severance allowance
  • Right to assistance regarding workplace accidents, sickness, maternity/paternity leave, and occupational illness
  • Right to long-term retirement, and the passing of retirement benefits to partners/dependents in case of death

The rate of social security in Turkey is 34.75% and is contributed to by both employers and employees.

Minimum Wage

Employees in Turkey are entitled to the national minimum wage as determined by the Minimum Wage Fixing Board. The minimum wage is determined at least every 2 years by the Ministry of Labour and Social Security via the Minimum Wage Fixing Board, though it is typically adjusted annually or semi-annually due to inflation.

The current minimum wage in Turkey is TRY 28,075.50 net per month (2026).

Annual Paid Leave

If an employee in Turkey has completed one year of service, they become entitled to paid annual leave. This is paid as per the below conditions:

Years of Service Annual Leave (Days)
1 – 5 Years 14 days
5 – 15 Years 20 days
Over 15 Years 26 days

Employees below the age of 18 and above the age of 50 must not receive less than 20 days of paid annual leave.

Working Hours

Generally, the maximum number of hours that employees in Turkey can work is limited to 45 hours per week. This should be divided equally by the days of the week worked, however, this can be divided differently if agreed mutually between employer and employee. No single day should be longer than 11 hours.

Overtime Pay

Overtime work in Turkey is defined as work that exceeds the typical 45-hour week.Each hour of overtime worked should be paid at 1.5 times the employee’s normal hourly rate.

Employees may also request time in place of overtime pay, which must be used within 6 months of working time without deduction of wages. Overtime work should not total more than 270 hours per year, and may only be scheduled with the employee’s consent.

Employees in Turkey are generally paid for public holidays. The public holidays in Turkey include the following:

  • New Year’s Day (January 1)
  • Ramadan Start (March 1) (date varies)
  • Ramadan Feast Eve (March 29) (date varies)
  • Ramadan Feast Holiday (March 30 to April 1) (date varies)
  • National Sovereignty and Children’s Day (April 23)
  • Labor and Solidarity Day (May 1)
  • Commemoration of Ataturk, Youth, and Sports Day (May 19)
  • Sacrifice Feast Eve (June 5) (date varies)
  • Sacrifice Feast Holiday (June 6 to June 9) (date varies)
  • Democracy and National Unity Day (July 15)
  • Victory Day (August 30)
  • Republic Day Eve (October 28)
  • Republic Day (October 29)
  • Ataturk Commemoration Day (November 10)
  • New Year’s Eve (December 31)

There is no set maximum period for sick leave in Turkey. Employees who cannot work due to illness are typically paid by the Social Security System after 3 days of sickness, provided that they can supply their employer with a sick leave certificate from a medical professional.

An employee’s regular salary is generally paid over this period, and reimbursed to the employer by Social Security. To qualify for sick leave, employees must have contributed to Social Security for a minimum of 90 days in the last year.

Maternity Leave

Female employees are entitled to 16 weeks of paid maternity leave if they have a baby. This is typically taken as 8 weeks of leave before giving birth and 8 weeks after.

Pregnant employees are also entitled to paid leave for periodic examinations and appointments throughout pregnancy.

Employees may request part-time work following the birth of a child, with the amount of leave allocated dependent on the number of children the employee has. This is generally calculated as follows:

Number of Children Annual Leave (Days)
1 Child 60 days
2 Children 120 days
Over 2 Children 180 days

If an employee has a child with a disability or an adopted child, they are entitled to 360 days of leave.

Paternity Leave

Male employees in Turkey are entitled to paternity leave when their partner has a baby. They are typically entitled to 5 days of paternity leave at full pay, which begins from the day the child is born.

Severance Pay

If an employee has worked under the same employer for at least 1 year, they are entitled to severance pay. This is usually paid if an employee is dismissed without a valid reason by their employer. 

Severance pay is typically provided as a lump sum payment, calculated at the monthly wage multiplied by the complete number of years of employment, and is paid by the Social Security System.

Unemployment Benefit

The Turkish government provides unemployment benefits to people who made unemployment contributions during employment. You must meet the following conditions to be eligible for unemployment benefits:

  • Unemployment insurance contributions must have been paid for 600 days in the last three years and for 120 uninterrupted days prior to the last workday
  • The last employment contract must have been ended without the employee’s fault or intention
  • The person must apply to the Turkish Labor Agency within 30 days of the contract being terminated
  • The person must be suitable and willing for future employment
  • The person must not receive payment from another institution/workplace

Unemployment benefits can be received for a maximum of:

Days of Work with Paid Unemployment InsuranceAnnual Leave (Days)
600 days180 days
900 days240 days
1080 days300 days

Supplementary Employee Benefits in Turkey

It’s recommended that companies offer supplementary benefits in addition to mandatory employee benefits when hiring in Turkey. This is to attract new candidates and improve employee retention.

Examples of supplementary employee benefits include:

  • Performance bonuses
  • Enhanced maternity/paternity packages
  • Private healthcare
  • Supplementary pension benefits
  • Other expenses including transport, housing, and food

Employers could also consider offering flexible working hours to their employees, such as working-from-home opportunities or customized working patterns to accommodate working parents.

Optimize Employee Benefits with Remote People

Adhering to Turkey’s labor laws can be complex for companies expanding into the region. Remote People simplifies this process through our Employer of Record (EOR) services, ensuring full compliance with Turkish labor regulations and employment standards.

Hiring employees in Turkey becomes significantly easier with our EOR solution, which handles legal employment, benefit compliance, payroll, and tax obligations—allowing you to focus on growing your business with confidence.

Remote People can also assist with hiring employees in Turkey via their Turkey Recruitment services. Our team is experienced in the Turkish recruitment industry and can help find the best, highly qualified talent for your business.