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Capital City
Ankara
Currency
Turkish Lira
(
₺
)
Timezone
GMT +3
Payroll Frequency
monthly
Tax Year
1 January- 31 December
Employer Tax
22.50%
Languages
Turkish
Capital City
Ankara
Currency
Turkish Lira
(
₺
)
Timezone
GMT +3
Payroll Frequency
monthly
Tax Year
1 January- 31 December
Employer Tax
22.50%
Languages
Turkish
Labor costs in Turkey are considerably lower than in many European countries, attracting businesses looking to manage costs.
Turkey is recognized for having a highly educated and competitive workforce, ranking among the top countries in this regard.
Regulations for remote working exist, and a written agreement is required for remote work arrangements in Turkey.
Businesses can only operate smoothly in Turkey if they comply with local labor laws including drafting compliant employment contract agreements and meeting taxation and payroll obligations. Learn more about the employment laws and regulations in Turkey below, to avoid any compliance issues.
The Turkish Constitution and the Labor Act of 2003 define provisions for employee protections and workers' rights. Discrimination based on age, religion, sexual orientation, gender expression, and race is prohibited. Contracts must be drafted in Turkish but have the option to be bilingual. A contract should include the following elements:
We can help you get a new employee started in Turkey quickly, with a minimum onboarding time of just 1-2 working days. The timeline starts once the employee submits all required information onto the Playroll platform and completes any necessary local authority registrations.
For non-nationals, the Right to Work assessment (if applicable) may add up to three extra days. Additional time may be needed for follow-ups on this assessment. Please note, payroll cut-off dates can impact the actual start date. Playroll's payroll cut-off date is the 10th of each month unless otherwise specified.
The standard workweek is 45 hours, with a maximum of 11 hours per day. You can either work 7.5 hours a day for six days or 9 hours a day for five days.
If you exceed the standard 45-hour workweek, overtime pay is required. The maximum allowed overtime is 48 hours per week. Compensation rates are 150% for weekdays and 200% for weekends. Time off in lieu is also an option. The annual overtime limit is 270 hours, and employee consent is necessary for overtime assignments.
Though optional, employment contracts typically include a probationary or trial period, with the standard duration being two months.
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1 January- 31 December is the 12-month accounting period that businesses in Turkey use for financial and tax reporting purposes.
The payroll cycle in Turkey is usually monthly, with employees being paid on or before the last day of the month.
The minimum wage for employees in Turkey is typically 111.12 TRY per hour, amounting to ~20,002.50 TRY per month for a typical 45 hour work week.
There is no legal requirement for 13th-month payments.
Employer payroll contributions are generally estimated at an additional 22.5% on top of the employee salary in Turkey.
In Turkey , the typical estimation for employee payroll contributions cost is around 15%.
In Turkey, individuals are subject to progressive tax rates ranging from 15% to 40%, determined by their respective income levels as follows:
The normal retirement age is 60 years for men and 58 years for women with been insured for 20 years (for women) or 25 years (for men), and paid the required days of social security premium (ranging from 5000 to 5975 days depending on insurance start date). Mothers of children with disabilities who require constant attendance may receive credit to retire before the normal retirement age.
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The annual leave entitlement in Turkey is from 0 to 20 days, depending on the length of service. for a full time worker. These can include public holidays on top of that or within those days, which would otherwise be unpaid.
There are several public holidays throughout the calendar year. These holidays are distinct from the minimum paid leave entitlement and are granted in addition to annual leave. The following list comprises the national holidays in Turkey:
In Turkey, the labor law ensures that employees are entitled to annual paid leave based on their length of service, provided they have completed at least one year of employment. The accrual periods and corresponding leave durations are as follows:
Female employees get 16 weeks of paid maternity leave. They need to take eight weeks before giving birth and the other eight weeks after. If it's a multiple pregnancy, they get an extra two weeks before childbirth. If a doctor confirms the woman's good health, she can work until three weeks before delivery and then take a 13-week leave after giving birth.
Employees in Turkey are granted five days of paid leave when their spouse gives birth, and three days of paid leave in the case of adoption. The employer covers the costs of this leave.
Employees become eligible for sickness benefits from the social security office after the third consecutive day of illness. Employers are not required to provide sick pay during the initial two days of an employee's sickness (although often paid in practice), and they have the option to terminate workers after a six-week period of sick leave.
Parental leave in Turkey is not specifically regulated by any law. Nonetheless, employees may be eligible for maternity leave and paternity leave benefits.
Employees are permitted a maximum of three days of paid leave to fulfill their matrimonial ceremonies.
Adoptive parents of children below the age of three are eligible for eight weeks of compensated leave, starting from the date their legal custody is officially recognized. Furthermore, these parents have the option to apply for up to six months of unpaid leave following the completion of the adoption process.
The procedures for termination in Turkey depend on the specific terms outlined in the employment agreement and collective agreement. Termination can occur under the following circumstances:
For those employed under an open-ended contract in Turkey. Fixed-term contracts in Turkey do not entail any specific notice period. The duration of notice periods is by the length of the employee's tenure, outlined as follows:
In Turkey, employees who have worked for more than a year and are unfairly dismissed or resign for a valid reason, get severance pay. The amount is calculated by multiplying their monthly salary by the number of years they worked, including any extra months and days. The calculation uses the gross wage, with a set limit.
Disclaimer
THIS CONTENT IS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY AND DOES NOT CONSTITUTE LEGAL OR TAX ADVICE. You should always consult with and rely on your own legal and/or tax advisor(s). Playroll does not provide legal or tax advice. The information is general and not tailored to a specific company or workforce and does not reflect Playroll’s product delivery in any given jurisdiction. Playroll makes no representations or warranties concerning the accuracy, completeness, or timeliness of this information and shall have no liability arising out of or in connection with it, including any loss caused by use of, or reliance on, the information.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jesse Weisz
Jesse is an experienced R&D Analyst at Playroll, a leading Employer of Record (EOR) provider. With a strong background in data analysis and market research, Jesse specializes in identifying emerging trends and driving innovation in global HR solutions. She is an all-rounder, critical thinker and success-seeker (often inextricably linked to being a late-night tea drinker).
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