Working Hours
"What are the legal working hour limits in Turkey?"
Quick Answer
Maximum weekly working time is 45 hours. Unless otherwise agreed, it is distributed across the working days, and daily working time must not exceed 11 hours. Uneven distribution of weekly working time is possible under the “balancing” (denkleştirme) principle, provided the employee accepts it, daily working time does not exceed 11 hours, and the average weekly working time over the balancing period does not exceed 45 hours (generally 2 months, extendable to 4 months via collective agreement).
Weekly Working Time and Daily Limits (Law No. 4857)
Working time rules are mainly set out in Turkish Labour Law No. 4857 (including weekly working time, daily caps, breaks, overtime, balancing, night work, and weekly rest).
Key Points to Remember
- Weekly working time is 45 hours; work exceeding 45 hours is “overtime” (fazla çalışma)
- Daily working time must not exceed 11 hours (including when balancing is used)
- Breaks (ara dinlenmesi) are not counted as working time; minimum break depends on daily working time (e.g., at least 1 hour if daily work exceeds 7.5 hours)
- Overtime pay is generally +50% per hour (and “work beyond agreed hours up to 45” may be +25% in certain setups)
- Night work is generally limited to 7.5 hours, with limited sector-based exceptions subject to written consent
- Weekly rest is 24 hours uninterrupted once the employee completes the required working days for that schedule
Compliance Requirements
Balancing (Denkleştirme) and Compressed Schedules
Employers should document working time clearly (shift plans, time records), structure schedules to comply with the 11-hour daily cap, apply balancing only with the employee’s acceptance, and calculate overtime and breaks correctly. Under a valid Employment Contract, special rules may apply for night work and sector-specific balancing periods.
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