Employment Contract in Turkey

The main law governing labor relations in Turkey is the Employment Act which was issued in 2003. The same law covers the employment contract in Turkey which is defined as an agreement under which a person (the employee) accepts to work for a company or another person (the employer) for certain amount of money, called a salary. The employment contract does not have any special form, but it must contain various information about the employee and the Turkish company hiring them.

Our company formation agents in Turkey can offer more information about hiring employees for your local company.

Types of labor contracts in Turkey

There are four categories of labor contracts one can enter into in Turkey. Local companies can offer their employees any of the following:

• -          permanent and temporary employment agreements;
• -          indefinite and definite employment agreements;
• -          full-time and part-time contracts;
• -          work-on-call labor agreements.

As a country with a very prolific tourism industry, Turkey also offers a lot of seasonal jobs, which is why many companies also conclude seasonal employment contracts during the summer.

While most Turkish employment agreements are permanent and indefinite, there are also many Turkish companies offering part-time employment. The work-on-call contract refers to agreements in which working hours have been agreed up in advance. The employee must work at least 20 hours per week under this type of labor contract.

The content of the employment contract in Turkey

One must know that an employment agreement in Turkey may be concluded orally or in writing, however the written form is the most common. In order to be valid, a Turkish labor agreement must contain the following information:

• -          the names of both employer and employee;
• -          the place where the worker will carry out their activity;
• -          the start of employment;
• -          the duration (in the case of determined contracts);
• -          the type of contract;
• -          the salary and additional benefits, where applicable;
• -          the working hours;
• -          a description of the job and the employee’s duties and responsibilities;
• -          the employer’s responsibilities;
• -          the conditions for termination.

The contract must be signed by both employee and the Turkish company hiring them.

If you want to open a company in Turkey and need advice about hiring personnel, do not hesitate to contact us. You can also rely on our consultants for the company registration procedure.