Maternity, nursing and paternity leave: the new periods in 2026
Maternity leave periods amended by Law No. 7578, working until two weeks before the birth, maternity allowance, nursing leave, paternity leave, half-time work and unpaid leave, the right to request part-time work and a checklist for employers.
Law No. 7578, which entered into force on 1 May 2026, significantly extended maternity leave and paternity leave. In this article we set out, in chronological order, the rights of working mothers and fathers from before the birth until the child reaches school age.
Timeline
| Period | Right |
|---|---|
| During pregnancy | Paid leave for periodic check-ups |
| Before the birth | 8 weeks of maternity leave (10 weeks for a multiple pregnancy) |
| Birth | 10 days of paid paternity leave for the father |
| After the birth | 16 weeks of maternity leave |
| After maternity leave | On request, half-time work or unpaid leave of up to 6 months |
| Until the child is 1 | 1.5 hours of nursing leave a day |
| Until the child reaches compulsory primary school age | Right to request part-time work |
Maternity leave
- The total period is 24 weeks: 8 weeks before and 16 weeks after the birth. For a multiple pregnancy the pre-birth period is 10 weeks.
- At the employee's request and with a doctor's approval, she can work until two weeks before the birth. In this case the unused pre-birth period is added to the post-birth period.
- In a premature birth, the period that could not be used before the birth is added to the post-birth period.
- The employer pays no wages during the leave; SGK pays the employee maternity allowance (subject to at least 90 days of short-term insurance premiums in the last year): Sick pay
- These periods are shown on the payroll as missing days: Missing day codes
Paternity leave
An employee whose wife gives birth is given 10 days of paid leave. This leave is not deducted from annual leave. Other compassionate leave, such as marriage and bereavement leave, is regulated separately.
After maternity leave
Half-time work (unpaid leave): from the end of maternity leave, unpaid leave of half the weekly working time can be requested. The period is 60 days for the first birth, 120 days for the second and 180 days for subsequent births; it is longer for multiple births and the birth of a disabled child. During this period İŞKUR may pay the employee a half-time work allowance.
Unpaid leave of up to six months: if she wishes, the employee can take unpaid leave of up to six months from the end of maternity leave or half-time work. This period is not taken into account in calculating annual leave.
Request for part-time work: until the child reaches compulsory primary school age, the mother or father can request part-time work. The employer must grant the request; the employee can later return to full-time work under the conditions in the Law: Part-time work
Nursing leave
A female employee with a child under one year old is given a total of one and a half hours of nursing leave a day to breastfeed her child. The employee decides the times and whether it is split. Nursing leave counts as working time; no pay is deducted.
Key points for employers
- Pregnant employees and those who have recently given birth cannot be made to work overtime or night work.
- Pregnancy or birth is not a valid reason for termination; termination in this period carries the risk of discrimination compensation and reinstatement.
- Because the contract of an employee on maternity leave is suspended, the length of service continues to run.
- A fixed-term contract can be made for the temporarily vacant position: Fixed-term employment contract
Transitional period
For those whose post-birth leave was continuing when the Law entered into force, the leave was extended by 8 weeks without the need to apply. Additional time was also provided, under certain conditions, for employees whose leave had already ended; check the records of your employees in this position.
Legal basis: Labour Law No. 4857 arts. 13, 74 and additional art. 2; Law No. 5510 art. 18; Law No. 7578.