Working time rules affect payroll directly: a badly designed shift pattern turns into unpaid overtime claims and administrative fines. Here are the rules and how they show on payroll.
Limits
| Rule | Limit |
|---|---|
| Weekly working time | Up to 45 hours; unless agreed otherwise, divided equally over working days |
| Daily working time | Never more than 11 hours under any arrangement |
| Averaging | Different distribution within 2 months (4 under a collective agreement), provided the weekly average does not exceed 45 hours |
| Night work | 20:00–06:00; at most 7.5 hours |
| Annual overtime | At most 270 h (overtime and extra hours combined) |
Breaks
| Daily work | Minimum break |
|---|---|
| 4 hours or less | 15 minutes |
| More than 4, up to 7.5 hours | 30 minutes |
| More than 7.5 hours | 1 hour |
Breaks do not count as working time and may be split by agreement. Time the employee spends at the workplace ready for work does count as working time.
Overtime and extra hours
| Definition | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|
| Overtime | Work beyond 45 hours a week | Hourly wage +50%, or 1 hour 30 minutes off for each hour |
| Extra hours | Where the contract sets fewer than 45 weekly hours, work above that up to 45 | Hourly wage +25%, or 1 hour 15 minutes off |
Hourly wage = monthly gross ÷ 225. Periods under 30 minutes count as half an hour, longer ones as an hour. Overtime pay is shown separately on the payslip and is subject to SGK premiums, income tax and stamp duty like normal wages. Overtime calculator
Employee consent
- Overtime requires the employee's written consent, obtained once when the contract is signed or when the need arises; it is not renewed each year.
- The employee can withdraw consent with 30 days' written notice.
- Consent is not required in compelling circumstances or emergencies.
- Consent and overtime records are kept signed in the personnel file.
Who cannot work overtime
Workers under 18, those found unfit by a medical report, pregnant, recently delivered or nursing workers, underground and underwater workers, and part-time workers.
Make-up work and short-time working
- Make-up work: if work stops for compelling reasons or leave is given at the employee's request, the hours not worked can be made up within 2 months, up to 3 hours a day; the 11-hour limit cannot be exceeded and it does not count as overtime.
- Short-time working: where working time falls significantly because of a general economic crisis or force majeure, up to 3 months with İŞKUR approval; employees receive short-time working allowance. Short-time allowance
Night work
Night workers have a medical examination at the employer's expense before starting and at least every two years. In shift work, employees alternate a week of nights with a week of days.
Common mistakes
- Overtime without written consent (TRY 4,815 administrative fine per employee in 2026).
- Paying overtime as a "bonus" without showing it on payroll; the employee can claim the difference.
- Overtime for part-time employees.
- Averaging without a written agreement.
Sources
Labour Law No. 4857 arts. 41, 42, 43, 63, 64, 65, 68, 69; Working Hours Regulation; Regulation on Overtime and Extra Hours.