Maternity leave, nursing leave and half-time work in Turkey: an employer guide

Why does maternity leave need planning?

Maternity leave is one of a female employee's most fundamental legal rights, and for the employer it is a process that needs to be planned in advance. Poorly planned maternity leave can lead to under-reported days, incorrect payroll, restricted employee rights and workload spread unevenly across the team. This guide covers maternity leave, nursing leave, half-time work and the right to part-time work, regulated mainly in Article 74 of the Turkish Labour Law, from the employer's point of view. It is written for foreign companies operating in Turkey whose global parental leave policies need to fit local rules.

Legislation in this area changes from time to time. The information below summarises the general rules; confirm the current rules with the official source before applying them.

How many weeks is maternity leave in Turkey?

A female employee takes a total of 24 weeks of maternity leave: 8 weeks before birth and 16 weeks after. For a multiple pregnancy, 2 weeks are added to the pre-birth period, bringing the total to 26 weeks. Act No. 7578, which extended the post-birth period from 8 to 16 weeks and paternity leave from 5 to 10 days, entered into force on publication in the Official Gazette of 1 May 2026 (No. 33240).

If a doctor confirms that her health allows it, the employee may work until 2 weeks before the birth. The weeks worked before the birth are then added to the post-birth period. If the baby is born early, the pre-birth leave that could not be used is also added after the birth. Leave can be extended with a medical report if the health of the mother or child requires it.

Paternity leave is a separate 10-day paid leave for a male employee whose spouse gives birth. It is not deducted from annual leave.

How are maternity leave dates calculated? An example

Three scenarios for an employee with an expected due date of 13 July 2026 (the end date is the last day of leave):

For a single pregnancy the total is 24 weeks in both scenarios, and 26 weeks for a multiple pregnancy; working longer with a doctor's approval only changes the split. If the actual birth date differs from the due date, the post-birth period is recalculated from the actual date. Record these dates in your leave management process so that leave days, medical reports and the return date are tracked in one place.

Is salary paid during maternity leave in Turkey?

As a rule, the employer is not obliged to pay salary during statutory maternity leave. During this period, an insured female employee who meets the conditions receives a maternity benefit paid by the SGK (Social Security Institution). The benefit is paid for the whole leave period, before and after birth, at two thirds of daily earnings; it requires at least 90 days of premiums in the year before the birth. The detailed conditions of the benefit are governed by SGK legislation; do not promise the employee an amount, and check current conditions in the latest SGK announcement. Some companies top up the difference between the SGK benefit and salary under a collective agreement or company policy; if you do, define it in a written policy.

In payroll, no salary accrues for the days covered by the medical report and these days are reported to SGK as missing days. Partial-month calculations apply in the month leave starts and the month the employee returns. For a worked calculation see the unpaid and sick leave payroll guide, and for current amounts see the payroll parameters.

Does maternity leave affect annual leave?

No. Pre-birth and post-birth maternity leave periods count as time worked when calculating annual leave entitlement. The employee loses nothing in annual leave accrual, and may take annual leave immediately after maternity leave if she wishes. Use the annual leave calculator to check entitlement, and see the annual leave employer guide for the general rules.

Can unpaid leave be taken after maternity leave?

Yes. On request, a female employee may take up to 6 months of unpaid leave starting from the end of post-birth maternity leave. This period does not count toward annual leave entitlement. Get the request in writing and report the unpaid leave period to SGK as missing days with the correct reason.

How does nursing leave work in Turkey?

A female employee with a child under one year old is given a total of 1.5 hours of nursing leave per day. The employee decides at what times and in how many parts to use it. Nursing leave counts as working time, so no deduction is made from pay.

• Nursing leave continues until the child turns 1.
• The employee may use it at the start or end of the day, arriving later or leaving earlier.
• For arrangements such as pooling hours weekly or shifting them to another day, a written agreement with the employee is recommended.
• Nursing leave hours should not be marked as missing work in the timesheet.

Defining nursing leave correctly in timesheet and time-attendance records prevents wrong deductions at month end. See also the timesheet guide.

What is the half-time work allowance and who qualifies?

Half-time work lets the employee take unpaid leave for half of her weekly working hours, starting from the end of post-birth maternity leave. During this period the employee works half time and receives no pay from the employer for the other half; if she meets the conditions, she receives a half-time work allowance from the Unemployment Insurance Fund. The right is also available to employees who adopt a child under three.

The law varies the duration by number of births: as a general rule, 60 days for the first birth, 120 days for the second and 180 days for the third and later births, with 30 days added for multiple births and a longer period if the child is born with a disability. The allowance amount, premium-day conditions and application procedure are governed by İŞKUR (Turkish Employment Agency) legislation; confirm the exact conditions and application steps in İŞKUR's official announcements before acting.

Points for employers:

• Get the employee's request in writing and set the start date based on the end of maternity leave.
• Plan working hours for the half-time period with the employee and reflect them in the timesheet.
• Calculate pay only for time actually worked and report the missing time with the correct reason.
• Make the employer notifications needed for the İŞKUR application on time.

What is the right to part-time work after birth?

After birth or adoption, either the mother or the father may request part-time work until the child reaches compulsory primary school age. When the statutory conditions are met, the employer must accept the request. Once the employee switches to part-time work, pay and other rights are calculated in proportion to working time.

The procedure for this right (the request deadline, employer notifications, when the employee returns to full time, and the rule that both parents cannot use it at the same time) is set out in a regulation. Confirm the exact periods in the current regulation of the Ministry of Labour and Social Security before applying them. For the general rules of part-time work, see the part-time employment guide.

What are the employer's obligations toward a pregnant employee?

• No discrimination: Terminating, excluding from promotion or reducing pay because of pregnancy breaches the equal treatment principle.
• Prenatal check-ups: Paid leave is given for periodic check-ups during pregnancy.
• Lighter duties: If a doctor's report requires it, a pregnant employee is assigned lighter work suitable for her health without a pay cut.
• Night work: There are restrictions on night work for employees whose pregnancy is confirmed by a medical report; confirm the current rules with the official source.
• Occupational health and safety: The risk assessment should include a separate evaluation for pregnant and breastfeeding employees.

How do you plan the workload during leave?

Maternity leave dates are largely known in advance, which gives the employer time to plan. When the employee announces her pregnancy, preparing a handover plan based on the due date helps both the team and the employee. The plan should cover:

• A list of the employee's responsibilities and who covers each one during the leave
• Whether a fixed-term temporary hire is needed, and if so, starting the hiring process early enough
• Time set aside for handover and where handover notes are kept
• Which topics and how often the company will contact the employee during leave, without pressuring her to work

If you hire a temporary replacement, state covering for the employee on leave as the reason for the fixed-term contract. For hiring steps, see the recruitment process guide.

What should the employer do when the employee returns?

The return needs as much planning as the leave. The employee returns to the same or an equivalent position with the same pay and rights. General pay increases made during the leave should be applied to her salary on return. Before the return, hold a short conversation about nursing leave hours, any half-time or part-time work request and annual leave plans. This makes reintegration into the team easier.