Shift scheduling in Turkey: rules, night work and rest periods

What is shift scheduling and why does it matter in Turkey?

Shift scheduling means deciding in advance which employee works on which day, during which hours and in which role. In manufacturing plants, hospitals, call centers, retail stores, warehouses and private security, the shift pattern is the operation itself. A good schedule keeps the business running while protecting each employee's statutory rest.

For foreign companies operating in Turkey, the shift roster is also where several legal rules meet: working time under the Labor Law (İş Kanunu, Law No. 4857), overtime, night work, weekly rest, public holidays and annual leave. Every mistake in the plan later shows up in the timesheet (puantaj), in payroll and potentially in a labor inspection. Because the statute of limitations for employee wage claims in Turkey is 5 years, a scheduling error made today can still be argued in a claim years later.

This guide covers the core rules for shift work in Turkey, the limits on night work, rest periods and a sample weekly roster. For overtime pay details, see our overtime in Turkey guide.

How many hours per week can employees work in Turkey?

The general rule is a maximum of 45 hours per week. Unless agreed otherwise, these hours are spread evenly across the working days of the week. The parties may agree to distribute weekly hours unevenly; even then, daily working time cannot exceed 11 hours, and the average weekly hours over the balancing (averaging) period must not exceed 45. Design any averaging arrangement in line with the employment contract and any collective agreement, and confirm the current rules with the official source.

A common mistake is to fix the shift length without checking how many shifts fall into the week. If an employee works 9-hour shifts (8 net hours plus a 1-hour break) six days a week, net working time reaches 48 hours and creates 3 hours of overtime. Those hours count as scheduled overtime: the employee's written consent, a 50% premium and the 270-hour annual cap all apply.

How long can a night shift be in Turkey?

Under Turkish law, "night" is the period that starts no later than 20:00, ends no earlier than 06:00 and lasts at most 11 hours. In practice the 20:00 to 06:00 window is used. Employees' night work cannot exceed 7.5 hours. The limit applies to net working time within the night window, so an 8-hour night shift from 22:00 to 06:00 is non-compliant if net working time still exceeds 7.5 hours after the break is deducted.

When designing night shifts, keep these points in mind:

• Cap net working time within the night window at 7.5 hours; build an 8-hour shift as 7.5 net hours plus a break.
• Avoid extending night shifts to cover gaps with overtime. Overtime during night work is generally treated as prohibited; check the current regulation with the official source for exceptions.
• In rotating crews, set up a rotation so that nobody stays permanently on nights. The regulations require day and night crews to alternate at set intervals; confirm the rotation period in the current regulation.
• Employees who will work nights must have a health examination before starting and at regular intervals. Plan the calendar with your occupational health and safety (İSG) team.
• Protected groups such as pregnant and breastfeeding employees and workers under 18 are subject to special restrictions on night work; check the current rules before scheduling them.

What rest periods are required between shifts in Turkey?

Breaks during the shift

A break is given near the middle of the daily working time, in line with the nature of the work and local custom. The general rule is 15 minutes for work of 4 hours or less, half an hour for work of more than 4 hours up to 7.5 hours, and 1 hour for work of more than 7.5 hours. Breaks do not count as working time, so always calculate net working time separately from the shift's start and end times.

Rest between two shifts

In rotating shift work, an employee who finishes a shift must have an uninterrupted rest before starting the next one. In practice a minimum of 11 consecutive hours is applied. "Quick returns", such as finishing a night shift and starting an afternoon shift on the same day, breach this rule. Check the changeover days carefully whenever a rotation switches, and confirm the requirement in the current regulation.

Weekly rest day

Provided they have worked the preceding days, employees are entitled to at least 24 consecutive hours of rest within each seven-day period (hafta tatili, the weekly rest day). It does not have to be Sunday; in shift-based workplaces weekly rest days can be spread across different days for different employees. What matters is that every seven-day window in the roster contains 24 hours of uninterrupted rest.

How should shifts be planned on public holidays in Turkey?

Whether employees work on national and public holidays is determined by the collective agreement or the employment contract. In continuous operations, working on these days is normal. An employee who works on a public holiday receives, in addition to the normal pay for that day, one extra day's wage for each holiday worked. This is separate from the overtime premium and should be calculated as its own payroll item.

On the planning side, enter public holidays into the calendar at the start of the year, assign holiday shifts through a fair rotation and keep records of the relevant employees' agreement. Review annual leave requests together with holiday periods; see our annual leave in Turkey guide for entitlements.

Example: what does a three-shift weekly roster look like?

The table below shows a three-shift pattern for a unit running 24/7. Each shift is 8 hours including a break. On the night shift, net working time is capped at 7.5 hours.

In this pattern each employee works 7.5 net hours on six days, exactly matching the 45-hour limit. The seventh day is the weekly rest day. If an employee rotates from nights to mornings, placing the weekly rest day between the two blocks automatically secures the 11-hour rest requirement.

How is overtime calculated on a shift schedule?

If unplanned extensions or staff shortages push weekly hours above 45, every extra hour is overtime and is paid at the normal hourly rate plus 50%. For monthly-paid employees the hourly rate is usually the gross monthly wage divided by 225 hours (30 days x 7.5 hours). The example below uses the 2026 gross minimum wage.

These amounts are gross; SGK (Social Security Institution) contributions and taxes are calculated separately in payroll. Try your own figures with the overtime calculator and check current ceilings and rates on the payroll parameters page.

How should employers communicate the shift schedule?

Even an accurate roster causes problems if employees learn about it late. Publishing the schedule at least one week, ideally two weeks, in advance is good practice. Announce changes in writing or through an electronic channel and keep a record of who saw what and when. When two employees ask to swap shifts, check the manager's approval and confirm that the new plan still respects the 45-hour week, the 7.5-hour night limit and the weekly rest day.

The rotating shift pattern, break times and shift start and end times should be posted where employees can see them at the workplace, and the posting should be updated whenever the plan changes.

How does the shift schedule connect to timesheets and payroll?

Planned and actual work are rarely identical. Employees arrive late, shifts run over and last-minute changes happen. You therefore need to compare the plan with time and attendance records (PDKS, the Turkish term for time and attendance systems) and settle the differences in the timesheet. If payroll is run before the timesheet is closed, overtime, night work and public holiday pay can be underpaid or miscalculated.

A recommended flow is: publish the plan, collect clock-in data, compare plan with actuals, close differences with manager approval and transfer the approved timesheet to payroll. Treat time and attendance and month-end timesheet processes together.

What are the most common shift scheduling mistakes?

• Treating shift length as net working time. An 8-hour shift is 7.5 or 7 net hours after the break. The 45-hour weekly limit is based on net time.
• Extending night shifts. Adding 2 hours to a night shift when short-staffed exceeds the 7.5-hour limit and creates night overtime risk.
• Shifting the rest day so a stretch exceeds 7 days. When rotations change, employees often end up working 8 or 9 days in a row.
• Not recording shift swaps. If the timesheet closes on the original plan after a swap, pay and absence records become wrong.
• Paying public holiday work as overtime. Holiday pay and the overtime premium are different items and are calculated separately.
• Keeping the plan with one manager only. If the plan and its change history are not stored in a shared system, providing evidence in an inspection becomes difficult.

How can shifts be distributed fairly?

Fairness matters as much as compliance. If night, weekend and holiday shifts always fall on the same people, engagement drops and turnover rises. Put rotation rules in writing, for example that each employee takes a similar number of night and weekend shifts in a period. Collect employee preferences (such as studies or caregiving duties) within a set window and take them into account when building the plan. At the end of each period, report the number of night, weekend and holiday shifts per person to measure the distribution.

In businesses with fluctuating demand, such as retail and call centers, use historical volume data to estimate staffing needs by hour. This lets you shape the plan around demand instead of "everyone at the same time every day" and reduces unnecessary overtime.