Weekly Rest (Weekend) Rights and Wage Obligations in Turkey

Weekly rest is a constitutional right in Turkey. According to Article 50 of the Constitution, “Rest is the right of all workers,” and the specific conditions for paid weekly rest are regulated under Labor Law No. 4857.

1. Entitlement to Weekly Rest (The 6-Day Rule)

To be entitled to a paid weekly rest, an employee must have worked the full working hours (usually 45 hours) during the six days preceding the rest day.

• Days Deemed as Worked:Even if the employee is not physically at work, the following periods are considered “worked” for the purpose of weekend entitlement:
  • Statutory leaves (up to 3 days for marriage or death of immediate family members).
  • Sick leave (supported by a medical report).
  • Other leaves granted by the employer (up to one week).
  • Public holidays and periods where business operations are suspended by law.

2. The 24-Hour Continuous Rest Rule

The weekly rest must be a minimum of 24 continuous hours (usually from 00:00 to 24:00).

• Non-Divisibility:The rest period cannot be divided. If an employee is called to work for even one hour during their rest day, the weekend is considered “interrupted,” and the employer is legally deemed not to have provided the rest day at all.
• Shift Work Exception:In businesses operating 24/7, the rest day may start at a time other than midnight, provided the 24-hour continuous rest is granted. According to the Supreme Court, shifts ending early Sunday morning (e.g., 08:00) that began Saturday night are not considered “weekend work” if a subsequent 24-hour rest is provided.
• Young Workers:For child and young workers, the weekly rest period must be at least 40 continuous hours.

3. Payment of the Weekly Rest Wage

Weekly rest is a paid rest. The employer must pay the employee’s full daily wage for the rest day without requiring any service in return.

• Calculation:For employees on an hourly wage, the weekend wage is 7.5 times the hourly rate.
• Coincidence with Holidays:If the weekly rest coincides with a public holiday, only one day’s wage is paid (no double payment). However, weekends falling within a period of Annual Leave are not counted as leave days; the leave period is extended by the number of weekends it encompasses.

4. Working on the Weekly Rest (Overtime)

Contractual agreements requiring an employee to work on their weekly rest day are null and void. However, if work is performed:

• Compensation:According to Supreme Court precedents, working on a rest day is treated as overtime.
• The 2.5x Rule:In practice, the employee receives:
  1. 0 day(The regular paid rest wage they would have received anyway).
  2. 5 days(Overtime pay for the work performed).

• Total: 5 days’ worth of wagesfor working on a weekend.

Ensure your business complies with statutory rest requirements to avoid labor disputes. Atlas Global Audit & Accounting provides expert consultancy on payroll management and labor law compliance.