Working hours are changing! Here are the details of the planned arrangement.

Work is underway to make changes to the Turkish Labor Law, which directly affects over 30 million employees. According to the information obtained, the government has accelerated its efforts to make new regulations in many areas, from wages to working hours, from general holiday pay to flexible working, from weekly leave to annual leave.

DISCUSSED IN THE BOARD

The issue was also discussed at the Investment Environment Improvement Coordination Board, which was held last week under the chairmanship of Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz. At the meeting, it was decided to carry out technical work to determine the needs arising from the emerging work patterns. It was also decided that the needs for changes in legislation regarding new generation flexible working models such as remote, partial, and temporary work, as well as platform work, should be determined taking into account the requirements of the business world and the work-life balance.

MINISTER IŞIKHAN GAVE A SIGNAL

Minister of Labor and Social Security Vedat Işıkhan had announced in June that work on the flexible working model included in the Savings and Efficiency Package in the Public Sector would begin and that they would meet with all stakeholders on the subject. He also stated that the issue would be brought up at the International Labor Organization (ILO) meeting. Minister Işıkhan had given the signal for the change by saying, "We will make the social security legislation and practices more compatible with the changing labor market conditions and new generation flexible working methods." In this context, it is expected that the working hours will also be adjusted. It is stated that the working hours, which are currently 45 hours, may be reduced to 40 hours, and the 48-hour working hours in some professional groups may also be reduced to 40 hours.

OPPOSITION WANTS IT TO BE REDUCED TO 37.5 HOURS

Former Minister of Labor and Social Security Vedat Bilgin had also stated, "We need to modernize our working life and rearrange the working hours." The opposition had submitted a bill to the Grand National Assembly of Turkey last year to reduce the working hours to 37.5 hours per week.

In recent months, government sources have also stated, "In the new studies, we put the employee at the center. If you empower the employee, the business will develop, the employer will develop. If you don't empower the employee, no matter how many legal regulations you make, the businesses won't change, progress won't be made. In the regulations to be made, there will be new provisions regarding the development of employees' qualifications. There are many businesses that carry out social responsibility projects. They don't pay their own employees or pay them very little. There is an imbalance here, and it should be addressed."