Recent Development

The Presidential Decisions Nos. 3316 and 3317 published in the Official Gazette No. 31343 on 23 December 2020 extend the application deadline for short-term working due to COVID-19 to 31 January 2021 and the short-term working allowance to 28 February 2021.

What Do the Presidential Decisions Say?

Application Deadline for Short-Term Working

The deadline for short-term working applications due to COVID-19 ended on 30 June 2020. The Presidential Decision No. 3238 extended this deadline to 31 December 2020, and the Presidential Decision No. 3316 further extends the application deadline to 31 January 2021. In other words, employers who did not/do not apply for short-term working before 30 June 2020 or between 1 December 2020 and 31 December 2020 but who would like to implement short-term working due to COVID-19 can apply to the Turkish Employment Institution between 1 January 2021 and 31 January 2021.

Short-Term Working Allowance

The period for short-time working allowance for workplaces that applied for short-term working until 31 December 2020 (inclusive)  is extended to 28 February 2021, based on the same principles of the previous extensions. The new extension period will start at the end of the last two-month extension period.

Conclusion

The COVID-19 pandemic has substantially affected Turkey and working life practices in Turkey. The state continues to implement certain practices to support employers and protect employees. We recommend that employers closely monitor all legal changes regarding the COVID-19 pandemic.

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.