Yargıtay updates mandatory break times for long working hours

Following a decision by the Yargıtay (Supreme Court of Appeals), break time regulations for employees in Turkey have been restructured to account for extended working hours. While the Labor Law typically defines a maximum daily working period of 11 hours, the court has addressed instances where work exceeds this limit.

Under the new guidelines, employees working between 11 and 13 hours are entitled to at least 1.5 hours of break time. For those working between 13 and 14 hours, the mandatory break increases to 2 hours. Standard break durations for shorter shifts remain: 15 minutes for up to 4 hours, 30 minutes for 4 to 7.5 hours, and 1 hour for 7.5 to 11 hours.

Employers who fail to provide these legal rest periods face administrative fines of up to 26,620 TL. The ruling also clarifies that break times are not included in the calculation of total working hours and must be used freely by the employee. These regulations apply to various sectors, including remote workers, and include specific protections for child laborers and nursing mothers.