Turkey occupational health and social security regulations

Turkey’s occupational health, safety, and social security frameworks involve specific legal requirements for employers and financial protections for workers. Under Law No. 6331, employers must ensure safe environments by appointing certified occupational safety specialists and workplace physicians, with penalties for non-compliance ranging from 44,443 TL to 133,329 TL.

The Social Security Institution (SGK) has updated its regulations regarding personnel promotion and title changes. New rules allow for non-exam appointments to specific roles, such as Provincial Deputy Directors and Legal Counsel, provided candidates meet specific educational and service requirements. The regulation also clarifies exam processes, including the possibility of exams being conducted by institutions like ÖSYM.

Regarding retirement, SGK is intensifying audits using new technologies to monitor approximately 17 million retirees to detect irregularities, such as fraudulent disability pensions, improper survivor benefits, or fake divorces used to obtain widow pensions. Authorities have warned that improper documentation or fraudulent claims can lead to the cancellation of pensions and the retroactive collection of paid benefits with interest.

Financial experts continue to emphasize that future pension amounts depend heavily on the Prime Esas Kazanç (PEK) reported to the SGK. Reporting only minimum wage or failing to include overtime, bonuses, and other benefits can lead to significantly lower monthly pensions.

In the banking sector, competition for retiree customers has increased. Banks such as Şekerbank, ING, and Yapı Kredi are offering promotional benefits of up to 35,000 TL, though these offers often require meeting additional conditions like automatic bill payments or credit card usage. Many of these current promotional offers are set to expire by September 30.