Mothers after childbirth to be able to work part-time for six years in Turkey

Hacer Boyacıoğlu - ANKARA

Women will be able to work part-time for six years after childbirth in most sectors, according to a new regulation.

Women working in the private sector will now be able to work part-time until their children are enrolled in primary school in Turkey. For public sector workers, another regulation will be made by the State Staff Directorate in the near future. 

During their part-time work process, they will be paid on an hourly basis.

According to the new regulation published on Nov. 8, a pregnant employee will be able to take a 16-week birth leave, like before. 

A female or male adopter of a child younger than three years of age will also be granted an eight-week leave. 

After maternity leave ends, female workers will be able to work half of their normal weekly work hours for another two months following their first childbirth. This period will be extended to four months for a second childbirth, and six months for more. One of the parents of an adopted child younger than 3 years of age will also be granted the same right. However, the leave will be unpaid. 

When the leaves end, the part-time work process will start for a longer period. Women will be able to work part-time until their child is 6 years old. 

Mothers can apply by notifying their employers a month before their part-time labor process, with the worker required to clearly state how many hours and what days of the week she wishes to work. 

The employer will then specify working hours and days in line with business working hours and days as well as the demands of the worker. If the employer does not respond to the request, the part-time work will automatically commence. Workers will then be paid based on their working hours, which can be up to 30 hours at most. 

Doctors, nurses, medical laboratory workers and other health personnel, and seasonal workers, railway workers and marine workers as well as industrial workers who work on shifts will not be granted the rights.