Rest is a basic human right for employees. Establishing a work life balance is the key to a happy and healthy working life. Rest is important not only for the individual’s humane existence in business life, but also for the continuity of work. The productivity of a rested workforce increases and the sustainability of production is ensured.
In this context, Turkish Labour Law requires that employees be given the right to rest for certain periods of time, whether they work full-time or part-time. Rights such as determining the maximum daily working time, introducing the right to rest breaks, restricting overtime periods, granting excused leave rights, and the right not to work while having a medical rest report are among these rights.
The right to annual paid leave is also a right introduced in this context. Provisions regarding annual paid leave are regulated in the Turkish Labour Code No. 4857 and oblige employers to provide annual paid leave to the people they employ.
Paid and unpaid leaves defined in Law No. 4857 help employees achieve work-life balance and increase employee satisfaction. Workers who use their leave rights can spare time for their personal lives, rest, and return to work more productively, feeling motivated, relieved of stress and fatigue. This is an issue that will increase both the individual’s quality of life and the overall productivity of the workplace. From this perspective, leave rights create a win-win situation between employer and employee.
Definition of Annual Paid Leave
By definition, annual leave refers to the leave period that must be given to employees by their employers without any deduction in their wages. Employees are free to use their annual paid leave to take a vacation, to spare time for themselves and their families, to take care of their other duties or to rest.
