Regulations regarding workers’ rights in Türkiye are regulated in the Labour Code No. 4857. Pregnant or breastfeeding female employees are a group subject to special regulations in the said law. In addition, according to the Regulation on Working Conditions of Pregnant or Breastfeeding Women, Nursing Rooms and Child Care Centres issued in accordance with the Law No. 4857, certain restrictions have been introduced regarding these employee groups.
Accordingly, female employees cannot be forced to work at night from the time their pregnancy is determined by a medical report until the birth.
It is primary that female workers are not allowed to work for a total of sixteen weeks, eight weeks before and eight weeks after birth. In the case of multiple pregnancies, two weeks are added to the eight-week period before birth. However, if the health condition is suitable, with the approval of the doctor, the female worker may work at the workplace for up to three weeks before birth. In this case, the periods worked by the female worker are added to the periods after birth. In the event of a premature birth, the periods not used before birth are added to the periods after birth and used.
Pregnant employees are required to be given paid leave for periodic check-ups during their pregnancy.
It is prohibited for an employee who has just given birth to work at night shifts for one year following the birth. Even at the end of this period, they cannot work at night shifts if it is determined by a medical report that it is dangerous in terms of health and safety.
It is prohibited for pregnant or breastfeeding employees to work more than seven and a half hours per day.
Female employees are compulsorily given a total of one and a half hours of breastfeeding leave per day to breastfeed their children under one year old. The employee determines between which hours and how many times this period will be used. This period is counted as daily working hours.
Breastfeeding employees must have a medical report indicating that they do not have any conditions preventing them from working at the end of their maternity leave and before they start work. An employee whose work is determined to be risky by a medical report cannot be employed for the periods and jobs specified in the report.
