One of the rights granted to workers by the Turkish Labour Code No. 4857, which is the primary law of Turkish Labour Legislation, is the right of employees to “breaks”.
According to the Article 68 of the Labour Code No. 4857, it is mandatory to apply a break to workers to be used in working days. According to the law, the break must be used by workers at an average time of the daily working hours, adjusted according to the traditions of that place and the requirements of the job and the work.
The break must be fifteen minutes for jobs continue four hours or less daily. A half-hour break must be given for jobs of more than four hours and up to seven and a half hours (including seven and a half hours) daily. A one-hour break must be given for jobs of more than seven and a half hours daily.
These rest periods are minimum and can be increased by individual employment contracts or collective labor contracts and their annexes.
Breaks must be given continuously and it is essential that they are not used with interruptions. However, these periods can be used intermittently if to be regulated with contracts, taking into account the climate, season, traditions in that place and the nature of the work.
Rest periods can be used by workers at the same or different hours in a workplace.
Rest periods are not counted as working hours.
In sum, the Turkish Labour Code No. 4857 has given the right for breaks during the work day for the employees. The break must be fifteen minutes for jobs continue four hours or less daily. A half-hour break must be given for jobs of more than four hours and up to seven and a half hours (including seven and a half hours) daily. A one-hour break must be given for jobs of more than seven and a half hours daily.
