Part-time work rights for Turkish civil servants with children

Turkish public servant parents will have the right to work part-time until their children start primary school in a set of laws which were passed in 2016 but has yet to be implemented by the government.

To implement this right outlined in the law, the government is preparing a new regulation under the “Year of the Family” initiative. The final version of the draft will be provided by the Ministry of Family and Social Services.

Exciting news for public servants

Following childbirth or adoption, either the mother or father public servant will have the option to work part-time.

However, there is a caveat. Only one parent can take advantage of this benefit at a time. This right will continue until the child starts primary school. The salary of the public servant opting for part-time work will be halved accordingly.

According to the draft, those wishing to work part-time will be required to submit a written application to their institution at least one month in advance. However, mothers who work part-time will not receive additional breastfeeding leave.

Normally, the weekly working hours for public servants are 40 hours, but those opting for part-time work will only need to complete 20 hours a week. Employees can choose to work full days on certain days, with a maximum of three days per week, or alternatively, work a minimum of three hours on each of five weekdays.

Part-time work inactive for 8 years

The right to part-time work for public servants was added to the Civil Servants Law in 2016, but it has not been implemented for the past eight years. According to available information, the government is working on a regulation to implement this decision under the “Year of the Family” initiative.

Ministry of Family and Social Services to finalize the regulation

Authorized officials will have the authority to modify working hours in January and July each year. The same conditions will apply to those who adopt children, and this right can be used for each child individually. The regulation draft has been opened for public discussion, and the Ministry of Family and Social Services will finalize the regulation.

This new initiative aims to make life easier for parents working in the public sector, offering more flexibility and support for childcare while maintaining work-life balance.