Employment Lawyer in Bursa

Working life is a dynamic field that requires the daily application of acquired rights, constitutional guarantees and complex legislation for both employees and employers. Reinstatement, severance and notice pay, overtime, compensation for workplace accidents and occupational diseases, mobbing, trade union rights and social security disputes are each subject to their own rules and strict procedural requirements. With the experience we have gained in Bursa, one of Türkiye’s major industrial centres, Neka Legal handles all disputes arising from working life with a strategic approach, for both Turkish and foreign employers and employees.

Disputes we handle

Employment cases are by nature two-sided disputes. Our firm actively handles files both for employers, particularly manufacturing, furniture, textile and logistics companies, and for employees. As a legal partner that knows the arguments each side makes before the courts, we can assess files from every angle. Since putting the employment relationship on a sound footing prevents most later disputes, we pay particular attention to drafting and reviewing all kinds of employment contracts and to correctly worded sensitive clauses such as non-compete, confidentiality and training cost provisions.

Termination of employment contracts and reinstatement cases, assessments of just and valid cause, severance and notice pay, and the calculation of overtime, weekly rest, public holiday and annual leave receivables are among our core areas. We also act for employees or employers in mobbing and psychological harassment cases, compensation claims arising from workplace accidents and occupational diseases, and other claims for breach of contract. Work permits for foreign nationals, trade union law and collective bargaining disputes are also within our practice.

In social security law, we represent our clients in service determination actions, objections and lawsuits against administrative fines imposed by the Social Security Institution (SGK), disputes over retirement, old-age and disability pensions, and disputes concerning unemployment benefits and general health insurance.

What rights arise when an employee is dismissed?

How the employment contract ends determines which receivables the employee is entitled to.

To be entitled to severance pay, the employee must have worked for at least one year and the contract must have ended in one of the ways listed in the law; for each full year of service, compensation equal to thirty days’ gross wages, capped by the statutory ceiling, is paid (Labour Law No. 1475, Art. 14). If the contract is terminated without observing the notice period, notice pay is due (Labour Law No. 4857, Art. 17). Work exceeding forty-five hours a week is paid as overtime at the hourly wage plus fifty per cent (Art. 41). Whatever the reason for termination, pay for unused annual leave must be paid to the employee (Art. 59).

A reinstatement action can be filed if at least thirty employees work at the workplace, the employee has at least six months’ seniority, the contract is for an indefinite term and the termination is not based on a valid reason (Arts. 18–21).

Notice periods are 2, 4, 6 and 8 weeks depending on seniority (less than 6 months; 6 months to 1.5 years; 1.5 to 3 years; more than 3 years). You can see the approximate amount of severance and notice pay with our calculator (in Turkish).

How is severance pay calculated?

Severance pay is calculated on the basis of thirty days’ gross wages for each full year of service, with proportional payment for periods of less than a year. The wage used is not the bare salary but the “dressed” gross wage, which includes recurring payments such as meal and transport allowances and regularly paid bonuses and premiums.

1. Recurring fringe benefits are added to the last gross wage to find the dressed gross wage.
2. If this amount exceeds the severance pay ceiling in force on the termination date, the ceiling is used.
3. The dressed wage is multiplied by the total length of service (in years, months and days).
4. Only stamp duty is deducted from the resulting amount; severance pay is exempt from income tax.

If severance pay is not paid on time, interest at the highest rate applied to deposits accrues from the termination date.

When can an employee terminate for just cause?

An employee who resigns is, as a rule, not entitled to severance pay. However, an employee who terminates the contract on one of the just causes listed in the law becomes entitled to severance pay (Labour Law, Art. 24). These causes fall into three groups:

• Health reasons: situations arising from the nature of the work that endanger the employee’s health.
• Conduct contrary to morality and good faith: non-payment or underpayment of wages, failure to apply working conditions, harassment and psychological pressure at work. In practice, non-payment of overtime and under-reporting of social security premiums are also treated as falling into this category.
• Force majeure: circumstances requiring work at the workplace to stop for more than one week.

The deadline for termination for just cause is six working days. The right to terminate on grounds of conduct contrary to morality and good faith must be exercised within six working days of learning of the event and in any case within one year (Labour Law, Art. 26). Stating the reason clearly in the termination notice is important for proof later on.

What are the employer’s obligations before dismissal?

If the contract of an employee covered by job security is to be terminated for reasons related to their conduct or performance, the employer must first obtain the employee’s defence (Labour Law, Art. 19). The termination notice must be in writing and must state the reason clearly and precisely.

Terminations made without obtaining a defence, without written notice or without stating a reason may be found invalid in a reinstatement case, even if a just cause exists. We support our employer clients in conducting the record-keeping, warning and defence procedures properly before a termination decision.

How does mandatory mediation work?

For employee or employer receivables and compensation and for reinstatement claims, applying to a mediator before filing a lawsuit is mandatory (Labour Courts Law No. 7036, Art. 3). The application is made to the mediation offices at the courthouses; if no agreement is reached, a lawsuit can be filed with the final mediation record.

During mediation, we negotiate on behalf of our clients and ensure that settlement documents are drafted so as not to result in an implied waiver of rights.

The deadline for reinstatement is one month. The mediation application must be made within one month of service of the termination notice; if this deadline is missed, a reinstatement claim can no longer be brought.

How does a reinstatement case end?

If the court finds the termination invalid, the employer must re-employ the employee within one month upon the employee’s application. If it does not, the employee is paid job security compensation of 4 to 8 months’ wages, as well as up to 4 months’ wages for the idle period until the judgment becomes final (Labour Law, Art. 21).

Compensation for workplace accidents and occupational diseases

A workplace accident must be reported by the employer to the SGK within three working days at the latest. If the employer is at fault, the employee or their relatives may claim pecuniary and non-pecuniary damages. Compensation is calculated taking into account the degree of fault, the degree of disability, the wage and the capitalised value of the pension granted by the SGK. For an approximate calculation, you can use our workplace accident compensation calculator (in Turkish).

How is a mobbing (psychological harassment) claim brought?

Mobbing is the systematic and continuous intimidation, exclusion or humiliation of an employee at work. The employer is obliged to protect the employee’s personality and to take the necessary measures to prevent psychological and sexual harassment at the workplace (Turkish Code of Obligations, Art. 417).

Conclusive proof is not required for a mobbing claim; it is accepted as sufficient if the events as a whole create a strong conviction that psychological harassment took place. E-mails, correspondence, reassignment letters, medical reports and witness statements are therefore assessed together. An employee subjected to mobbing can terminate the contract for just cause and claim severance pay as well as non-pecuniary damages.

Unregistered work and service determination actions

An employee who worked without social security registration, or whose premiums were declared on a lower wage than the actual one, can file a service determination action to have their work entered in the SGK records. This action directly affects the number of premium days required for retirement and the amount of the pension.

The action must be filed within five years from the end of the year in which the service was performed (Law No. 5510, Art. 86). Payslips, bank records, workplace records and the testimony of people who worked there in the same period are the main evidence.

Which court hears employment cases in Bursa?

Employment cases are heard by the labour courts. A case may be filed at the defendant’s domicile or where the work was performed. For disputes in central Bursa, the mediation application is made to the mediation office at the Bursa Courthouse and the lawsuit to the Bursa labour courts.

Given Bursa’s labour-intensive industrial structure, including the İnegöl furniture cluster, the organised industrial zones and the textile sector, we stand by our clients with local knowledge in frequently arising disputes such as overtime, piece-rate and bonus systems, shift work and workplace accidents. The many files we have handled before the İnegöl and Bursa labour courts and the Regional Court of Appeal have given our firm in-depth knowledge of case law trends and expert approaches in these jurisdictions.

Frequently asked questions

How long must I work to be entitled to severance pay?

At least one year with the same employer.

Can an employee who resigns receive severance pay?

As a rule, no; however, it is payable in cases such as termination for just cause, retirement, military service and a female employee leaving within one year of marriage.

When do employment receivables become time-barred?

The limitation period for severance pay, notice pay, overtime and annual leave pay is five years.

Do I have to observe the notice period when I resign?

Yes. An employee who resigns without just cause must also observe the notice period based on their length of service; otherwise they may have to pay notice compensation to the employer.

Am I entitled to compensation if I am dismissed during the probation period?

A probation period of up to two months may be agreed, during which either party may terminate the contract without notice or compensation. However, the employee is paid for the days worked and receives their other entitlements.

How do I prove overtime?

With timesheets, entry and exit records, correspondence and witness statements.

If I reach an agreement in mediation, can I still sue?

Not for the matters agreed; the settlement record has the force of a court judgment.

Responsible attorney: Kaan Kaplan

This page has been prepared for general information purposes and does not constitute legal advice. Last updated: 6 November 2026.