Update: Measures to reduce the impact of COVID-19 on employment extended

A new presidential decision dated April 22, 2021 has further extended the short term work allowance period to provide Turkish businesses and employees with certain assurances in response to the pandemic.

According to the decision, the short term work allowance has now been extended until June 30, 2021. This program of direct monetary relief payments to employees is only available to businesses that had previously applied for the short term work allowance on behalf of their employees.

As previously noted, the ban on termination, a period during which employers are prohibited from terminating employees, save for a limited set of exceptional grounds, as well as the furlough period, during which employers are allowed to unilaterally furlough their employees, initially set to expire on May 17, 2021, have also been extended by a presidential decision dated April 30, 2021, until June 30, 2021.