March 2021 Update: Measures to Reduce the Impact of COVID-19 on Employment Extended

A new presidential decision published in the Official Gazette on March 9, 2021 further extends several measures to provide Turkish businesses and employees with certain assurances in response to the pandemic:

1. The ban on termination, previously due to expire this month, has been extended for two more months from March 17, 2021 onward. Employers are now prohibited from terminating employees, save for a limited set of exceptional grounds (which we discussed in a previous post), until May 17, 2021.
2. The furlough period, also set to expire this month, has been extended until May 17, 2021. Employers are allowed to unilaterally furlough their employees during this time period.