What Does Overtime Mean?
According to the Labor Law No. 4857, the maximum working hours that a worker can do in a day or a week is 11 hours a day and 45 hours a week, unless otherwise specified in the employment contract and collective bargaining agreement. Exceeding these periods is considered overtime.
How is Overtime Pay Calculated?
Calculation of overtime pay varies depending on the employee’s contract and working style.
Hourly Wage Workers: Overtime pay is calculated as 50% more than the regular hourly wage. For example, for a worker whose regular hourly wage is 20 TL, overtime pay will be 30 TL.
Monthly Wage Workers: Overtime pay is calculated as 50% more than the hourly wage, which is found by dividing the monthly gross wage by 225. For example, for a worker whose monthly gross wage is 5,000 TL, the hourly wage is 22.22 TL. In this case, overtime pay will be 33.33 TL.
Payment of Overtime Pay
Overtime pay must be paid together with other salary items in each month the employee’s salary is paid. Overtime pay can be paid in cash or bank transfer.
Other Issues Regarding Overtime
Overtime pay is made at the request of the employer or with the consent of the employee.
The worker may notify in writing that he does not want to work overtime.
Overtime pay is calculated separately for each hour worked overtime.
If overtime wages are not paid, the employee can file a lawsuit against the employer.
Ways to Protect Your Right to Overtime
Track your work hours and document when you work overtime.
If overtime is not paid, submit a written request to your employer.
You can consult a lawyer or union to learn about your rights.
Overtime is a situation that can disrupt workers’ work and private life balance. Therefore, it is important to discuss this with your employer and reach a written agreement before working overtime.