45-hour weekly working hours in Turkey and global transformation trends

While changes in working hours and legal regulations draw attention worldwide, the future of the weekly working hours in Turkey is being debated. While working hours in developed countries show a trend towards below 40 hours, current legal regulations and global comparisons point to a new era.

While working hours worldwide are showing a trend towards below 40 hours, the weekly working time in Turkey continues to be applied as a maximum of 45 hours pursuant to Article 63 of Labor Law No. 4857. Historically, a limit of 8 hours per day and 48 hours per week was introduced by the ILO in 1919, and the 40-hour working target was adopted as a global recommendation in 1935. While the 40-hour weekly limit was registered in countries such as France and the USA in the 1930s, in recent years, working hours have been gradually reduced to 40 hours or below in countries such as Iceland, Chile, Mexico, and Brazil. Turkey, with its 45-hour weekly working period, holds a different position among these countries.