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What is severance pay and when does it arise?

The severance pay calculation process is based not only on salary, but first on whether the employee is entitled to this right at all. In Turkey, severance pay generally comes into play when an employee who has worked for the same employer for at least one year has their employment contract terminated for one of the reasons set out in law.

At this point, the severance pay conditions are not the same as an ordinary resignation from a job. An employee’s decision to quit on their own does not always create a right to severance pay; the reason for termination must be based on a legally valid or protected ground.

What are the main qualifying situations?

  • The employer terminates the employment contract for a reason not based on the employee’s fault
  • The employee ends the contract for just cause due to wages, working conditions or similar reasons
  • All conditions for retirement have been met, or the conditions other than age have been fulfilled
  • Male employees leave for military service
  • Female employees resign within the legal period after marriage
  • In the event of the employee’s death, a claim is made by entitled beneficiaries

In assessing eligibility, documents such as the termination notice, employment contract, payroll records and service history are important. In the event of a dispute, employer records and official documents may be decisive depending on the nature of the file.

What factors are used in severance pay calculation?

In general practice, severance pay is calculated on the basis of 30 days’ gross salary for each full year of employment. If the period exceeds one year, the remaining months and days are added proportionally. For this reason, it is not possible to reach a final figure without determining the length of service accurately.

How are gross salary and additional payments assessed?

In the calculation, not only the base salary but also certain recurring benefits may be taken into account. In practice, this is often referred to as the grossed-up salary approach.

  • Regularly paid travel and meal allowances
  • Recurring bonuses and premiums
  • Other ongoing social benefits that can be valued in money

By contrast, one-off payments or items that are not recurring are not assessed in the same way in every case. In addition, because there may be a legal severance pay cap, the calculation for higher-paid employees may not directly match the gross amount shown on the payroll.

What should be checked before leaving a job?

The most common confusion regarding job separation rights comes from the difference between resignation and just cause termination. For that reason, employees should pay attention to the wording used when stating the reason for leaving, the employer’s termination notice and the payroll records.

In particular, the SGK service history, start and end dates, and salary slips are among the main documents used in the calculation. Depending on the specifics of the case, seeking support from a lawyer specialized in labour law may help reduce the risk of losing rights.

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