What is PDKS? How a personnel attendance control system works

What does PDKS mean?

PDKS stands for Personel Devam Kontrol Sistemi, Turkish for a time and attendance system. A recording point (a card reader, a shared tablet or the employee’s phone) records every clock-in and clock-out with its time; software combines those records with the workplace’s shift, break and holiday rules to produce each employee’s working time for each day. The result is the puantaj (timesheet) that goes into payroll at month end.

In short: PDKS collects the record, the timesheet counts the record by the rules, payroll turns the count into pay. They are three separate jobs; a PDKS product usually does the first two together.

The three parts of a PDKS

• Recording point. Where clock-in and clock-out happen: a terminal on the wall, a shared tablet at the door or an app on the employee’s phone. Each record answers who, when and where.
• Rules engine. Combines shift times, breaks, weekly rest, public holidays, leave and sick notes with the record; separates lateness, early leaving, short breaks and overtime.
• Output. A daily status sheet, the monthly timesheet, overtime and absence reports and the file exported to payroll software.

Types of PDKS: card, PIN, mobile, biometric

PDKS systems differ by recording point. The choice depends on where employees work (one office, many branches, the field), how the record is tied to the right person and the personal data risk.

The biometric row is for information: the Turkish data protection board’s principle decision No. 2026/921 (Official Gazette, 2 June 2026) held that processing biometric data to track working time is unlawful even with explicit consent.

Is PDKS mandatory? Which rules need a record?

Turkish Labour Law does not require a particular device or software. But it gives the employer obligations that can only be met by knowing working time. So the question is not “is PDKS mandatory” but “which record do I use to meet these obligations”.

In practice, in an overtime or pay dispute the workplace’s clock-in records are among the first documents requested. An employer without records is left with witness statements against the claim. A consistent, tamper-evident record therefore protects both the employee and the employer.

PDKS and KVKK: what is allowed?

A clock-in record is personal data; processing it requires a purpose, proportionality and notice. The clearest line today is biometrics: tracking working time with fingerprints, face recognition, iris or retina is unlawful even with explicit consent (KVKK 2026/921). Cards, PINs, QR codes and location records limited to clock-in can be used when set up proportionately. Details: biometric attendance ban · KVKK-compliant employee tracking.

• Location is taken only at clock-in and clock-out; it is not tracked outside working hours or during breaks.
• Employees learn in advance and in writing which data is processed, for what purpose and for how long it is kept (notice).
• Access to the record is limited to the managers and HR staff who actually use it.

How is a PDKS set up? 5 steps

• 1. Write down the rules. Shift times, break length, weekly rest day, lateness tolerance and contractual weekly hours (part-timers included).
• 2. Choose the recording method. A shared tablet or QR in the office, location-based mobile clock-in in the field; there is no biometric option.
• 3. Inform employees. The privacy notice, how to clock in and how a forgotten record is corrected.
• 4. Run it in parallel for a month. Keep it side by side with the old sheet; sort differences into rule errors and record errors.
• 5. Connect the timesheet and payroll export. Agree with your accountant on the format of the month-end file.

What does a PDKS cost?

The cost has three parts: hardware (terminals, cards, tablets), software (usually a monthly per-employee subscription) and setup and maintenance. With mobile and shared-tablet methods the terminal and card costs disappear. In our workforce management product prices start at ₺59 per employee per month (1–50 employee band, excluding VAT), setup is free and there is a 30-day free trial; the band table is published on the product page.

Questions to ask when choosing a PDKS

• If a clock-in record is corrected later, are the old value and the person who corrected it kept?
• Can a part-time employee’s contractual hours be set (the +25% band for work beyond contractual hours)?
• Does it warn about rest breaks, the 7.5-hour night limit and the 11-hour daily limit?
• In what format is the timesheet exported to payroll?
• Is the price published, and how does it change as headcount grows?

For a detailed pre-purchase checklist see the workforce software guide; for the rules themselves see the free HR calculators.

This guide is for information only and is not legal or payroll advice.