Guide
Working time averaging in Türkiye: spreading hours across weeks
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Averaging (denkleştirme) means working more in a busy week and less in a quiet one while keeping the period average at 45 hours. Set up correctly, long weeks that stay within the average create no overtime. Set up wrongly, unpaid overtime piles up.
What is working time averaging?
Working time is at most 45 hours a week and, unless agreed otherwise, is divided equally across the working days of the week (art. 63). By agreement of the parties it may be distributed differently; in that case the employee’s average weekly working time over a two-month period may not exceed 45 hours. This is called averaging (denkleştirme).
Averaging period: 2, 4 or 6 months
| Case | Averaging period | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| General rule | 2 months | art. 63 |
| By collective agreement | Up to 4 months | art. 63 |
| Tourism sector | 4 months | art. 63 |
| Tourism, by collective agreement | Up to 6 months | art. 63 |
Implementation rules are in the Regulation on Working Hours under the Labour Law.
Three conditions: agreement, 11 hours, average
- Agreement. The law says “by agreement of the parties”. Averaging cannot be applied by the employer alone; there must be a written basis (a contract clause or an addendum).
- 11 hours a day. Averaging stretches the weekly average, not the daily ceiling: no day may exceed 11 hours (art. 63).
- Period average. Total work in the period divided by the number of weeks must not exceed 45 hours. Anything above is overtime.
Worked example: an 8-week period
Take the two-month period as roughly 8 weeks. A shop works 50 hours a week in the first 4 weeks because of the season, and 40 hours in the next 4.
| Week | Work | Total |
|---|---|---|
| 1–4 | 4 × 50 hours | 200 hours |
| 5–8 | 4 × 40 hours | 160 hours |
| Period | 360 ÷ 8 weeks | Average 45 hours |
The average does not exceed 45 hours, so no overtime arises. Had the last 4 weeks been 42 hours, the total would be 368 hours, the average 46 hours, and 8 hours of overtime would arise in the period.
Without averaging, each of the first four weeks would have 5 hours above 45, a total of 20 hours of overtime.
How it differs from make-up work
The two are often confused. Averaging is a planned in advance uneven distribution of working time. Make-up work is working afterwards the time not worked for reasons such as force majeure, closure before or after a holiday, or leave requested by the employee (art. 64). See the make-up work guide.
In our workforce management system averaging is a company setting: the period (2 or 4 months) is chosen and it cannot be switched on without stating its basis. Overtime is calculated weekly and, with averaging on, the amount is labelled an “upper limit”; the system does not do the end-of-period offset and leaves it to your accountant. This is a deliberate choice to avoid the risk of underpayment.
This guide is for information only and is not legal or payroll advice. Your collective agreement or employment contract may contain more favourable terms.
Working time averaging: frequently asked questions
How long is the averaging period in Türkiye?
The general rule is two months: over two months the weekly average may not exceed 45 hours. A collective agreement may extend it to four months. In the tourism sector the period is four months and may be extended to six months by collective agreement (art. 63).
Does averaging require the employee’s consent?
Yes. The law makes distributing working time differently subject to agreement of the parties (art. 63). In practice this is done with a clause in the employment contract or a separate addendum; the employer cannot apply averaging unilaterally.
How many hours a day can be worked under averaging?
Daily work may not exceed 11 hours. Averaging only stretches the weekly average; the daily ceiling does not change (art. 63). Since breaks are not working time, the 11 hours are net work.
How is overtime calculated in an averaging period?
Total work in the period is divided by the number of weeks; if the average exceeds 45 hours, the excess hours are overtime paid at a premium under art. 41. Work above 11 hours in a day breaks the law even if the average holds.
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