Most businesses and their employees are currently in the process of planning summer vacations, as the warm months traditionally see workers taking their longest consecutive stretches of time off. This year, however, the granting of annual leave is governed by new rules that change how summer breaks are organized across workplaces.
It should be noted that the changes do not affect the core provisions or the total number of leave days employees are entitled to, but rather the way those days can be allocated throughout the year. Changes have also been introduced regarding how leave is recorded in the Ergani labor information system.
Core Principles
The number of leave days continues to depend on the employee’s years of service.
Regular leave cannot be replaced by monetary compensation except in cases where the employment relationship is terminated.
At least 50 percent of a company’s workforce must take leave during the period from May 1 through September 30. This requirement applies regardless of the sector of activity and covers all businesses employing staff under dependent employment contracts.
The Option to Split Leave
The most significant change concerns the ability to split annual leave into more parts within the same calendar year.
Until now, the general rule required that annual leave be granted as a single block, with splitting permitted only under specific conditions. Under the new framework, leave may be granted in up to four separate periods by mutual agreement between the employee and employer. This allows employees to spread their rest days across different seasons without being required to use all their leave in a single summer period. For example, an employee entitled to 20 days of leave could take ten days in August, five in the fall, and five around Christmas.
Despite the option to split leave, the law sets a minimum duration of continuous leave for each portion. In companies operating on a five-day work week, at least five consecutive working days are required per block. For employees working a six-day schedule, at least six consecutive working days are required. This means leave cannot be used on individual isolated days or in scattered absences, so taking a single day off each week or using random Fridays throughout the summer is not permitted.
The timing of leave continues to be determined by agreement between employer and employee, taking into account both the operational needs of the business and the personal needs of the worker. When multiple employees wish to take leave during the same period, the company may redistribute dates to ensure smooth operations. The Labor Inspectorate retains authority to intervene in disputes over the granting of leave.
Ergani System Registration
As of 2026, the requirement to pre-register regular leave in the Ergani labor information system has been abolished. Previously, businesses were required to declare each employee’s leave in advance. Under the new rules, the declaration is submitted after the leave has been taken and must be filed within the following month. This change applies to all private sector businesses and reduces the administrative burden that had been tied to advance leave notification.
