With two very recent Presidential Decrees published in the Official Gazette (31287) dated 27 October 2020,

  • the terms set out for termination ban and unilateral unpaid leave, which were to expire by 17 November 2020, have been extended until 17 January 2021; and
  • the term set out for the short-time working allowance granted in scope of COVID-19 has been extended until 31 December 2020.

Extension of termination ban and unilateral unpaid leave

With the Presidential Decree 3135, published in the Official Gazette (31287) on 27 October 2020, the termination ban and unilateral unpaid leave, which were to expire by 17 November 2020, have been extended for a further two months as of 17 November 2020.

However, the President is entitled to extend the termination ban until 30 June 2021, for a maximum of three months per extension.

Extension of the term of short-time working allowance

Presidential Decree 3134, published in the Official Gazette (31287) on 27 October 2020, provides that payment of the short-time working allowance for employers that applied for short-time working on grounds of compelling reasons due to COVID-19 by 30 June 2020 (inclusive) has been extended for two further months.

Accordingly, at the time of writing, employers that fulfil the abovementioned requirements can benefit from the short-time working allowance until 31 December 2020 (inclusive).

First published by ILO - Employment & Benefits Newsletter, in 11.11.2020

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.