Changes to the Leave Periods Granted to Employees Due to Birth and the Periods Related to Temporary Incapacity Benefits

The 8-week maternity leave granted to female civil servants and female workers after childbirth has been extended to 16 weeks, and the total leave period has been increased from 18 weeks to 24 weeks.

A civil servant or worker who is a foster parent for one or more children, either jointly with their spouse or individually, will be granted ten days of unpaid leave upon request after the child is delivered.

If the health condition is suitable, the 3-week period during which a female worker may work at the workplace before childbirth, upon the doctor's approval and at the worker's request, has been changed to 2 weeks.

During the six-month unpaid leave granted to a female worker upon request, the prerequisite total leave period of 16 weeks has been increased to 24 weeks, and in the case of multiple pregnancies, from 18 weeks to 26 weeks.

The 5-day paid leave granted to a worker in the event of their spouse giving birth has been increased to 10 days.

The maternity period after childbirth for the uninsured spouse of a insured woman or insured man, who receives income or salary due to their own work, has been increased from 8 weeks to 16 weeks.

In the case of insured women mentioned in Article 4 of Law No. 5510, who are muhtars as specified in paragraph (a) and (b) of the first paragraph, and those covered by subparagraphs (1), (2), and (4) of the same paragraph, the temporary incapacity benefit provided under the condition of having reported at least ninety days of short-term insurance premium within one year before childbirth has been changed to 'during the eight weeks before and the sixteen weeks after childbirth'.

In parallel with the regulation mentioned in Article 3 above, the temporary incapacity benefit paid for the periods added to the maternity leave after childbirth has been changed to 2 weeks for the 3-week period during which the insured woman mentioned in Article 4 of Law No. 5510 may work at the workplace before childbirth.