Unemployment insurance in Turkey
Can foreign workers receive unemployment benefits?
I received a long question about unemployment insurance from Shami. He asks the following:
“Dear Orhan, can foreign workers receive unemployment benefits? I have had a Turkish work permit for 4.5 years and I'm wondering in case of termination can I receive unemployment payments? What conditions are required for unemployement benefits and how are the amounts calculated?”
Dear Shami, in the case of dismissal, you can receive unemployment benefits under certain conditions. After briefly mentioning unemployment insurance, I will give information about these conditions.
In Turkey, the Unemployment Insurance Act (Law no. 4447) was enacted in 1999 and was put into effect as of June 2000. The purpose of the said Act is to regulate rules and principles of the application of the unemployment insurance and to ensure that payments and services envisaged in the Act are provided to the insured persons in the event that such persons become unemployed.
Unemployment insurance is compulsory for both employers and workers. The height of the contributions to be deposited calculates itself as follows: employee's interest: 1 percent, employer's interest: 2 percent, interest of the state: 1 percent. The basis for calculation is the gross income. Insured employees who have lost their jobs without their fault and are keen to have a new job receive that benefit.
[HH] Conditions for unemployment benefit
An insured person has to have worked for at least 600 days within the last three years and has to have worked continuously for the last 120 days prior to leaving the job. Unemployment Insurance operates on a compulsory basis. Those insured under the said Act whose contracts of employment have been terminated are entitled to receive unemployment benefits provided that:
· They apply to the agency İş-Kur, declaring that they are ready to work
· They have worked as insured at least for 600 days within the last three years
· They have continuously worked and paid premiums for the last 120 days prior to leaving the job
[HH] Benefit duration
The unemployment benefit duration varies depending on the work period and premium payment. Workers who have continuously paid premiums for the last 120 days before the termination of employment contracts and fulfill the following requirements are paid the unemployment insurance payment during the corresponding periods, when:
· Insured, unemployed persons who have worked and paid unemployment premiums for 600 days within the last three years receive payments for 180 days
· Insured, unemployed persons who have worked and paid unemployment premiums for 900 days within the last three years receive payments for 240 days
· Insured, unemployed persons who have worked and paid unemployment premiums for 1,080 days within the last three years receive payments for 300 days
[HH] Calculation of benefit amount
The daily unemployment benefit is 50 percent of the previous net earnings of the insured, being calculated by taking into account the earnings of the last four months that constitute the basis for the premium. Unemployment benefits are paid to the unemployed worker on a monthly basis at the end of each month. According to the above-mentioned Act, unemployment insurance benefits cannot exceed 80 percent of gross minimum wage.
For the first six months of 2010, the maximum unemployment insurance benefit is 583.20 Turkish Liras. For the same period, the minimum unemployment insurance benefit is 291.60 liras.
Finally, in terms of unemployment benefits applications, foreign or domestic workers have no distinction.
Hurriyet Daily News/05.02.2010
I received a long question about unemployment insurance from Shami. He asks the following:
“Dear Orhan, can foreign workers receive unemployment benefits? I have had a Turkish work permit for 4.5 years and I'm wondering in case of termination can I receive unemployment payments? What conditions are required for unemployement benefits and how are the amounts calculated?”
Dear Shami, in the case of dismissal, you can receive unemployment benefits under certain conditions. After briefly mentioning unemployment insurance, I will give information about these conditions.
In Turkey, the Unemployment Insurance Act (Law no. 4447) was enacted in 1999 and was put into effect as of June 2000. The purpose of the said Act is to regulate rules and principles of the application of the unemployment insurance and to ensure that payments and services envisaged in the Act are provided to the insured persons in the event that such persons become unemployed.
Unemployment insurance is compulsory for both employers and workers. The height of the contributions to be deposited calculates itself as follows: employee's interest: 1 percent, employer's interest: 2 percent, interest of the state: 1 percent. The basis for calculation is the gross income. Insured employees who have lost their jobs without their fault and are keen to have a new job receive that benefit.
[HH] Conditions for unemployment benefit
An insured person has to have worked for at least 600 days within the last three years and has to have worked continuously for the last 120 days prior to leaving the job. Unemployment Insurance operates on a compulsory basis. Those insured under the said Act whose contracts of employment have been terminated are entitled to receive unemployment benefits provided that:
· They apply to the agency İş-Kur, declaring that they are ready to work
· They have worked as insured at least for 600 days within the last three years
· They have continuously worked and paid premiums for the last 120 days prior to leaving the job
[HH] Benefit duration
The unemployment benefit duration varies depending on the work period and premium payment. Workers who have continuously paid premiums for the last 120 days before the termination of employment contracts and fulfill the following requirements are paid the unemployment insurance payment during the corresponding periods, when:
· Insured, unemployed persons who have worked and paid unemployment premiums for 600 days within the last three years receive payments for 180 days
· Insured, unemployed persons who have worked and paid unemployment premiums for 900 days within the last three years receive payments for 240 days
· Insured, unemployed persons who have worked and paid unemployment premiums for 1,080 days within the last three years receive payments for 300 days
[HH] Calculation of benefit amount
The daily unemployment benefit is 50 percent of the previous net earnings of the insured, being calculated by taking into account the earnings of the last four months that constitute the basis for the premium. Unemployment benefits are paid to the unemployed worker on a monthly basis at the end of each month. According to the above-mentioned Act, unemployment insurance benefits cannot exceed 80 percent of gross minimum wage.
For the first six months of 2010, the maximum unemployment insurance benefit is 583.20 Turkish Liras. For the same period, the minimum unemployment insurance benefit is 291.60 liras.
Finally, in terms of unemployment benefits applications, foreign or domestic workers have no distinction.
Hurriyet Daily News/05.02.2010
