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Turkey

Sexual harassment in the workplace in Turkey

Table of contents
  1.  Please describe whether there is any legal regulation (laws or collective bargaining agreements) or other measures in this jurisdiction which prohibit sexual harassment in the workplace, and since when has the prohibition been in force?
  2. Are employers in this jurisdiction required to take pro-active action to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace?
  3. Has the #MeToo movement had a noticeable impact on the number of harassment claims against your employer clients?
  4. What legal remedies are in place to resolve or compensate for workplace sexual harassment in this jurisdiction?
  5. On a traffic light red/amber/green scale, how high a priority is tackling sexual harassment for clients in this jurisdiction?
  6. Any other relevant information on workplace harassment?
  7.  Are you aware of any sectors which have been particularly affected by, or concerned with, harassment? For example, where reports of complaints are high, or the media have exposed an issue, or regulators are taking action? 
Turkey
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Turkish Labour Law ("the Law") obliges employers to protect their employees as part of their duty of care, therefore this also includes protection against harassment. 

Further, the Law deems sexual harassment in the workplace as a reason for immediate termination of employment. Therefore, if an employee who has experienced  harassment at  work and has previously reported the harassment to the employer, and the employer has failed to take the necessary precautions against the harassment, the harassed employee would be able to resign with immediate effect and seek certain statutory payments.  

The Law and the related protection has been in place since 2003.

In addition, the Turkish Code of Obligations also requires employers to establish order in the workplace ensuring that the personal rights of employees are protected. However, the actual implications of this obligation, implemented in 2011, have not been well defined by court decisions  and therefore remain relatively theoretical.  

2. Are employers in this jurisdiction required to take pro-active action to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace?

As mentioned above, employers are required to take pro-active action to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace as part of their duty of care to their employees. The obligations under the Code of Obligations explained above may also be considered as prompting employers to take action. However, in practice, Turkish courts would review whether an employer has taken the necessary precautions against harassment once it has been reported by an employee (as opposed to whether the employer took precautions even before the harassment took place).

3. Has the #MeToo movement had a noticeable impact on the number of harassment claims against your employer clients?

No.

In line with the legal remedies mentioned above, the harassed employee would be entitled to lawfully terminate their  employment contract and claim all statutory benefits (among others severance pay, unused holiday pay, pay for any overtime work performed, other outstanding amounts such as bonuses) if the employer has failed to take precautions following the occurrence of a case of harassment.  

Where the employer has failed to prevent harassment and has acted negligently in this respect, the employee may be able to claim non-material damages as well based on the failure of the employer to fulfil its duty of care

5. On a traffic light red/amber/green scale, how high a priority is tackling sexual harassment for clients in this jurisdiction?

For most of our clients, this would be considered a high priority matter, so a red light, assuming that it is intended to show the highest priority.

6. Any other relevant information on workplace harassment?

The Law is the primary source regarding the workplace-related regulations. Further, as mentioned above, the Turkish Code of Obligations also imposes certain obligations on the employer although the actual implications of these remain unclear. 

As for the criminal law aspect of this behaviour, this is regulated under the Turkish Criminal Code. It should also be noted that the criminal law aspect of harassment would not be binding on labour courts which means that even if a suspect is acquitted of criminal proceedings related to a case of sexual harassment, he/she may continue to face labour law sanctions (i.e. termination of employment).

7. Are you aware of any sectors which have been particularly affected by, or concerned with, harassment? For example, where reports of complaints are high, or the media have exposed an issue, or regulators are taking action? 

No.