Unpaid Salary and Overtime in Türkiye: Evidence and Claim Preparation

Build a payment schedule

List each month separately: salary agreed, payroll amount, bank payment, any cash payment and the remaining difference. Identify bonuses and commissions by their own conditions. Where the real wage differs from the payroll figure, the claimed amount must be supported with records and other admissible evidence.

• Contract, payslips and bank statements
• Bonus or commission terms
• Correspondence about payment differences

Calculate work from actual records

Overtime is not simply the time between arriving and leaving the workplace. Breaks, weekly totals, night work, special sector rules and the nature of the work may affect the result. A declared schedule should be compared with available access records, rosters, messages and the period each witness knows.

• Shift rosters and time records
• Breaks and weekly rest
• Payments already identified as overtime

Understand what each document proves

A bank statement can establish a transfer without proving the full work schedule. A roster may indicate planned shifts rather than actual attendance. A witness may know only a limited period. Compare sources and explain discrepancies rather than relying on a single document for every part of the claim.

• Who created the record?
• Which period does it cover?
• Does it show work, payment or both?

Before resigning or signing a release

Unpaid wages may give rise to different legal options, but an immediate resignation can create further disputes about its reason and consequences. Have the relevant facts and proposed notice reviewed. A release, mutual termination or mediation settlement can affect the scope of future claims and should be read as a whole.

• Keep the proposed document and attachments
• Record payment dates and amounts
• Obtain an assessment before choosing a termination route

Related guides

Official sources

The linked statutory texts and official guidance are in Turkish. The applicable regime and rules at the relevant date must be considered for an individual case.

• Ministry of Labour — employment legislation
• Labour Courts Act No. 7036
• International Labour Force Directorate — work permits