News
COMPETITION IN THE LABOR MARKET: HR PRACTICES TO AVOID
The Turkish Competition Authority ("Authority"), which is entrusted with ensuring the proper functioning of markets, identifying practices that restrict competition, and imposing sanctions against infringements, operates under Law No. 4054 on the Protection of Competition ("Law") without distinction between input and output markets. Labor markets have recently emerged as one of the primary arenas in which entities compete in input markets and, with the influence of various additional dynamics, have become a market increasingly prioritized by the Authority. The Guidelines on Competition Violations in Labor Markets ("Guidelines"), adopted by the Authority on November 21, 2024, serve as an important reference for the prevention of competition infringements in labor markets. In this bulletin, in light of the Guidelines and decisions of the Competition Board ("Board") within the Authority, (i) the fundamental principles and information regarding the application of competition law to labor markets, and (ii) the main prohibited practices to be observed when competing in labor markets will be addressed.
DOES AN EMPLOYEE'S EXTENDED PERIOD OF SICK LEAVE GRANT THE EMPLOYER THE RIGHT TO TERMINATE THE EMPLOMENT CONTRACT?
In employer-employee relations, the direct impact of long-term medical reports on the status of the employment contract holds critical importance for both employees and employers. In particular, uninterrupted periods of sick leave lasting for a certain duration are regulated under Article 25/I(b) of the Labour Law as a specific provision that grants the employer the right to immediate termination for just cause and determines the rights to be granted to the employee. In this context, how the employer may exercise the right of termination for just cause following the employee's extended medical leave and the legal basis of this process should be examined in detail.
