Employer of Record in Turkey

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Is the concept of EoR known in your country? Is the concept of EoR regulated by law in your country?

In Turkey, there are companies that offer the "Employer of Record" (EoR) service. EoR companies generally take on the formal tasks related to labor law (conclusion of the employment contract, payment of salary, statutory entitlements, etc.) and administrative tasks (registration/deregistration for social security, payment of taxes and social security premiums, etc.). This makes it easier for foreign companies to gain a foothold in a new market without (at least for the time being) having to be established in the Turkish market themselves.

The demand for EoR services in Turkey has increased in recent years. Especially for foreign companies looking to expand into the Turkish market, EoR offers a solution to quickly hire qualified employees while meeting the country's labor law requirements and reducing tax risks.

Foreign companies make use of such services in order to find out about the legal and administrative requirements of setting up a company before a possible establishment and, if there is no interest in setting up a company, to hire employees in this way. 

The demand for EoR services in Turkey is based on various factors, including flexibility in recruitment (especially after the pandemic), the reduction of risks associated with local labor/tax legislation and the streamlining of administrative tasks.

There is currently neither a statutory regulation nor established case law. There is also a lack of academic articles that deal comprehensively with the concept of EoR. There are no specific legal requirements or court decisions that explicitly regulate or clarify this employment model.

Is the EoR concept similar to temporary employment/labor leasing in your country?

A company offering EoR services takes on the recruitment of an employee on behalf of another company. It pays a salary that corresponds to that of a regular employee and bears the associated duties. In addition, the EoR company charges the client a monthly service fee that covers not only the salary but also other operating expenses in accordance with the contractual agreements.
As described above, there is no statutory regulation for the EoR triangular concept.

Temporary employment, on the other hand, refers to a situation in which an employee is hired by a personnel service provider (temporary employment agency) and then loaned to another company to work there. In this case, the employee is formally employed by the personnel service provider, but actually works for another company. The economic and legal employer is identical here, namely the personnel service provider. 

The regulations on temporary employment are set out in Turkish labor law. It can be seen that there is a similar relationship between personnel service providers (employment agencies), employers and employees as in the EoR concept. This relationship is referred to in the law as "professional employee leasing". According to the legal provisions, a temporary employment contract may last a maximum of four months; extensions are generally not possible or are regulated as exceptional cases.

The relationship between the personnel service provider, the employee and the employer is similar to the EoR in some respects, but differs due to legal requirements.

It is important to note that the personnel service providers that provide temporary employment services are entities that are subject to mandatory approval by the Turkish Employment Agency. It is therefore prohibited to carry out activities as a personnel service provider without having obtained a corresponding permit from the Turkish Employment Agency. Administrative penalties are imposed for violating this prohibition.

Special features of the activity within the framework of the EoR concept or temporary employment.

As described above, it is necessary for personnel service providers to have a permit/license from the Turkish Employment Agency. You may only provide your services within the scope of this authorization. It is therefore strictly forbidden to arrange such an employment relationship without the required authorization from the Turkish Employment Agency.

Any violation of this explicit prohibition will result in administrative sanctions. Administrative penalties are imposed to ensure that the regulations are complied with and the legal integrity of the employment placement process is maintained. It is therefore the responsibility of the parties involved to ensure that all necessary authorizations have been obtained in order to avoid possible legal consequences.

With regard to cases in which the activities were carried out without a license, there are judgments of higher instances according to which it was decided that both the lending company and the borrowing company are jointly and severally liable for all claims of the employee. According to this case law and general principles of labor law, the rights of employees are subject to special protection. 
No license or special permit is required for the hirer's activities. As described above, the time limit is generally four months.

According to the general provisions of the Turkish Labor Code regarding salary, the parties to the employment contract are free to determine the amount within the scope of contractual freedom, provided that the salary is not below the minimum wage. When determining the salary, the type of work and the employee's qualifications are important. In addition, salary practices in the workplace and professional customs may also be taken into account when determining the salary. However, these requirements apply to the Turkish labor market. As things stand at present, there is generally no entitlement to adapt working conditions to markets that extend beyond Turkey's borders.​​

What are the special tax features of the EoR concept in your country?

In principle, the risk of establishing a permanent establishment can be limited by using the EoR services, which means that there is no direct employment relationship with the foreign company for the time being.

Nevertheless, it cannot be completely ruled out (also in view of the lack of a legal basis for the EoR to date) that the Turkish authorities may determine during an audit that the economic employer is a company based abroad. If the employee also fulfils additional permanent establishment conditions (e.g. power of attorney for the company based abroad), then the EoR constellation is not sufficient either.

The double taxation agreement with Germany does not provide for any special regulations on temporary employment.​

How do you antic​ipate the concept of EoR evolving in your country from your perspective?

As long as the problem of the shortage of skilled workers, particularly in Europe, remains unresolved, we assume that demand for EoR services will increase. However, there is also a tendency for specialists to be employed directly abroad and to relocate abroad. It also remains to be seen whether the legal loophole in relation to EoR will be closed. For long-term plans on the Turkish market, however, an own establishment is still advisable.​

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