In brief
In working life, night is the period between 20:00 and 06:00 lasting no more than 11 hours, and night work cannot exceed 7.5 hours; there is an exception in tourism, private security and healthcare with the worker's written consent. A night shift lasts one week, at most two; at least 11 hours' rest is given when shifts change. Women employees obtain a report from the workplace physician before working night shifts; employees under 18 may not work nights in industrial work, and pregnant women and women within a year of giving birth may not work night shifts.
How many hours can night work last? The 7.5-hour rule
The answer to "how many hours can night work last?" is in Art. 69 of Labour Law No. 4857. Under the law, night in working life is the period that starts no later than 20:00, runs until 06:00 at the earliest and in any case lasts no more than 11 hours. Workers' night work cannot exceed seven and a half hours.
The law makes one exception to this rule: in tourism, private security and healthcare, and in exploration and drilling work under Turkish Petroleum Law No. 6491, night work of more than seven and a half hours may be carried out provided the worker's written consent is obtained. Automotive supplier, metal and textile factories in Bursa are not covered by this exception; in these workplaces the 7.5-hour limit is absolute.
The details of application are in the Regulation on Special Procedures and Principles for Work Carried Out in Shifts. Under Art. 7 of the regulation, work on a shift where more than half of the working time falls in the night period counts as night work. The same article prohibits working more than 7.5 hours on night shifts, except in cases listed in the law such as overtime for compelling reasons and in emergencies.
Calculating 7.5 hours in the shift plan
Do not forget rest breaks when calculating. Under Art. 68 of the Labour Law, a half-hour break is given for work lasting more than four hours and up to seven and a half hours (7.5 hours included), and a one-hour break for work lasting more than seven and a half hours; rest breaks do not count as working time. In practice, therefore, an 8-hour shift with a half-hour break corresponds to 7.5 hours of actual work.
| Shift | Time falling in the night period | Night shift? | Actual work | Assessment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 00:00–08:00 (30 min break) | 6 hours | Yes | 7.5 hours | Compliant |
| 22:00–06:00 (30 min break) | 8 hours | Yes | 7.5 hours | Compliant |
| 16:00–24:00 (30 min break) | 4 hours | No; half the time, not more than half | 7.5 hours | Not a night shift |
| 19:00–07:00 (1 hour break) | 10 hours | Yes | 11 hours | Not compliant; prohibited outside the exempt sectors |
| 00:00–10:00, night shift extended by 2 hours (1 hour break) | 6 hours | Yes | 9 hours | Not compliant except in the compelling and emergency cases in the law |
The table is an illustration. A two-shift pattern of 12 hours each cannot be used in industrial businesses because the night shift exceeds 7.5 hours. Planning routine overtime on the night shift breaches the limit for the same reason.
Shift rotation and 11 hours' rest
Art. 69 of the Labour Law and Arts. 8–9 of the Shift Regulation set rules that prevent night work from becoming permanent:
- In work run day and night, workers who have worked nights for no more than one working week are put on the day shift the following working week. Taking into account the nature of the work and OHS, a two-week rotation may also be applied.
- A worker whose shift is changing may not work on the other shift without at least 11 hours' uninterrupted rest. For example, an employee finishing the Friday 16:00–24:00 shift cannot start the Saturday 08:00 shift; there are only 8 hours in between.
- Workers' shifts may not be changed unless necessary.
- The employer posts the number of shifts, the start and end times of each shift, the names of employees, rest breaks and weekly rest days where they can be seen in the workplace (Art. 3), and keeps a list of the workers on each shift at the workplace to present to the Ministry on request (Art. 12).
- In shift work, a weekly rest day of no less than 24 hours is given on one day of the week (Art. 11).
We cover the effects of shift patterns on fatigue and attention in our article on OHS in shift-based production in Bursa's OIZs.
Night shift medical reports: which rule applies?
Previously, the rules on medical reports for night workers were in Art. 69 of the Labour Law. These paragraphs were repealed in 2012 by Art. 37 of Law No. 6331. Today, health surveillance of night workers rests on three foundations:
- Law No. 6331 Art. 15: All employees are examined on recruitment, on a change of job and periodically. In hazardous and very hazardous work, an employee cannot start work without a fitness-for-work report, and the report is obtained from the workplace physician.
- The workplace physician's duties: Art. 9 of the Regulation on Workplace Physicians and Other Health Personnel gives the physician the duty of carrying out health surveillance of employees, including night shifts. In shift-based workplaces, the physician's assignment is also planned with the shift pattern in mind.
- Women employees: Under Art. 7 of the Regulation on the Conditions for Employing Women on Night Shifts, before women employees can work night shifts, a medical report from the workplace physician stating that there is no objection to their working night shifts is obtained before they start. While working, they are also examined at regular intervals set by the physician, taking into account the employee's particular situation and the risks at the workplace.
We explain where to obtain a pre-employment report in our article where to get a pre-employment medical report.
Periodic examinations for night work: what does the physician look at?
The maximum interval between periodic examinations is set by hazard class: at most every 5 years for less hazardous, every 3 years for hazardous and every year for very hazardous workplaces. The physician may shorten these intervals, and night work is a common reason for doing so. For example, in an automotive supplier factory in the hazardous class (NACE 29.32.20), the physician may plan annual examinations for night shift workers.
In the examination, the physician assesses sleep patterns, chronic illnesses, regularly used medicines and health problems that night work may aggravate. The legislation does not set a fixed list of tests; the physician decides according to the risk. You can find the details in our article on periodic examinations and tests.
Who may not work at night
| Group | Rule | Legal basis |
|---|---|---|
| Child and young workers under 18 | May not work at night in industrial work; employing them on shifts between 20:00 and 06:00 is prohibited | Labour Law Art. 73; Shift Regulation Art. 5 |
| Pregnant women employees | May not work night shifts from the date the pregnancy is confirmed by a doctor's report until the birth | Night Shift Regulation for Women Employees Art. 9 |
| Breastfeeding women employees | May not work night shifts for 1 year from the birth; extended by 6 months if a workplace physician's report documents that this is necessary for the health of mother or child | Night Shift Regulation for Women Employees Art. 9 |
| Women employees without a report | May not work night shifts without a fitness report for night work from the workplace physician | Night Shift Regulation for Women Employees Art. 7 |
The regulation also imposes these obligations for women employees: in workplaces outside municipal boundaries or where public transport is difficult at shift change times, the employer transports women on night shifts with suitable vehicles to and from the centre nearest their homes (Art. 6). At the request of a woman employee whose spouse also works shifts, her night shift is arranged so that it does not coincide with her spouse's (Art. 8). A list of the names of women working night shifts is kept at the workplace to be shown in inspections (Art. 10).
For details, see our articles on pregnant and breastfeeding employees and child and young workers.
Night shift checklist for automotive suppliers
A short checklist for automotive supplier businesses running three shifts in Bursa's OIZs (organised industrial zones):
- Does the night shift exceed 7.5 hours of actual work? Is overtime being scheduled on the night shift?
- Do shifts rotate at most every one or two weeks, and is the 11-hour rest kept at changeover?
- Is the shift roster posted and up to date?
- Has any employee, intern or apprentice under 18 been put on the night shift?
- Are the physician's reports, transport arrangements and name list in place for women on the night shift?
- Is the shift of an employee reporting a pregnancy or birth reviewed the same day?
- Are a trained first aider and emergency team present on the night shift?
- Is the workplace physician scheduled so as to cover the night shift too?
We plan health surveillance for night workers through our health surveillance service; in shift-based businesses we also spread physician visits across night shifts as part of our workplace physician service. For other sector-specific topics, see our automotive supplier industry page.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many hours can night work last?
Night work cannot exceed 7.5 hours. In tourism, private security, healthcare and petroleum exploration work, longer night work may be carried out with the worker's written consent.
Is a separate medical report needed for the night shift?
For women employees, a fitness report for night work must be obtained from the workplace physician before they start. For other employees, the general pre-employment and periodic examination rules apply; the workplace physician takes night work into account and shortens the examination interval if necessary.
Which shift counts as night work?
A shift where more than half of the working time falls in the night period between 20:00 and 06:00 counts as night work. For example, the 16:00–24:00 shift is not a night shift because only half of it falls in the night period.
How much rest is needed when moving from the night shift to the day shift?
A worker whose shift is changing may not work on the other shift without at least 11 hours' uninterrupted rest.
An exposure-based test plan, pre-employment and periodic examinations, confidential health files and an examination schedule tracked per person.
Bursa SİSTEMER OSGB Technical Team — written from the field experience of our OHS specialists and workplace physicians. Legal information is valid as of the publication/update date; contact us for an assessment specific to your business.