New Threshold for Wage Payments: Bank Transfer Obligation for Employers with 3 or More Employees

A significant update has been made to the "Regulation on the Payment of Wages, Bonuses, and All Similar Entitlements via Banks," as published in the Official Gazette dated June 4, 2025.

According to the amendment:

The obligation to pay net wages and similar entitlements via bank transfer now applies to employers with three or more employees, instead of the previous threshold of five, under the scope of The Press Labour Law No. 5953, the Labor Law, and the Maritime Labor Law.

This provision will enter into force on July 1, 2025, the beginning of the month following the publication of the regulation.

As of July 1, 2025, employers in Türkiye with at least three employees are required to pay the net number of wages (after legal deductions) to journalists, workers, or seafarers exclusively through bank transfers.

Employees Covered:

• Journalists covered under The Press Labor Law
• Workers under the scope of the Labor Law
• Seafarers governed by the Maritime Labor Law

Evaluation:

• This amendment aims to strengthen wage security, combat informal employment, and enhance transparency in payment processes.
• With this recent change, the minimum employee count that triggers the obligation to pay via bank transfer has been reduced to three. Employers must evaluate the total number of employees covered under The Press Labor Law, the Labor Law, and the Maritime Labor Law collectively.
• If the total number of such employees is three or more, then all payments—such as wages, bonuses, and premiums—must be paid exclusively via bank transfer, based on the net amount after all legal deductions.

Conclusion:

Non-compliance with the new regulation may result in administrative penalties for employers. Therefore, it is crucial for employers and HR departments to correctly assess the total number of employees covered under the relevant labor laws and promptly revise their payment practices to fully comply with the updated legal requirements.

You can access the relevant regulation here (In Turkish).

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