A new report from the Turkish Tourism Investors Association (TTYD) has triggered debate with its proposal suggesting hotel employees should work additional hours in peak season in order to qualify for unemployment benefits during the winter months.
Unveiled at a briefing attended by members of the press, TTYD’s “Tourism Transformation Report” outlines key structural problems in the sector and presents the association’s own policy recommendations. The report’s employment-related proposals, however, have drawn particular attention.
TTYD Chair Oya Narin said tourism employees typically work only seven months a year, while daily-wage workers in other industries can earn more. She noted that the report includes recommendations aimed at addressing the industry’s persistent employment challenges.
Proposal: Extra work in high season in exchange for unemployment pay in low season
The report suggests that unemployment insurance could be used to guarantee hotel workers 12 months of income, even if hotels operate only seven months per year.
According to the proposal, employees’ contracts would be suspended for five months, during which they could receive unemployment benefits, and they would return to work at the same hotel once the new season starts.
However, the recommended financing model places the burden partially on employees. The report states:
“During peak season, accommodation sector employees could work 11 hours per day. The additional three hours of daily overtime would be calculated, and instead of paying overtime wages, this amount could be allocated to securing their employment in the low season. The employer could retain staff during winter through a ‘compensatory work’ system instead of laying them off.”
Key problems and proposed solutions in the tourism sector
As reported by Dünya newspaper, the TTYD report outlines the main challenges facing the tourism labour market and offers the following recommendations:
Problem 1: Regulations for part-time and on-call work lack flexibility.
Solution 1: Introduce exceptions specifically for the accommodation sector.
Problem 2: Regulations for hiring temporary workers through private employment agencies are not flexible.
Solution 2: Amend Article 7 of Labour Law No. 4857 to introduce sector-specific exceptions.
Problem 3: Requiring employee consent for work-time balancing (denkleştirme) limits efficient workforce management.
Solution 3: Amend Article 63 of Labour Law No. 4857 to remove the requirement for employee approval.
Problem 4: The four-month limit on work-time balancing and compensatory work is too short.
Solution 4: Extend these periods to eight months.
Problem 5: Legal requirements for weekly rest days are difficult for the industry to comply with.
Solution 5: Allow sector employees to take their accumulated weekly rest days collectively within three months of becoming entitled to them.
Problem 6: Seasonal employment requires retraining staff every year, wasting time and resources.
Solution 6: Reduce seasonality through a sector-specific insurance contribution incentive and allow workers to receive unemployment benefits during non-working months.
Problem 7: The sector suffers from high employee turnover.
Solution 7: Conduct a comprehensive study examining causes, effects and solutions.
Problem 8: Existing employment incentives are insufficient to attract qualified labour to the sector.
Solution 8: Develop a new incentive scheme tailored specifically to the accommodation industry.
Problem 9: High social security premiums and taxes on labour reduce profitability.
Solution 9: Develop a sector-specific taxation and incentive model in coordination with relevant ministries.
Problem 10: Providing staff accommodation is an important cost item for hotels.
Solution 10: Facilitate land allocation for staff housing, provide low-interest loans, introduce tax incentives and offer infrastructure support during construction.
Problem 11: Difficulty finding workers with suitable vocational skills.
Solution 11: Improve vocational training quality, update curricula, strengthen cooperation between the sector and educational institutions, enhance internship opportunities and working conditions, offer career development pathways, and improve the sector’s overall image.
Foreign language training tailored to tourism should be continuously supported through both formal education and online learning, with cooperation between the Ministry of Education, Turkish Council of High E ducation (YÖK) and Turkish Employment Agency (İŞKUR).
