What is a çalışma belgesi in Turkey?
A çalışma belgesi is an employment certificate the employer gives a departing employee, stating the type of work performed and the employment period. Article 28 of Turkish Labor Law No. 4857 requires the certificate, and the employer may be liable for loss caused by issuing it late or with inaccurate information.
Purpose and legal basis
The certificate verifies the core facts of a completed employment relationship for a new employer or another recipient. Article 28 requires the former employer to give it to the departing worker and to state the type of work and the period of employment.
If delay or inaccurate information causes loss, the worker or a new employer who hires that worker may seek damages from the former employer. The same article says the certificate is exempt from duties and charges.
What should it contain?
The statutory minimum is the type of work and the employment period. In practice, the employer's name and contact details, employee name, start and end dates, role or position, issue date and authorized signature make clear who and what period the certificate verifies.
The reason for leaving, salary, performance comments and disciplinary information are not part of the statutory minimum. Avoid unnecessary personal data. If additional information is included, review its accuracy, purpose, potential impact on the employee and access permissions.
Difference from the SGK service record
The SGK Registration and Service Statement available through e-Devlet is the official social-security record of registration, workplace names, contribution days and earnings subject to contributions. The employer-issued çalışma belgesi confirms the work type and period with that employer.
The documents may show some overlapping dates, but they are not interchangeable. An employee's ability to download an SGK statement does not remove the employer's Article 28 duty. Because 'hizmet cetveli' can describe different records in different institutions, check the document's exact name and issuing authority.
HR issue and archive checklist
As part of offboarding, reconcile the current position and employment dates with the employee record, have an authorized person approve the standard template, record how it was delivered and retain the issued copy as an access-controlled personnel document. If a correction is needed, preserve the version history.
| Legal basis | Turkish Labor Law No. 4857, Article 28 |
| Issuer | The employer |
| Timing | When the employee leaves |
| Minimum content | Type of work and employment period |
| Same as an SGK statement? | No, the issuer and purpose are different |
Related software
The personnel file is the record. Personnel management software is what keeps it current.
Frequently asked
The departing employee's employer issues and gives the certificate to the employee. HR or payroll may prepare it operationally, but it should be approved by a person authorized to act for the employer.
Article 28 addresses the certificate given to a worker upon departure. Preparing it promptly with the offboarding documents and recording both delivery and the retained copy is the safer operational practice.
The statutory minimum is the type of work and the employment period. Employer and employee identity, start and end dates, position, issue date and an authorized signature make the certificate easier to verify.
No. The employer issues the çalışma belgesi to confirm work type and duration. The SGK statement is the official social-security record of registration, contribution days and earnings subject to contributions.
If late issuance or inaccurate information causes loss, the employee or the new employer who hired that employee may seek damages. Obtain legal advice for a specific dispute.
Connect offboarding documents to the employee record
Keep employment dates, the current position and personnel documents together in an access-controlled Otto HR profile, so the offboarding checklist starts from verifiable records rather than scattered folders.