In short
Turkish law grants 3 days of paid leave for marriage, adoption and the death of a parent, spouse, sibling or child; 10 days when the employee's spouse gives birth; and up to 10 days a year for the treatment of a child with at least 70% disability or a chronic illness (Labour Law, Additional Art. 2). State the event, its date and the leave dates in the letter and attach the supporting document. Excused leave cannot be deducted from annual leave.
Template text
Fill in the fields in square brackets with your own details.
Date: ..../..../20....
[Company name] Human Resources
EXCUSED LEAVE REQUEST
I work in the [Department] department as [Job title]. For the reason ticked below, I would like to take paid excused leave under Additional Article 2 of Labour Law No. 4857 between [Start date] and [End date].
- Marriage (3 days)
- Adoption (3 days)
- Death of a parent, spouse, sibling or child (3 days) — relationship: [Relationship]
- My spouse giving birth — paternity leave (10 days)
- Treatment of my child with at least 70% disability or a chronic illness (up to 10 days a year; with a medical report)
- Date of the event:
- Attachments (marriage, death or birth certificate, medical report):
I kindly ask for your approval.
- Full name:
- Employee number (if any):
- Signature:
Manager approval
Name:
Signature:
Date:
Human Resources
Name:
Signature:
Date:
By law, bereavement leave covers only a parent, spouse, sibling or child; for other relatives the workplace leave policy applies.
How to fill it in
- Write your department and job title.
- Tick the reason; for bereavement leave, write your relationship to the deceased.
- Write the date of the event and the leave dates. The law does not expressly say the leave must be taken right after the event, but taking it on or close to the date of the event fits its purpose.
- Attach the supporting document (marriage certificate, death or birth certificate; a medical report for disabled child care leave).
- Sign the letter and give it to your manager or Human Resources.
Legal basis and points to note
- Paid leave of 3 days is granted for marriage, adoption and the death of a parent, spouse, sibling or child, and 10 days when the employee's spouse gives birth (Labour Law, Additional Art. 2/1). Paternity leave is 10 days for births on or after 1 May 2026; it was 5 days for earlier births (Law No. 7578).
- Up to 10 days of paid leave a year, in one go or in parts, is granted for the treatment of a child with at least 70% disability or a chronic illness, based on a medical report and used by only one of the parents (Additional Art. 2/2).
- Excused leave cannot be deducted from annual leave (Art. 56) and counts as time worked for annual leave entitlement (Art. 55).
- The law says "days"; there is no binding guidance on whether working days or calendar days are meant. Counting working days is in the employee's favour.
Frequently asked questions
How many days of excused leave are there?
3 days for marriage, adoption and the death of a parent, spouse, sibling or child; 10 days when the spouse gives birth; up to 10 days a year for the treatment of a child with at least 70% disability or a chronic illness (Labour Law, Additional Art. 2).
Is excused leave deducted from annual leave?
No. Excused leave cannot be offset against annual leave (Art. 56) and counts as time worked for annual leave entitlement (Art. 55).
Is there leave for the death of a parent-in-law or grandparent?
Not by law; bereavement leave covers only a parent, spouse, sibling or child. The employer may grant broader paid leave, which also cannot be deducted from annual leave.
Does excused leave extend if it falls on a weekend?
The law is not explicit. Counting calendar days includes the weekend in the leave; counting working days does not. Workplaces should set this out in their written leave policy; counting working days favours the employee.
Sources
- Labour Law No. 4857, Additional Art. 2, Arts. 55, 56
- Law No. 7578, Art. 16 (Official Gazette, 1 May 2026)