Work Accident Reporting Deadline in Turkey

Under Article 13/2 of Law No. 5510, the employer must report a work accident to the competent law enforcement authorities immediately, and to the Social Security Institution within three working days of the accident at the latest. "Working days" means weekends and official holidays are not counted toward this period.

As a rule, the period begins running from the date the accident occurs. However, if the work accident occurs in a location outside the employer's control (for example, where an insured worker is injured at a location they were assigned to outside the workplace), the three-working-day period instead begins from the date the employer learns of the accident. This exception is meant to prevent the employer from missing the deadline for an incident they were not aware of.

For insured persons working independently on their own account under Article 4/b (such as tradespeople, company partners, or agricultural insured persons), the report is made by the injured person themselves. Under Article 13/2-b of Law No. 5510, it must be made within three working days of the day on which their condition no longer prevents them from reporting, and in any event within one month of the accident. In other words, the period runs from the day the insured person is actually able to report, but must be completed within one month of the accident at the latest.

Failing to report within the three-working-day period exposes the employer to an administrative fine under the Occupational Health and Safety Law No. 6331, and under Article 21/2 of Law No. 5510 results in the Social Security Institution recovering from the employer the temporary incapacity benefit paid to the insured worker for the period up to the date of the actual report. The amount of the fine and the recourse mechanism are the subject of a separate article.

Reporting to law enforcement and reporting to the Social Security Institution are two separate obligations, subject to different deadlines and procedures. The report to law enforcement must be made immediately; the report to the Institution must be made within three working days through the e-SGK system, using the Work Accident and Occupational Disease Notification Form. Article 14 of Law No. 6331 additionally requires healthcare providers to report work accident cases presented to them to the Institution within ten days at the latest. Each of these obligations must be fulfilled independently of the others.

Can the worker report the accident if the employer does not? Yes. Although the law places the reporting obligation on the employer, the insured person or their dependants may notify the Institution of the incident by petition and request that it be recognised as a work accident; the Institution then determines, through an inspector's examination, whether the incident qualifies. The employer's failure to report does not extinguish the worker's rights.

How are working days counted? The day of the accident is not counted; three days are counted from the following working day, excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and official holidays. For example, for an accident on a Friday, the last day for reporting is the following Wednesday, unless an official holiday falls in between.

Where are reports and objections filed in İzmir? Electronic reports are filed through e-SGK; petitions and requests for recognition of a work accident are submitted to the social security centre to which the workplace is affiliated or to the İzmir Provincial Directorate of Social Security. Determination lawsuits against the Institution's decision are heard by the labour courts at the İzmir Courthouse in Bayraklı. Our office in Konak provides support in work accident matters across İzmir; for more information, see our İzmir employment lawyer page.

Av. Mehmet Yücesoy

İzmir Attorney & Legal Consultancy