From hiring to exit, one consistent contract set.
Standard, executive and remote-work contracts: non-compete, confidentiality, intellectual property rights and a set resilient to changing work models.
The contract is a defence built on day one
Most employment disputes are lost not on the day of termination but on the day of hiring: an incomplete job description, unwritten bonus rules, an invalid non-compete. A sound contract architecture consists of standard texts, role-based addenda and a document chain aligned with HR processes.
Role-based layers
Standard employee
wage-benefit matrix, overtime approvals, the limits of penalty clauses.
Executives and key personnel
target-bonus mechanisms, a non-compete structured to be valid on territory, duration and consideration, long notice periods.
Technology roles
service inventions and assignment of intellectual property rights, data-confidentiality clauses.
Remote/hybrid
written remote-work addenda, expense and security rules.
Adaptation in foreign groups
A word-for-word translation of German parent-company templates produces invalid provisions in Türkiye; mandatory rules (notice, severance, termination procedure) must be reconciled with the group standard. In bilingual sets, which language is binding must be stated explicitly — our employment-law guide lists the typical mistakes.
The architecture is built in five steps
Testing the existing set: contracts are read against the mandatory core of Labour Law No. 4857 (notice, overtime consent, termination procedure) and current Court of Cassation case law. Role matrix: which position falls into which layer, with which addenda. Template architecture: the master contract plus annexes — confidentiality, intellectual property (with the employee-invention regime of the Industrial Property Law No. 6769) and a non-compete structured within the duration, territory and subject-matter limits of the Turkish Code of Obligations (Law No. 6098). Payroll-HR alignment: the written rule must match the payroll as actually run. Go-live: a transition plan and HR training. Deliverables: the bilingual template set, the role matrix and a usage guide.
The contract is completed by the policy layer
The service is most often used by German and other foreign-capital companies building their first team in Türkiye, by fast-growing technology employers and by groups transferring executives. A contract does not live on its own: it forms a single chain with the handbook, the disciplinary schedule and notification records — a layer we build through our HR policy and disciplinary framework service. The full dispute picture and ongoing case-law tracking are gathered in our Employment Law focus; the architecture is refreshed each year with what that work shows.
We are by your side for Employment Contract Architecture
We test your existing set against case law, build a template architecture according to the role matrix, and ensure consistency with the payroll practice. For termination scenarios, our termination management practice is a continuation of the same architecture.
Other Applications of This Service
Contract Management — our other specialised solutions in this area.
Matter Connections
The focus areas, practice areas, desks and legislation connected with this sub-service.
Our Matters in This Service
The anonymised examples of our work that relate to this service.
Uninterrupted legal counsel for a multinational supplier
Retainer-based support across day-to-day commercial operations, contract management and compliance processes.
Review the matter →ESG & ComplianceSupply chain due diligence (LkSG) compliance programme
Risk assessment and compliance architecture for a Turkish supplier network under the German LkSG.
Review the matter →Market AccessEstablishing a distribution network in Türkiye
Designing a market entry strategy, distributorship agreements and competition compliance.
Review the matter →The Team Delivering This Service
With our multilingual team of lawyers, well-versed in Turkish and German law, we are by your side.
Mehmet Köksal
Founder and Managing PartnerIstanbul · Berlin · KyreniaProfile →
Kübra Köksal-Yılmaz
PartnerBerlin · İstanbulProfile →
Gül Efem
Of CounselİstanbulProfile →
Herdem Belen
Of CounselİstanbulProfile →
Sven Köksal
Legal EngineerBerlin · İstanbulProfile →Related Publications
Fresh perspectives and guides from the Knowledge Centre.
Yes, if structured correctly: they must be limited as to territory, duration, and type of work, based on an interest worthy of protection, and reasonable. Unlimited bans are deemed invalid — we build the structure around the case law.
Penalty clauses that are one-sided against the employee are invalid; reciprocity and proportionality are required. Legitimate structures such as repayment of training costs must also be balanced.
Material changes require written acceptance; in collective updates, a transition strategy (packaging with new benefits) reduces resistance. Imposing changes one by one creates reinstatement risk.
Employment Contract Architecture — get the right legal support.
Let us identify the right solution together, drawing on our experience in Türkiye and the DACH region.