
Discrimination Compensation | Izmir Labor Law Attorney | Attorney Dilek Yavuz Uysal
Discrimination Compensation
Discrimination compensation is one type of compensation paid by the employer to the employee. This compensation arises as a result of the breach of the duty of equal treatment. The source of the duty of equal treatment is... Constitution m. 10 and Labor Law | Article 5 states that the obligation to treat employees equally applies to employees of the same qualifications. Discrimination compensation is the amount of compensation, up to four months' wages, that an employee may receive in the event of a breach of the employer's obligation to treat employees equally. In addition to discrimination compensation, the employee may also claim other rights they have been deprived of. These include social benefits, bonuses, premiums, and salary increases.
Ayrımcılık tazminatını İş Kanunu’nda inceleyecek olursak 4857 Sayılı İş Kanunu Madde 5 : ” İş ilişkisinde dil, ırk, renk, cinsiyet, engellilik, siyasal düşünce, felsefî inanç, din ve mezhep ve benzeri sebeplere dayalı ayrım yapılamaz. İşveren, esaslı sebepler olmadıkça tam süreli çalışan işçi karşısında kısmî süreli çalışan işçiye, belirsiz süreli çalışan işçi karşısında belirli süreli çalışan işçiye farklı işlem yapamaz. İşveren, biyolojik veya işin niteliğine ilişkin sebepler zorunlu kılmadıkça, bir işçiye, iş sözleşmesinin yapılmasında, şartlarının oluşturulmasında, uygulanmasında ve sona ermesinde, cinsiyet veya gebelik nedeniyle doğrudan veya dolaylı farklı işlem yapamaz. Aynı veya eşit değerde bir iş için cinsiyet nedeniyle daha düşük ücret kararlaştırılamaz. İşçinin cinsiyeti nedeniyle özel koruyucu hükümlerin uygulanması, daha düşük bir ücretin uygulanmasını haklı kılmaz. İş ilişkisinde veya sona ermesinde yukarıdaki fıkra hükümlerine aykırı davranıldığında işçi, dört aya kadar ücreti tutarındaki uygun bir tazminattan başka yoksun bırakıldığı haklarını da talep edebilir. 2821 sayılı Sendikalar Kanununun 31 inci maddesi hükümleri saklıdır. ” Şeklinde düzenlenmiştir.
Anayasanın 10. Maddesinde de Kanun Önünde Eşitlik ilkesi düzenlenmiştir. Anılan maddedeki ifade aynen şu şekildedir. “ Herkes, dil, ırk, renk, cinsiyet, siyasi düşünce, felsefi inanç, din, mezhep ve benzeri sebeplerle ayırım gözetilmeksizin kanun önünde eşittir.” Her iki madde, ayrımcılık tazminatındaki temel dayanak noktasıdır.
Examples of Discrimination Compensation Cases
1. An employee's pregnancy does not constitute grounds for discrimination or dismissal. An employee dismissed due to pregnancy may claim compensation for discrimination.
2. İşyerinde çalışan bütün işçilere zam yapılırken herhangi bir haklı neden olmaksızın bir veya birkaç işçi, zam uygulamasının dışarısında bırakılırsa bu durum işverenin eşit davranma borcuna aykırılık teşkil edeceği için ayrımcılık tazminat hakları doğacaktır.
3. It is possible to pay workers different wages depending on their qualifications and the requirements of the job. However, if an employer has increased wages without considering qualifications or other justifiable factors, they are obligated to do so for all their employees. They cannot exclude one or a few workers from the raise. For example, an employer cannot differentiate wages between male and female workers in the same industry simply because of their gender. However, if the nature of the job requires driving both within and outside the city, while the male worker cannot, then the female worker may be paid more.
Discrimination Compensation Conditions
In its decision numbered 2012/33335 and 2014/25434, the 9th Civil Chamber of the Court of Cassation “The court ruled that "for the principle of equal treatment to be applicable, the following conditions must be met: being employees of the same workplace, the existence of a group within the workplace, the presence of collective practices, unity of time, and working under an employment contract." Therefore, it is possible to say that certain legal conditions exist for claiming discrimination compensation. These are:
- The Workplace Being the Same
- Being in the Same Time Period
- The Presence of a Worker Community in the Workplace
- It is a collective practice / a behavior outside of the ongoing practice.
The fundamental reason underlying these conditions is the simultaneous presence of factors that would constitute a violation of the alleged duty of equal treatment. For example, it cannot be said that workers employed in two different locations are subjected to discrimination against each other.
How is discrimination compensation calculated?
Discrimination compensation is calculated based on the employee's last gross salary. The employer is ordered to pay compensation equivalent to at least one and at most four months' salary of the employee. The court calculates discrimination compensation by considering factors such as the importance, severity, and duration of the discrimination, the employee's seniority, and salary. Whether or not harm occurred as a result of the discrimination is irrelevant in determining whether discrimination compensation will be awarded. The employee who has been discriminated against must file a lawsuit for compensation within five years.
Whether discrimination compensation can be claimed together with other types of compensation is a matter of debate. Since compensation is not a means of unjust enrichment, unless the law stipulates otherwise, the damage resulting from the unlawful conduct is compensated only once. For example, discrimination compensation cannot be claimed together with job security compensation. This is because termination based on discrimination is not a termination based on a valid reason.
For detailed information on this subject, please contact our expert team. Contact page.
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