Subcontractor (secondary employer)

A subcontractor (alt işveren) is an employer who takes over auxiliary work, or technologically specialised parts of the main work, at another employer's workplace and assigns its own employees exclusively to that work. The arrangement is commonly known as taşeron in Türkiye.

Cleaning, security and catering services are typical fields. The principal employer is jointly liable with the subcontractor toward the subcontractor's employees for wages, severance and other labour claims, meaning the employee may pursue either employer for payment.

Splitting the main work and assigning it to subcontractors is subject to strict statutory conditions. Where the arrangement is found to be collusive, the workers are deemed employees of the principal employer from the outset. Supervision of these relationships is particularly significant in publicly tendered services.