Global HR Compliance in Turkmenistan

Turkmenistan is one of the most closed and controlled labour markets in the world. All employment relationships are governed by a formal Labour Code, but real-world compliance depends more on political alignment, local relationships, and the discretion of state authorities than legal procedure.

Private sector autonomy is severely limited, and collective bargaining is functionally non-existent. Immigration is tightly restricted, with foreign hiring subject to opaque approvals that are rarely granted outside of state-run projects or government-backed ventures.

For international companies, entering Turkmenistan requires extreme caution. Employment contracts, dismissals, and severance obligations are regulated on paper, but enforcement is unpredictable and often disconnected from the law itself.

Compliance in Turkmenistan means not just following legal processes, but understanding the informal constraints, approvals, and risks that define the operating environment.

Hiring and Firing Workforce in Turkmenistan

Employment agreements

Employment in Turkmenistan must be formalised through written contracts. Where no duration is stated, the contract defaults to indefinite. Fixed-term contracts are legally allowed but only in cases where the work is temporary by nature or cannot be performed on a permanent basis. The cumulative maximum duration for successive fixed-term contracts is 60 months.

Legal signs of a valid employment contract include the employer’s obligation to assign work, the employee’s obligation to follow internal labour rules, and the employer’s duty to pay wages based on the complexity and quality of the work performed.

Collective agreements are formally permitted under the Labour Code, but are virtually absent in practice.

Termination and severance

Employee-initiated termination

Employees may resign from indefinite or fixed-term contracts by giving written notice of two weeks. Upon expiry of the notice period, the employer must issue the employment record and final settlement.

Employer-initiated termination

Employers may terminate contracts only under specific legal grounds, including liquidation, staff reductions, changes in ownership, insufficient qualifications, prolonged illness, repeated non-performance, absenteeism, intoxication, unauthorised disclosure of protected information, and confirmed misconduct such as theft or fraud. Dismissal may also follow submission of false documents during hiring.

Notice periods vary:

• Two months for liquidation or staff reductions
• Two weeks for poor qualifications
• Two weeks for fixed-term expiry
• Three calendar days for misconduct-related termination

Mutual agreement

Contracts may be terminated at any time through a written mutual agreement between employer and employee.

Dismissal restrictions

Dismissal is legally prohibited for the following categories:

• Pregnant women and women on maternity leave
• Employees with family dependents
• Minor workers

Termination in these cases without lawful cause is a serious compliance breach.

Severance pay

Severance is required in several scenarios:

• Two weeks’ average wages for military conscription, medical unfitness, relocation refusal, or legal reinstatement of a former employee
• One month’s average wage for liquidation or staff reduction, plus up to two additional months’ salary if the worker remains unemployed

Part-time employees are not entitled to severance pay.

Statutory Employment Conditions

Working hours

The standard limit is 40 hours per week. Employers are required to maintain time records for each employee. Any work exceeding these limits must be classified and compensated as overtime.

Overtime

Overtime requires written employee consent and consideration of the workers’ representative body, where applicable. It includes work beyond the daily or monthly limits, and must be separately documented and paid at elevated rates.

Probation period

A probation period may be applied: up to 3 months for regular employees and up to 6 months for managerial roles. This must be formally stated in the contract.

Annual leave

All employees are entitled to 30 calendar days of annual paid leave. Specific categories receive extended leave:

• Teachers and educational administrators: 45 days
• Employees with disabilities: 45 days
• Employees with doctoral degrees: 45 days
• Candidates of science: 36 days

Leave scheduling must be communicated 15 days in advance. Employees become eligible after 11 months of continuous work unless granted earlier by the employer.

Sick leave

Paid and unpaid leave is available under specific rules:

• Up to five days for family care
• Up to 14 days for child care or if the child is hospitalised
• Up to 30 days of unpaid leave annually for employees with disabilities
• Fourteen days of unpaid leave for workers caring for young children or single parents

Maternity and parental leave

Women are entitled to 112 calendar days of paid maternity leave: 56 days before and 56 after childbirth. Medical complications extend leave by 16 days; multiple births extend it by 40. After paid leave, women may take unpaid leave until the child reaches age three, during which job protection is guaranteed.

Parental leave may be granted to the father or other legal guardians caring for the child.

Acumen International: Employer of Record Services in Turkmenistan

Service Scope

Acumen International enables companies to legally employ workers in Turkmenistan through a fully compliant Employer of Record service portfolio. We structure contracts, manage payroll, and align all employment terms with local law, helping clients avoid the bureaucratic obstacles associated with establishing a legal entity.

Employer Responsibilities

As the legal employer, we handle all obligations related to tax, social fund contributions, leave entitlements, time tracking, and termination protocol. We eliminate the risk of misclassification, unlawful dismissal, or delayed severance payments by managing the employment relationship in full accordance with Turkmen labour law.

Immigration Support

Turkmenistan imposes severe restrictions on foreign hiring. We assess the legal feasibility of work permits and coordinate with local contacts to manage approvals for eligible positions. Immigration timelines are unpredictable, and permissions may be arbitrarily denied, so we only proceed where compliance and political clearance are viable.