PDKS (Time and Attendance)

PDKS stands for Personel Devam Kontrol Sistemi, the Turkish name for a time and attendance system. Check-ins are captured with card readers, turnstiles, QR codes, NFC or a mobile app. The system compares arrival and departure times with the shift plan, flags late arrivals and early departures, and adds leave and public holidays to the timesheet. At the end of the month the timesheet goes to payroll.

In Türkiye, Labour Law No. 4857 sets the rules for these calculations. The working week is at most 45 hours and a working day cannot exceed 11 hours. Overtime is capped at 270 hours a year and each overtime hour is paid at a 50% premium. Where averaging is used, the weekly average is calculated over two months, which a collective agreement can extend to four.

In principle decision No. 2026/921, the Personal Data Protection Board found that processing biometric data such as fingerprints or facial images for attendance tracking breaches the proportionality principle. According to the Board, biometric verification cannot be used while less intrusive methods such as cards, PINs or QR codes are available, and employee consent does not make it lawful. Workplaces using biometric devices need to review how they verify identity.

Location data needs care too. Verifying location at the moment of check-in is a legitimate purpose. Tracking location outside working hours or continuously is considered disproportionate. Attendance records should be kept with a privacy notice given to employees and defined retention periods.