Under Law No. 5434, which governs public servant pensions, the period counted toward retirement service begins precisely when the monthly salary is first paid. The end of that period is set as the first day of the month following the date the civil servant leaves their post. Periods of sick leave during service are also limited according to conditions and day counts specified in the law.
If a civil servant completes their sick leave and the approved leave period expires, any service time after that date is not counted toward retirement, unless a final medical report indicates otherwise.
Sick Leave Periods Are Not Counted Toward Retirement
Once the sick leave period ends, any subsequent working time is not included in the retirement service period. A civil servant’s retirement can only begin from the date they start receiving a full monthly salary. Therefore, work performed before the month in which the full salary begins (for example, before the 15th of the month in many payroll practices) is not counted in the service period.
The time between the initial appointment date and the date the full monthly salary is first received is not accepted as retirement service. For example, if a person receives their full salary on the 15th of the month and retires on the 16th, the counted service period extends only until the 14th of the following month.
Sick Leave, Medical Reports and the Retirement Process
When a civil servant is granted sick leave, the time after the allowed sick-leave period has expired is not considered valid service time for retirement purposes. This rule is maintained under the applicable legislation.
Under the provisions of Law No. 5434, long-term illnesses that require extended treatment—such as mental illness, cancer, or tuberculosis—permit up to 18 months of sick leave; for other illnesses, up to 12 months are allowed. These limits are applied when issuing medical reports to civil servants.
If the initial sick-leave period expires, the Health Board may extend the leave with an official medical report. If the illness persists and the extended leave does not lead to recovery, retirement procedures may be initiated. Overall allowable sick-leave durations used in practice can vary, typically ranging between 24 and 36 months depending on the case and extensions granted by medical boards.
Pension Bonus Payments for Civil Servants
Pension bonus (retirement gratuity) payments for civil servants are also governed by law and are calculated based on full years of service. If a civil servant has less than a full year for the final period, no gratuity is paid for that partial year. However, these periods are still taken into account when calculating the retirement pension amount.