Early retirement is coming for some professions

While retirement age and the number of premium days are among the important issues for those in the workforce, the actual service period increase (wear-and-tear allowance) applied to those working in hazardous job sectors will now cover a much wider segment. With the new system that came into effect in 2026, employees working in the healthcare sector and various industrial branches will also be able to retire early.

The actual service period increase, while allowing employees to reach retirement in a shorter time by increasing their premium days, also lowers the retirement age. Previously granted only to certain professions, this right has been offered to more employees working in risky sectors with the new legal changes.

In the wear-and-tear allowance practice, those working in jobs under heavy risk are given additional premium days each year. In this way, a person who works 360 days a year earns 60, 90, or 180 days of additional premium depending on the risk status of their job. For example, an employee who is entitled to 90 days of wear-and-tear allowance per year due to their profession is considered to have earned a total of 450 days of premium for each year. This paves the way for qualifying for retirement earlier.

The wear-and-tear allowance system affects not only the premium period but also the retirement age. In some sectors, employees can receive a reduction of up to five years from the retirement age thanks to the additional periods they accumulate within this scope. In some very heavy jobs, this reduction can reach longer periods, such as eight years.

With the comprehensive regulation made in 2026, the actual service period increase now includes not only existing professional groups but also newly added sectors. In addition to healthcare workers, the cement sector, aluminum workers, foundry workers, and glass industry personnel will also benefit from the early retirement advantage.

The right to wear-and-tear allowance has been granted to a wide group of employees. Here are some of the prominent professions that have this right:

• Healthcare sector: Doctors, nurses, midwives, patient caregivers, X-ray technicians, and ambulance drivers earn 60 extra premium days per year.
• Members of the press: Journalists holding a yellow press card can benefit from this practice.
• Mining and underground workers: Stands out as the sector with the highest wear-and-tear allowance with 180 days per year.
• Security units: Soldiers, police officers, National Intelligence Organization personnel, and correctional officers are also on the list.
• Heavy industry: Iron and steel workers, those working in acid and chemical production, and those working in mercury production are also covered.
• Fire department: Fire department employees and teams fighting fires also have the right to wear-and-tear allowance.

With the 2026 regulation, workers in the cement, aluminum, and glass industries, as well as foundry workers, have also gained the advantage of early retirement.

With this regulation, while the number of employees earning wear-and-tear allowance due to occupational safety risks and professional difficulties has increased significantly, their journey to retirement is also accelerating.

News Source: 12punto