Mobbing Cases Piling Up in Courts: Rising Tensions Between Employers and Employees

Mobbing complaints in Turkey have shown a dramatic increase in recent years. The ALO 170 hotline received 20,000 new complaints from 2024 to 2025, reaching a total of 164,355 submissions. A 23% increase was recorded between November 2023 and August 2025. Meanwhile, the number of labor law cases increased from 177,000 in 2014 to 247,000 in 2025.

Employers' Strategies in Using Mobbing Mobbing has become a tool for employers to force employees to resign. By making employees feel mentally drained, reducing their bonuses, and terminating employment contracts unilaterally, employers are trying to avoid paying seniority and notice period compensation.

Difficulty in Proving Mobbing Proving mobbing is a challenging process. The Court of Cassation ruled that the employee's email statements indicated the termination of the employment contract unilaterally. However, courts do not require definitive proof and consider indicators of mobbing sufficient.

Economic Conditions and Employer-Employee Relationship The current economic conditions are weakening the employer-employee relationship. Employers, under financial pressure, demand more productivity from employees, while employees, due to income scarcity and declining purchasing power, are losing motivation. This situation is increasing conflicts between managers and employees.

The risk of employees leaving their jobs, along with employers' increased risk of being sued for reinstatement, is driving up the number of labor law cases. This situation may also encourage employers to use mobbing more frequently.