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For many, raising wages just isn’t possible. So, the focus shifts. Not how much, but when. Timing starts to matter as much as value. Access to what’s already earned becomes its own kind of fairness. The Beginnings of Earned Wage Access in Türkiye The idea of earned wage access, or EWA, allowing people to draw on money they’ve already earned instead of waiting for payday, didn’t appear as a shiny Western import. It grew quietly out of a need and from a Turkish way of thinking that’s always linked to fairness and timing. It’s the sort of idea the Turkish folk philosopher Nasrettin Hoca would’ve loved. His stories, still told in village courtyards and coffeehouses, hide truth inside laughter. In one tale, a neighbour comes to collect a debt. Hoca smiles and says, “Come back next week.” The neighbour groans. “Hoca, you always say next week.” Hoca nods. “Of course. That’s when money is most valuable, when I don’t have it yet.” The neighbour leaves muttering, and everyone laughs, but the lesson
If an employee has already earned their pay, why must they wait to use it? Inflation makes time expensive. Waiting costs money.
Across Europe, the minimum wage ranges from approximately €800 to €1,000 per month. As of 2025 in Türkiye, it’s about 22,104 TRY, roughly €708. The gap is not only about money. It’s about time, access, and what feels possible. According to TÜİK (Turkish Statistical Institute), the annual inflation rate in January 2025 was 42.12%. ENAG (Inflation Research Group) has it at 81.01%. Even though the truth lies somewhere in between, for most people, the effect is the same. Their pay loses value faster than they can spend it. Many have already used next month’s wages before payday even arrives. The Employer’s Reality: Shrinking Margins Employers feel the pressure too. As costs rise, the exchange rate twists, and new rules arrive. Even strong businesses are being squeezed.
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GLOBAL PAYROLL MAGAZINE ISSUE 18
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