Score
improved

2024 Score

47.5

2022 Score

47

2020 Score

49.5

Rating

Total Lack of Access to Decent Work

Fair
Wages

40

Decent
Working Hours

60

Employment
Security

60

Family
Responsibilities

25

Maternity
at Work

40

Safe
Work

50

Social
Security

60

Fair
Treatment

40

Child &
Forced Labour

100

Freedom of
Association

0

Fair Wages - 40

Question Answer Score Legal Basis Trend
Does the legislation or collective negotiation set and determine the minimum wages in the country? No 0 §21-22 and 40-44 of the Wage Boards Ordinance; §3-9 of the National Minimum Wage of Workers Act 2016
Score on the Minimum Wage component worsened due to lack of revision of minimum wage since 1 January 2022.
Does the law require regular and timely payment of wages? Yes 1 §2, 5 & 23 of the Wage Boards Ordinance; §19 and Regulation 17 under the Shop & Office Employees Act
No Change
Does the law require overtime compensation to be at least 125% of the regular hourly rate? Yes 1 Regulation 7 of the Shop and Office Employees Act of 1954
No Change
Does the law require any additional compensation for working on a weekly rest day? No 0 §7 of Shop and Office Employees Act, 1954
No Change
Does the law require additional compensation for night work? No 0 No applicable legal provisions could be located
No Change

Decent Working Hours - 60

Question Answer Score Legal Basis Trend
Does the law stipulate general weekly working hours as 48 hours or lower? Yes 1 Regulation 3, 6 & 7 of the Shop and Office Employees Act of 1954; §67 of the Factories Ordinance, 1942
No Change
Does the law restrict maximum working hours, including overtime, to 56 hours per week? No 0 Regulation 6 of the Shop and Office Employees Act of 1954
No Change
Does the law require a paid weekly rest of at least 24 consecutive hours? Yes 1 §5 of Shop and Office Employees Act, 1954
No Change
Does the law require paid public holidays? Yes 1 §7 of the Shop and Office Employees Act, 1954; Holidays Act (No. 29 of 1971)
No Change
Does the law require at least three working weeks of paid annual leave? No 0 §6 of the Shop and Office Employees Act, 1954
No Change

Employment Security - 60

Question Answer Score Legal Basis Trend
Does the law require a written employment contract or employment particulars to be given to a worker on commencement of employment? Yes 1 §17 & Regulation 15 of the Shop and Office Employees Act, 1954
No Change
Does the law restrict the hiring of fixed-term contract workers? No 0 §54 of the Employees’ Councils Act, No.32 of 1979
No Change
Does the law limit the length of the probation period, including renewals, to three months? No 0 Regulation 15(g) of the Shop and Office Employees Act, 1954; Employment of Trainees (Private sector) Act No. 8 of 1978; §3(e) of the National Workers Charter, 1995
No Change
Does the law require a 30-day notice period before employment contract termination? Yes 1 §31 of the Industrial Dispute Act, 1950
No Change
Does the law require severance pay at the rate of at least two weeks of wages for every year of service? Yes 1 §5 & 6 of Payment of Gratuity Act; Termination of Employment of Workmen (Special Provisions) Act 1971 (2005 Schedule)
No Change

Family Responsibilities - 25

Question Answer Score Legal Basis Trend
Does the law require a four-month parental leave for parents? No 0 No applicable legal provisions could be located
No Change
Does the law require at least one week of paid paternity leave for fathers*? No 0 No applicable legal provisions could be located
No Change
Does the law require flexible working arrangements* for workers with family responsibilities? No 0 No applicable legal provisions could be located
No Change
Does the law require paid nursing breaks? Yes 1 §12(B) of the Maternity Benefits Ordinance, 1939
No Change

Maternity at Work - 40

Question Answer Score Legal Basis Trend
Does the law prohibit inquiring about pregnancy during recruitment? No 0 No applicable legal prohibitions could be located
No Change
Does the law require maternity leave of at least 14 weeks? No 0 §02 of the Maternity Benefits Ordinance, 1939, 1939; §18(B) of the Shop and Office Employees Act, 1954
No Change
Does the law require cash maternity benefits to be at least two-thirds (66.67%) of a worker's former wage? Yes 1 §18(C) of the Shop and Office Employees Act 1954; §3-5 of the Maternity Benefits Ordinance, 1939
No Change
Does the law require cash maternity benefits to be paid through a contributory social insurance or a universal benefits system or such benefits are an employer's liability? No 0 §18(C) of the Shop and Office Employees Act 1954; §3-5 of the Maternity Benefits Ordinance, 1939
No Change
Does the law protect workers from dismissals during or on account of pregnancy? Yes 1 §10 of Maternity Benefits Ordinance, 1939; §18(E) of Shop and Office Employees Act 1954
No Change

Safe Work - 50

Question Answer Score Legal Basis Trend
Does the law require employers to provide free personal protective equipment to workers? Yes 1 §32, 51, 53 & 58 of the Factories Ordinance, 1942, 1942
No Change
Does the law require employers to train workers on health and safety Issues? No 0 §26 of the Factories Ordinance, 1942
No Change
Does the law restrict work that is prejudicial to the health of the mother or the child? No 0 §10(B) of the Maternity Benefits Ordinance, 1939; §18(D) of the Shop and Office Employees Act, 1954
No Change
Does the law provide for employment injury benefits in the event of an occupational accident or disease? Yes 1 §6, 12, Part III& Schedule IV of Workmen's Compensation Ordinance, 1934; ISSA Country Profile for Sri Lanka
No Change

Social Security - 60

Question Answer Score Legal Basis Trend
Does the law provide for an old age benefit? Yes 1 §10 & 23 of Employees' Provident Fund Act, 1958; ISSA Country Profile for Sri Lanka
No Change
Does the law provide for survivors' benefits? Yes 1 §25 of the Employees' Trust Fund Act, 1980; ISSA Country Profile for Sri Lanka
No Change
Does the law provide for unemployment benefits? No 0 No applicable legal provisions could be located
No Change
Does the law require paid sick leave (and sickness benefits) for the first six months of sickness? No 0 §6(3 & 4) of the Shop and Office Employees Act; ISSA Country Profile for Sri Lanka
No Change
Does the law provide for invalidity benefits? Yes 1 §24 of the Employees' Trust Fund Act, 1980; ISSA Country Profile for Sri Lanka
No Change

Fair Treatment - 40

Question Answer Score Legal Basis Trend
Does the law require equal remuneration for men and women workers for work of equal value? No 0 §12 of the Constitution, 1978
No Change
Does the law prohibit sexual harassment in employment? Yes 1 §345 of the Penal Code of Sri Lanka, 1885
No Change
Does the law prohibit discrimination in employment matters? No 0 §12 & 17 of the Constitution, 1978
No Change
Does the law allow women to do the same job as men? No 0 §14(1)(g), Constitution, 1978; §02, Employment of Females in Mines Ordinance, 1937; §86, Factories Ordinance, 1942
No Change
Does the law guarantee basic labour protection to the platform workers? Yes 1 Employees' Provident Fund Act, 1958; ISSA Country Profile for Sri Lanka
No Change

Child & Forced Labour - 100

Question Answer Score Legal Basis Trend
Does the law prohibit the employment of children? Yes 1 §7, 9, 13, 20 and 34 of the Employment of Women, Young Persons, and Children Act, 1956, amended in 2021
No Change
Does the law set employment entry age equal to or higher than the compulsory schooling age? Yes 1 §43 of the Education Ordinance; Compulsory Attendance of Children at Schools Regulation No. 1 of 2015; §34 of the Employment of Women, Young Persons, and Children Act, 1956, amended in 2021
Score adjusted because of availability of a legal source
Does the law prohibit the employment of young persons in hazardous work under the age of 18 years? Yes 1 §10(2) of the Shop and Office Employees Act, 1954; Hazardous Occupations Regulations No. 01 of 2021
No Change
Does the law prohibit forced labour? Yes 1 §11 of Constitution of Sri Lanka 1978; §358A, 360C, 360A(2), and 360A(4) of the Penal Code, 1885
No Change

Freedom of Association - 0

Question Answer Score Legal Basis Trend
Does the law allow workers to form and join unions of their own choice? No 0 §31 of the Trade Union Ordinance 1935
No Change
Does the law allow workers to bargain collectively with employers through their representative unions? No 0 §5-10 & 32(A)(g) of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1950; USDOS CRHRP 2021 (Sri Lanka)
No Change
Does the law provide the right to strike? No 0 §32, 48, Industrial Disputes Act, 1950; §67, Factories Ordinance, 1942; §2, Trade Union Ordinance, 1935
No Change
Does the law prohibit imposing excessive sanctions against striking workers, including replacement of such workers? No 0 §43 of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1950
No Change

*In order to measure the trend in country’s legislative performance over the last edition of the Labour Rights Index (2022), the following legend is used.

Score increase

Score decrease

Score adjustment

Methodological change

No change