• Ministry mulls policy changes

The Ministry of Labour stated that there is a growing trend of younger employees moving between jobs more frequently rather than staying in one post for long periods, and that authorities are exploring ways to respond to job security-related issues linked to this trend.

Speaking to The Daily Morning, Ministry Secretary S M Piyatissa said that the pattern is something seen in several countries, with both advantages and challenges for labour systems and long-term workforce planning. "Although long-term service in one institution has traditionally been encouraged, frequent job movement can also bring benefits by allowing workers to build experience across different environments. When we shared international knowledge with countries like India, they suggested introducing laws and regulations tailored to these young employees, in line with this tendency."

He further said that discussions with Indian experts have pointed to systems where short-term employment contracts are being used more widely. "At present, employees in Sri Lanka generally need five years of service in a single institution to qualify for gratuity. Under proposed adjustments being discussed, even employees completing four-year contracts would receive a proportionate benefit."

Speaking further, Piyatissa said that certain sectors still depend on long-term experience, particularly technical roles such as machine operators in factories. However, he noted that structured training systems could be introduced to bring new employees into such positions. “What usually happens is that after training and recruitment, no further training takes place as the person continues in the job. But globally, there is now an emphasis on lifelong learning. We are also conducting district-level programmes recognising this need.”