Beyond Restrictive Work Hours: A Unified Gender-Neutral Labour Framework

8, May 2026

1 min read

Sri Lanka’s labour regulatory framework remains highly fragmented, with multiple overlapping laws governing working hours, night work, and overtime. While recent reforms have relaxed restrictions on women’s night-time work—marking a shift away from outdated “protective” provisions—these changes remain limited, often applying only to specific occupations and sectors rather than the labour market as a whole.

This multiplicity of sector- and occupation-specific rules has resulted in a complex and inconsistent system of labour governance, creating regulatory uncertainty for employers and uneven protections for workers. It also entrenches gender-differentiated standards across sectors, distorts hiring incentives, reduces labour market flexibility, and contributes to the underutilisation of female human capital in Sri Lanka’s economy.

Women continue to face constraints in accessing overtime work, meaning recent reforms risk being only partial solutions that leave key barriers to full and equal workforce participation intact.

This policy discussion paper highlights the limitations of recent reforms and makes the case for a unified, gender-neutral labour code that ensures consistency, equity, and protection for all workers.

This publication is the first in a series of policy discussion papers by Advocata on labour market reform in Sri Lanka.