Work from Home for Public Sector, Extended

COLOMBO (News 1st); The circular limiting public sector employees from reporting to duty was further extended until further notice.

As per the circular, only the minimum staff required to carry out essential services without any interruptions are to report to duty.

Priority should be given to adopting a Work From Home system, said the circular.

Moreover, the circular states that all the Secretaries to the Ministries have been informed to allow the officers to stay at home whenever possible and to give priority to obtaining their services online.

Accordingly, this circular will remain in effect until further notice, in view of the difficulties faced by the public in the provision of day-to-day transport facilities and considering the demand for more essential services.

Heads of Institutions have also been instructed to ensure that decisions on summoning employees that deal directly with the public, are made with the advice and supervision of the relevant Ministry Secretaries and Provincial Secretaries.

Accordingly, the transportation of State Personnel should be restricted to minimize fuel consumption during this period, and all meetings and discussions should be conducted online.

The Public Administration Circulars further state that this should not be an impediment to the maintenance of essential services.