• Employees are required to submit written applications for this leave, and employers must maintain a register listing those who apply

By Huzefa Aliasger

The Election Commission has announced special leave provisions for employees in both the public and private sectors, allowing them to cast their votes, according to a statement from the Commission.

Commissioner General of Elections Saman Sri Ratnayake, in a press release, highlighted that public officers are entitled to a minimum of four hours of leave without loss of pay to vote.

The Election Commission also mentioned that many private sector employees face difficulties due to the lack of written provisions ensuring such leave, to address this issue the Election Commission in collaboration with the Human Rights Commission, Ministry of Labour, and other relevant bodies will urge employers to allow private sector employees to be granted leave based on the distance between their workplace and their designated polling station.

The private sector employees within the distance of 40 km or less from their workplace to the polling station should be provided with half a day of leave, employees with 40 km to 100 km of distance should be provided one full day of leave, employees with a distance of 100 km to 150 km should be provided one and a half days of leave and more than 150 km should be provided with two days of leave. The Election Commission also advised in cases where employees need more time to travel due to the island’s geography, employers should consider granting three days of leave. Employees are required to submit written applications for this leave, and employers must maintain a register listing those who apply, according to the press release.