Work from Home to be legalised: Labour Minister

• Thirteen existing labour laws to be merged

By Yohan Perera and Ajith Siriwardana

Providing legal provision for work from home or ‘work from a remote location’ under the new labour law that is being drafted at the moment, Parliament was informed yesterday.

This is one of the major changes that are to be introduced under the new labour law that is being compiled merging 13 existing laws, according to the answer by Labour Minister Manusha Nanayakkara, in response to an oral question raised by MP Eran Wickramaratne.

Thirteen laws that would be merged and changed under the new law include Trade Union Ordinance No 14 of 1935, Wages Board Ordinance no 27 of 1941, Factory Ordinance no 45 of 1942, Industrial Disputes Act No 43 of 1950, Termination Special Provisions Act No 45 of 1971 and the Shop and Office Act No 19 of 1954.

New regulations under the new law include the entitlement of a two-day holiday for a worker if he or she works for extra hours during a given week without overtime and the introduction of a compressed work week where a worker would be entitled to three off days if he or she covers the stipulated 45 hours of work in four days. In addition, domestic workers will also come under the labour laws.