Sri Lanka allows women to work at night as sanitary and food service workers

2026-02-01 - 16:10

AI-generated image The Sri Lankan government has approved a Gazette notification allowing women to work at night as sanitary workers and food service attendants. The permission was granted by Minister of Labour Dr. Anil Jayantha Fernando through an amendment to the Shop and Office Employees Act. Previously, the law only allowed women over 18 to work as female restroom attendants after 6:00 PM. The new amendment now permits women over 18 to work as sanitary workers or food service attendants between 6:00 PM and 6:00 AM. The Ministry of Labour emphasized that employers must provide proper accommodation, transport, health protection, and overall welfare for women working during these hours.