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Expand your global workforce in Sri Lanka

Your guide to the employment landscape, working customs and local labor laws in Sri Lanka.

Capital

Colombo

Currency

Sri Lankan Rupee (LKR)

Languages

Sinhala (Official), Tamil (Official), English

GDP per Capita

$3,988

Employer Tax

15%

Payroll Frequency

Daily, Weekly, or Monthly

Talent overview

Sri Lanka is known for its cinnamon and tea exportation around the globe. The country has been progressing its economic growth over the past years and has a GDP of 83.32 billion USD.

Major economic hubs:

Colombo, Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

Skills in demand:

Computer Technology, Machine Operation; English Language Skills

Top local universities in Sri Lanka

Uni1 9

University of Colombo

RANKING

Local: 1

World : 2625

Uni2 7

University of Moratuwa

RANKING

Local: 2

World : 3671

Uni3 9

University of Sri Jayewardenepura

RANKING

Local: 3

World : 4118

Uni4 9

University of Kelaniya

RANKING

Local: 4

World : 4941

Uni5 9

University of Peradeniya

RANKING

Local: 5

World : 5089

Top Local Job Boards:

XpressJobs,  Ikman Jobs,  Jobpal.lk

Number of LinkedIn users:

1,912,000

Top Recruitment Agencies:

Alliance Recruitment Agency, Ajeet’s Manpower Sri Lanka

Where to find talent

Top Local Job Boards:

Number of LinkedIn users:

Top Recruitment Agencies:

Salary Data

The average salary in Sri Lanka is mentioned below:

Job Title Average Monthly Salary (LKR) Average Monthly Salary (USD)
Sales Manager 168,000 LKR 522 USD
Accounting Manager 134,000 LKR 416USD
Information Technology Manager 151,000 LKR 469 USD
Software Engineer 89,300 LKR 277 USD
Database Administrator 84,300 LKR 262 USD
General Manager 169,000 LKR 525 USD

Employ in Sri Lanka

Employing in Sri Lanka

In order to onboard an individual from Sri Lanka, the employer needs to know about the employment law, allowances, deductions, and bonuses.

Employee Contracts

According to Sri Lankan law, the employer needs to provide the employment contract with all the terms and conditions along with benefits. Employment contracts in Sri Lanka may either be written or oral. If written, it must be in the language that both the employees and employers understand – either Tamil, Sinhala, or English.

Probation Period

Sri Lankan employees that are newly hired will have three to nine months of probation period.

Public and Provincial Holidays

Date (Day) Public Holiday
01st January 2024 (Monday) New Year
09th April 2024 (Tuesday) Ramazan Festival Day
10th April 2024 (Wednesday) Ramazan Festival Day
11th April 2024 (Thursday) Id-Ul-Fitr – Ramazan Festival Day
12th April 2024 (Friday) Id-Ul-Fitr – Ramazan Festival Day
23rd April 2024 (Tuesday) National Sovereignty and Children’s Day
01st May 2024 (Wednesday) Labour and Solidarity Day
23rd May 2024 (Thursday) Vesak Dull Moon Poya Day
17th June 2024 (Monday) Eid al-Adha
18th June 2024 (Tuesday) Eid al-Adha
19th June 2024 (Wednesday) Eid al-Adha
15th July 2024 (Monday) Democracy and National Unity Day
30th August 2024 (Friday) Victory Day
29th October 2024 (Tuesday) Republic Day
31st October 2024 (Thursday) Deepavali Festival Day
25th December 2023 (Monday) Christmas Day

Employee Leaves

Type of Leave Time Period Mandatory
Annual/Earned Leave 14 days Yes
Sick Leave 7 days Yes
Maternity Leave 12 weeks Yes

 

Leave Compliance

Payroll in Sri Lanka

Tw Payroll Img1

Payroll cycle

Wages can be paid on daily, weekly, fortnightly, or monthly basis. However, a wage period cannot exceed a month.

Tw Payroll Img2

Minimum wage

The statutory minimum wage is LKR 12,500 a month.

Tw Payroll Img3

Overtime pay

The maximum overtime hour is 12 hours per week, and overtime is paid at 150% of the employee’s hourly pay.

How taxes work

Employer Payroll Tax

Category Contribution
Employees Provident (EPF) 12%
Employers Trust Fund 3%

Employee Payroll Tax

Category Contribution
Employees Provident (EPF) 8%

Employee Income Tax

Annual Taxable Income Tax rate
0 to 3 million LKR 6%
3 million to 6 million LKR 12%
Above 6 million LKR 18%

VAT

Sri Lanka levies a standard VAT of 15%.

Bonus

13th Month Pay

There is no mandatory 13th-month bonus in Sri Lanka.

Employee Benefits

  • Medical care
  • Unemployment benefit
  • Old-age benefit
  • Employment injury
  • Family benefit
  • Maternity benefit
  • Invalidity benefit
  • Survivor’s benefit

Employee offboarding

Either a prior written consent of the employee or the prior written approval of the Commissioner of Labor is required to terminate the services of an employee.

In the case of closure of establishment or removal of employees due to winding up of sections or retrenchment, employers should apply for the approval of the Labor Commissioner.

Employees under the  probationary period will be given up to 2 weeks of notice period. On the other hand, employees outside the probationary period will have a notice period based on their contract.

The severance pay depends on the years of service provided by the individual:

Years of Service Severance Pay
1 to 5 years 2.5-month pay per year
6 to 14 years 2-month pay per year
15 to 19 years 1.5-month pay per year
20 to 24 years 1-month pay per year
25 to 34 years 0.5-month pay per year
Tw Visa Img

Visa and
immigration

For foreigners to legally work in Sri Lanka, they must request their employer to apply for their visa with the Controller of Immigration & Emigration. The individual has to apply for the Sri Lanka Work Visa, and all the documents required have to be submitted to the nearest Department of Immigration in Sri Lanka.

Your employment toolkit for Sri Lanka

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