Talent Wiki - Sri Lanka

Your quick guide on talent and labor compliance norms in Sri Lanka

Capital

Colombo

Currency

Sri Lankan Rupee (LKR)

Languages

Sinhala (Official), Tamil (Official), English

Payroll Frequency

Daily, Weekly, or Monthly

GDP per Capita

$3,988

Employer Tax

15%

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

Local Universities

The top local universities of Sri Lanka with world rank:

University of Colombo

RANKING

Local: 1

World : 2625

University of Moratuwa

RANKING

Local: 2

World : 3671

University of Sri Jayewardenepura

RANKING

Local: 3

World : 4118

University of Kelaniya

RANKING

Local: 4

World : 4941

University of Peradeniya

RANKING

Local: 5

World : 5089

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

Talent Sourcing Tips

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

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 Holiday Type
6 Jan Duruthu Full Moon Poya day Public Holiday
15 Jan Tamil Thai Pongal day Public Holiday
4 Feb National day Public Holiday
5 Feb Navam Full Moon Poya day Public Holiday
7 Mar Madin Full Moon Poya day Public Holiday
5 Apr Bak Full Moon Poya day Public Holiday
7 Apr Good Friday Public Holiday
13 Apr Day Prior to Sinhala & Tamil new year Public Holiday
14 Apr Sinhala & Tamil new year Public Holiday
22 Apr Id-Ul Fitr Public Holiday
1 May May day Public Holiday
5 May Vesak full moon Poya day Public Holiday
6 May Day following Vesak full moon Poya day Public Holiday
3 Jun Poson full moon Poya day Public Holiday
3 Jul Esala full moon Poya day Public Holiday
1 Aug Nikini full moon Poya day Public Holiday
30 Aug Adhi Nikini full moon Poya day Public Holiday
28 Sep Milad Ul-Nabi Public Holiday
28 Oct Vap full moon Poya day Public Holiday
12 Jan Deepavali Public Holiday
26 Jan Ill full moon Poya day Public Holiday
25 Dec Christmas day Public Holiday
26 Dec Unduvap full moon Poya day Public Holiday

Employee Leaves

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

 

Payroll

Payroll Cycle

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

Minimum Wage

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

Overtime Pay

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

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

Taxes

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%.

Offboarding & Termination

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

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.

Streamline payroll and compliance for your international workforce

Payroll

Minimum Wage

Overtime Pay

Visa & Immigration