To All Members,
This has reference to media reports stating that the Government has declared a Public Holiday & Bank on Monday 16th March 2020.
Kindly note that, in terms of the provisions of the Holidays Act, such declaration cannot be extended to the Mercantile Sector (i.e. Private Sector). However, the Hon. Minister of Employment and Labour Relations has requested employers in the private sector to grant a holiday to their employees in order to facilitate efforts by the health authorities to better asses the risk of the spread of the corvid virus & take effective precautionary measures. We also understand that sanitation of public transport facilities have been planned for tomorrow.
Therefore, members are advised to use their discretion in deciding whether to close their establishments on Monday 16th March or not. Establishments that need special permission prior to closing operations (e.g. financial sector) are advised to contact the relevant authorities.
However, being mindful of the need for business continuity, we expect members to carry out essential operations tomorrow as planned.
We will continue to monitor developments and advise you as appropriate.
Kanishka Weerasinghe
Director General
The Employers’ Federation of Ceylon