State employees may be able to work from home every Friday

By Chaminda Silva

Public Administration, Home Affairs, Provincial Councils and Local Government Minister Dinesh Gunawardena yesterday said that plans were underway to enable the public servants to work from home on Friday.Speaking to the media during a ceremony held at the Kethumathi Vihara in Madiwela yesterday to distribute Mee plants to mark the World Environment Day, the Minister said that most probably state employees would be able to work from home on Friday. “The number of days for the public servants to report to their workplace would be brought down to four. This new method would be introduced with Cabinet approval,” the minister said.He said that the change would be introduced in view of the prevailing financial and fuel crisis in the country.

He also said the approval soon would be granted for a five-year no-pay leave plan for public servants who wish to go abroad for work or any other purpose. Minister Gunawardena said that public servants would get back their seniority and grades at the end of the five years with all benefits after completing the no-pay leave period.That would give incentives to public servants to go abroad for employment. Therefore, this programme would offer many benefits to public servants, the Minister said.