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Summoning all employees back to work places an invitation to fresh spike in epidemic – Expert
Once people start working from home, companies can cut down their expenditure on rent and utilities. The state too will benefit from savings on fuel,”
By Rathindra Kuruwita
Mobility data gathered by Google, Facebook and the World Health Organisation (WHO) show that Sri Lankans have been travelling out of their homes in large numbers since the lifting of the travel restrictions and addressing it should be an immediate concern for the government, Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Management Consultant Dr. Sanjaya Perera told The Island yesterday.
“The data shows that there was a large dip in mobility in late August when travel restrictions were imposed. However, it started rising in September and has now skyrocketed since restrictions were lifted,” he said.
Dr. Perera said that the increase was ominous and showed that the government’s efforts to prevent public and private sector institutions from bringing people to work en masse had failed. The government and the corporate sector should take steps to promote working from home to avoid a fresh spike in the pandemic.
“I am working on a research for Johns Hopkins University covering several Asian countries and we have seen that many countries including Thailand, have adopted work from home practices. It is unfortunate that Sri Lankan public and private institutions have not encouraged this practice although there are many known benefits,” he said.
Research across the world has shown working from home improved productivity of the employees by reducing stress and anxiety, Dr. Perera said. Often the stress of travelling to work, especially in public transport, office politics and diversions at work prevented people from working at peak capacity, he pointed out.
“However, employees who have started working from home have shown dramatic increases in productivity. When one works from home, they are much more relaxed and their overall health improves because of better sleep and food habits,” he said.
Working from home also allowed employees to work from anywhere, even during holidays and even on vacation, Dr. Perera said. If motivated enough, most employees could hit targets set by the management in a few hours a day, he said.
“This also saves a lot of money for the employees as well. At a time when the cost of travelling or meals from a restaurant has increased, people can save a lot of money if they can work from home. This is akin to giving them a salary increase. A lot of companies have reduced salaries and cut benefits, thus, reducing people’s expenses via encouraging work from home that will offset many of the issues caused by these cuts,” he said.
One of the main complaints by managements of public and private institutions is that some people were slacking off when working from home practices were introduced. It had been cited as a main reason why employees had been asked to come to work.
“However, this is a simple problem to address. You just have to set up Key Performance Indicators. You just have to tell an employee that these targets have to be reached. This is not rocket science. We just need to set up protocols and systems in place. Once people start working from home, companies can also cut down their expenditure on rent and utilities. The state too will benefit from savings on fuel,” he said.
Dr. Perera said that Sri Lanka spent close to USD 300 million on fuel imports a month and it could be greatly reduced if people worked from home.
The U.S. Embassy in Colombo welcomed the U.S. Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, former National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) players Stephen Howard and Astou Ndiaye, from June 8 through 14.
The Public Diplomacy section of the U.S. Embassy said that it would launch a weeklong basketball program intended to harness the unifying power of sports, made possible through collaboration with Foundation of Goodness and IImpact Hoop Lab.
While in Sri Lanka, Howard and Ndiaye, both retired professional basketball players, will conduct a weeklong program, Hoops for Hope: Bridging Borders through Basketball. The Sports Envoys will lead basketball clinics and exhibition matches and engage in leadership sessions in Colombo and Southern Province for youth aged 14-18 from Northern, Uva, Eastern and Western Provinces, offering skills and leadership training both on and off the court. The U.S. Envoys will also share their expertise with the Sri Lanka Basketball Federation, national coaches, and players, furthering the development of basketball in the country. Beyond the clinics, they will collaborate with Sri Lankan schoolchildren to take part in a community service project in the Colombo area.
“We are so proud to welcome Stephen and Astou as our Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, to build on the strong people-to-people connections between the United States and Sri Lanka,” said U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung. “The lessons that will be shared by our Sports Envoys – communication, teamwork, resilience, inclusion, and conflict resolution – are essential for leadership development, community building, equality, and peace. The U.S. Sports Envoy program is a testament to our belief that sports can be a powerful tool in promoting peace and unity.”
SJB Colombo District MP Mujibur Rahuman in parliament demanded to know from the government the reasons for CEB suspending the leave of all its employees until further notice from Thursday.
MP Rahuman said that the CEB has got an acting General Manager anew and the latter yesterday morning issued a circular suspending leave of all CEB employees with immediate effect until further notice.
“We demand that Minister Kanchana Wijesekera should explain this to the House. This circular was issued while this debate on the new Electricity Amendment Bill was pending. There are many who oppose this Bill. The Minister must tell parliament the reason for the urge to cancel the leave of CEB employees,” the MP said.However, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena prevented Minister Wijesekera responding to the query and said that the matter raised by MP Rahuman was not relevant.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) successfully concluded the 8th Annual CIPM Symposium, which took place on 31st May 2024. Themed “Nurturing the Human Element—Redefining HRM in a Rapidly Changing World,” the symposium underscored the pivotal role of human resource management (HRM) in today’s dynamic global landscape. Since its inception in 1959, CIPM has been dedicated to advancing the HR profession through education, professional development, and advocacy, solidifying its position as Sri Lanka’s leading professional body for HRM.
Ken Vijayakumar, the President of the CIPM, graced the occasion as the chief guest. The symposium commenced with the welcome address by the Chairperson, Prof. Arosha Adikaram, followed by the Web Launch of the Symposium Proceedings and Abstract Book by the CIPM President. The event featured distinguished addresses, including a speech by Chief Guest Ken Vijayakumar, President of CIPM, and an address by Guest of Honor Shakthi Ranatunga, Chief Operating Officer of MAS Holdings Pvt. Ltd., Sri Lanka.
The symposium also featured an inspiring keynote address by Prof. Mario Fernando, Professor of Management and Director of the Centre for Cross Cultural Management (CCCM) at the University of Wollongong, Australia.
Vote of Thanks of the inauguration session was delivered by Dr. Dillanjani Weeratunga, Symposium Co-chair.
The symposium served as a comprehensive platform for researchers to present their findings across a wide range of critical topics in HRM. These included Cultural Diversity and Inclusion, Talent Development and Retention, Ethical Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility, Adapting to Technological Advancements, Mental Health and Well-being at Work, Global Workforce Challenges, Employee Empowerment, and Reskilling and Upskilling.
The plenary session was led by Prof. Wasantha Rajapakse. Certificates were awarded to the best paper presenters during the valedictory session, followed by a vote of thanks delivered by Kamani Perera, Manager of Research and Development.
The annual symposium of CIPM was a truly inclusive event, attracting a diverse audience that spanned undergraduates, graduates, working professionals, research scholars and lecturers. This widespread interest highlights the symposium’s significance in the field of HRM, offering a unique opportunity for everyone to network and learn from scholarly brains.The CIPM International Research Symposium was sponsored by Hambantota International Port, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), E B Creasy & Co. PLC, and Print Xcel Company.
US sports envoys to Lanka to champion youth development
Rahuman questions sudden cancellation of leave of CEB employees
