Remote Work – Advantages for Sri Lankan Companies and Employees
Introduction
While remote work is
already practiced in certain advanced nations, it became becoming more common in Sri
Lanka during the COVID-19 pandemic for both governmental and private
enterprises.
Sri Lankan companies and employees also willingly or not purposely adapted to the remote work in the rapidly evolving global digitalization era.
Remote
work provides many advantages for both companies and employees, currently and
in the past. Companies were able to function normally in the early stages of
the pandemic in Sri Lanka.
This blog highlights the advantages for Sri Lankan companies as well as employees.
Advantages for Companies:
Cost savings:
A huge office setup is not necessary to manage many employees, and office
rentals, maintenance costs, utility bills, etc. can be saved (Fayaza, MSF, 2023).
e.g.: It is quite expensive to operate an office in Sri Lanka's major cities
such as Colombo, Kandy etc.
Employee Retention:
While the open online positions offered by international companies with
attractive perks and remote work available a great challenge for local
companies in today's Sri Lankan circumstances, retention of employees is a
major issue.
As a result, companies will
consequently have to deal with substantial employee turnover as well as other
related expenses like recruiting and training new hires.
By offering remote work option companies can be relieved and employees
will benefit with secured jobs in the local market.
Access to a larger talent
acquisition:
For the required positions, both local and international talent can be employed easily.
e.g.: Without having to physically visit the workplace, a company in Colombo City can hire highly competent employees from Jaffna or the United Kingdom.
Higher productivity:
Organizations that embrace remote work report higher levels of
productivity (Bloom, Nicholas, 2020).
Advantages for Employees:
Job Satisfaction:
Employees that work remotely are typically happier with their jobs (Schall, Marie, 2019).
Work life Balance:
More improved flexibility in achieving work-life balance can be obtained from remote work (Sooriyaarachchi, TD, 2020).
Cost & Time saving:
Reduce the time and expense of traveling from home to the office by working remotely. Employees become more efficient and productive as a result. However, the cost and time required to travel to work create challenges for both public and private sector employees in on-site offices(Samath, Feizal, 2021).
Conclusion
Given the considerations, remote work is most suitable and recommended in the information technology, education, telecommunication, and other service-providing sectors, etc particularly in Sri Lanka.
However, sectors including production and manufacturing, healthcare, and agriculture may not applicable remote work at present in Sri Lanka.
References
Bloom, Nicholas, 2020. Stanford
University. [Online]
Available at: https://siepr.stanford.edu/publications/essay/bright-future-working-home
[Accessed 22 March 2025].
Fayaza, MSF, 2023. Journal of Information and
Communication Technology (JICT). [Online]
Available at: https://www.seu.ac.lk/jict/publication/vl01is02/The%20Impact%20of%20Covid-19%20on%20Sri%20Lankan%20Information%20Technology%20Industry%20Work%20From%20Home%20Productivity.pdf
[Accessed 20 March 2025].
Samath, Feizal, 2021. The Sunday Times. [Online]
Available at: https://www.sundaytimes.lk/210425/business-times/working-from-home-440978.html
[Accessed 20 March 2025].
Schall, Marie, 2019. ScholarWorks. [Online]
Available at: https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/etd_theses/5017/
[Accessed 22 March 2025].
Sooriyaarachchi, TD, 2020. NSBM. [Online]
Available at: https://www.nsbm.ac.lk/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/ICOBI_2020_A-Study-on-Work-Life-Balance-of-Employees-Working-from-Home-during-the-Covid-19-Lockdown-Period.pdf
[Accessed 22 March 2025].
It seems good.
ReplyDeleteReal definition for remote work , The article effectively outlines the growing relevance of remote work in Sri Lanka, especially during the pandemic, and highlights its benefits for both companies and employees. It emphasizes cost savings, access to global talent, and improved work-life balance as key advantages, while also recognizing the challenges in sectors where remote work may not be feasible. Like laboratory research scientists. and company production line operators. but,
ReplyDeleteHow can Sri Lankan companies balance the benefits of remote work with the challenges of employee retention, especially when international companies offer more attractive remote work opportunities?
Sri Lankan companies have also embraced remote work. These days, SL companies offer excellent remuneration often matching the same offers made by international companies, because the overheads are relatively lower while working remotely. It's beneficial for SL workers who are employed by local companies remain because of perks and stable jobs. Similar to this, SL companies have to overcome the challenges of employee retention.
DeleteThe blog post provides a clear and well-balanced overview of the advantages of remote working for both employers and employees. It is presented in a simple and easily understandable manner. Do you believe that the remote working culture can be effectively adopted in other sectors in the future as well?
ReplyDeleteIndeed. Remote working culture can be applied as a successful method if organizations establish innovative HR policies which will be beneficial for both the employers and employees even industries like health, agriculture, production etc.
DeleteThis blog nicely outlines the advantages of remote work for both companies and employees. While sectors like IT and education are well-suited for remote work, industries such as healthcare and manufacturing still face challenges. Do you think other sectors in Sri Lanka will eventually embrace remote work as digitalization continues to advance?
ReplyDeleteThanks for your feedback on the blog. The answer for your question is "Yes". With the support of international companies, obtaining the technology and the most up-to-date knowledge, Sri Lanka can eventually adopt digitalization and apply it to other sectors.
DeleteThis blog effectively highlights the significant advantages of remote work for Sri Lankan companies, such as cost savings, improved employee retention, and access to a broader talent pool. It provides valuable insights into how remote work can address challenges like high office costs and employee turnover while offering opportunities for businesses to tap into global talent.
ReplyDeleteThis is a fantastic post on the advantages of remote work for Sri Lankan employees! I appreciate how you’ve explored the flexibility, improved work-life balance, and increased productivity that remote work can offer. Your point about reducing commuting time is particularly relevant in today’s context. What do you think are the biggest hurdles Sri Lankan companies might face in fully embracing remote work, and how can they overcome these challenges to create a sustainable remote work culture?
ReplyDeleteThanks for your wonderful comments.
DeleteThe lack of regulations allowing remote work, managerial opposition, and a lack of digital infrastructure are the main obstacles facing Sri Lankan organizations. These can be overcome by making investments in basic technological changes, educating leaders on remote management, and implementing clear, flexible frameworks for remote work in the future.
You've done a good job of pointing out how important remote work is becoming in Sri Lanka, especially in fields like IT, education, and telecommunications. Consider adding current statistics or case studies that illustrate the observable advantages of working remotely, including higher productivity or cost savings, to further improve your blog. A more balanced viewpoint might also be offered by talking about potential obstacles like infrastructural constraints or change-averseness and suggesting solutions. A succinct summary of the main ideas in your post's conclusion would help increase its overall impact.
ReplyDeleteThis is a well-balanced analysis of remote work advantages in Sri Lanka! You've effectively highlighted both employer benefits (cost savings, talent access) and employee perks (work-life balance, job satisfaction) while acknowledging sector limitations.
ReplyDeleteThanks a lot for your valuable commets.
DeleteThis blog gives a clear and well-organized explanation of the benefits of remote work for both companies and employees in Sri Lanka. The use of local examples like Colombo and Jaffna adds good context. To improve, you could critically mention potential downsides like how some employees may feel isolated or how not all sectors can benefit equally. Also, the conclusion seems to cut off maybe it could be completed with a short note on how hybrid models can balance both advantages and limitations.
ReplyDeleteThanks a lot for your comments and suggestions.
Delete