Managing the Human Resource in a Difficult Business and Regulatory Environment: An Evaluation of Global Trends, Challenges and Risks. Note: The presentation included an outline research project proposal provisionally entitled A Family Friendly Flexible Work Scheme for Sri Lanka?

This was an invited paper given as a Guest Speaker at Staffordshire University's partner college, APIIT Sri Lanka, at their annual research conference on 7th July 2016. The conference title was Breaking Barriers - Interdisciplinary Research for Global Challenges). The programme and papers have been published in Breaking Barriers: Interdisciplinary Research for Global Challenges - The Proceedings of the Business, Law and Technology Conference 2016, Colombo: Asia Pacific Institute of Information Technology, ISBN 978-955-7678-01-6, July 7th 2016. The paper is published in full in Section D Invited Papers, pp.126-137. After considering developments and trends affecting labour market conditions, and commenting on sources like the International Labour Organisation (ILO) 2016 World Employment and Social Outlook - the presentation considered the role being played by Law in both regional and national systems dealing with complex areas like information sharing, consultation and the employee voice, work-life balance, flexible family-friendly working, and discipline and dismissal. It was noted how, despite organisations like the ILO, EU, the G7, and ASEAN pressing for further and better interventions, standards, etc, and improved social protection floors, the trend in some countries (including many EU States) has, in fact, been towards less law, deregulation, and a reduced use of law as an instrument of regulatory power. In other countries, however, including South-East Asia States, traditional forms of regulation and enforcement of the State have been maintained. There is, however, a discernible trend towards using legislative instruments to identify the standards to be attained, but then leaving the precise means of securing attainment to industry and sectoral level initiatives. It was suggested that this may be the approach that could be taken by government and policy makers when designing new generation, innovative work-life balance schemes, factoring in prevailing labour market conditions and traditions.
The paper outlined a joint SU Law School-APIIT Law School project (2016-18) to evaluate possible regulatory models for a work-life balance and family-friendly flexible work scheme in Sri Lanka. The project is due to start by the end of 2016/start of 2017, and be undertaken by the paper's author with APIIT Law School colleagues, including Dr Kushanthi Harasgama, Marini de Livera, and Sanduni Jayasinghe. In the first phase, from September 2016-September 2017, working with key organisations like IPM Sri Lanka, the Sri Lankan legal profession (notably labour lawyers), and academics, the focus will be on national systems' experience of flexible working. This is an important component in any organisation's policy to improve staff members' need for effective work-life balance. It is also a key area identified as a high priority for organisations in Sri Lanka (1). Initial research will include a literature review, and comparisons between UK, EU, Sri Lankan, and neighbouring South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation (SAARC) countries, including their Labour Law regimes and HR good practice standards. The UK, Sri Lanka, and India clearly share similar objectives in a number of key areas of labour market regulation (2). Proposed outputs include further conference papers, an update at the next APIIT annual conference in 2017, and a proposed article in the Asia Pacific Journal of Management (a 4* journal for REF 2020/21 purposes). The other guest speakers included the Attorney-General of Sri Lanka, Hon. Jayanthaa, President's Counsel, and Madu Ratnayake, Executive Vice-President, Vitusa Polaris, a former Chairman of the Sri Lanka Association of Software and Services Companies.
(1) See Keppetipola, M (2014) An Analysis of the Work-Life Balance of Sri Lankan Military Officers, People Power, IPM Sri Lanka, 2014 Vol 3-1, p.3. This sets out the current issues and challenges well, as described them in relation to Sri Lankan military officers, the advancement of their careers, and the benefits to be gained from effective schemes in performance and retention.
(2) Abeysuriya, I (2015) Is there a Better Way, People Power, IPM Sri Lanka, September 2015, 12-14.