Work from home order but SLFEB to ignore

With the entire country in a crisis over the fuel supply, the Government decided to curtail several services including those in the public sector.

The Public Administration Ministry issued a circular requesting public servants to work from home.

The senior staff were advised to conduct meetings using technology instead of calling public servants for conferences and other in-person events.

For the Sri Lanka Foreign Employment Bureau (SLFEB) however, it seemed these instructions did not apply.

The SLFEB General Manager summoned all managers and higher grade officials for what he called a workshop to explain the action plan to implement a 100 day programme.

The meeting had been called for yesterday from 8.00 a.m to 5.00 p.m at the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute Auditorium in Colombo 07.

Senior staffers who had vehicles issued to them were told to use their official vehicles and those who were unable to use their vehicles due to the fuel shortage were told to contact the Bureau's transport division or organise their own transport and the Bureau would meet their expenses.

Lunch had been organised at the Bureau's expenses, and duty leave granted for the day. But at the last moment the event was put off for next week, even though the fuel issue has not been resolved.