Sri Lanka to remove law preventing women working the night shifts in restaurants
Where night work for women in restaurants has been condemned in the past, Sri Lanka’s cabinet of Ministers has recognized that some night work is now necessary due to operational challenges, including expansion of industries and economic opportunities. Consequently, it has approved a proposal to amend an existing and antiquated 71-years old regulation to withdraw restrictive legislation, which up until now, prevents women from working as hotel and restaurant waitresses after 10.00 pm. Currently, female employees over the age of 18 are allowed to work between 6:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. in certain roles, such as hotel receptionists, coat room attendants, and washroom staff.
Hotels never close. This aspect of the industry which is outside the norm of ‘nine-to-five’ jobs creates difficulties and barriers such as night work, which employees in many other fields do not face. Night work, whether for men or for women has centered chiefly on two key concerns: its harmful physiological effects and its undesirable social consequences. Firstly, it relates to the health of workers, and secondly with the problems of social hazards that disrupt family living, the requirements for the proper care of children and the denial of opportunities for recreation and participation in community life.
For women these effects have been considered particularly severe on two grounds -that they were physically less strong and hence more subject to fatigue and those women workers bore the dual responsibility of wage earner and homemaker. It was on these grounds that prohibiting the employment of women at night was promoted and upheld by the country’s courts, way back in 1954.
Sri Lanka’s tourism industry is growing steadily, targeting 2.5 million visitors in 2025, up from two million in 2024. A veteran in the industry has noted that removing the legal barrier could encourage more women to join. Will it? Sri Lanka’s hotel industry reportedly employs a mere 11% of females on its staff well below the worldwide average which sits between 35%-50%.
Even when considering the global average, it begs many questions: If so, many women enter the industry, then where along the way do they disappear, and why do they decide to leave the industry? The fact that some women leave after marriage or after deciding to care for family over job, once they have children, is just the tip of the iceberg. There are several other challenges and problems they face even when willing to work in the industry.
According to the Minister of Labour, this revision was considered following stakeholder lobbying to amend the law. Accordingly, lawmakers have decided to overturn the archaic law. Industry representatives and stakeholders applaud the move whilst calling for providing safe transport or accommodation for employees finishing work at midnight. But is that the panacea (cure all) for many other problems female workers face, including work place harassment. Not by a long shot!
In line with the hotel industry globally, more needs to be done at a national level to tackle harassment in an environment where cultural differences between larger city hotels and the more remote resorts exist. City hotels by and large, have a structured approach to harassment - with many having robust policies that ensure harassment (verbal or physical) of any kind is dealt with effectively. Despite that, many females are reluctant to report it because they feel their own jobs would be at risk. If the industry is serious about encouraging more females to enter the hospitality trade it must discuss, tackle and create safe spaces for females across the entire country.
Female career advancement is another indicator of gender inequality in the hotel industry. Women have limited opportunities for career progression with fragmented policies creating gender bias - hindering their participation in key managerial roles. Misconceptions that certain jobs are believed to be gender specific with females considered to be more suited for work in sales and marketing, accounting, human resources, the front office and housekeeping, make it hard for them to reach the top. Addressing these barriers requires coordinated efforts from hotel management, government, and industry-related bodies to create a more inclusive and supportive environment for female employees.
Shafeek Wahab – Editor, Hospitality Sri Lanka, Consultant, Trainer, Motivational Speaker, ex-Hotelier
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