Author name: Prashanthi Arokiam

As a senior manager in Colombo, you are on the front lines of a new, unspoken crisis. It is not just the “brain drain” or the skills gap; it is a crisis of employee affordability and corporate friction, driven by a tax system whose cumulative burden is now a primary threat to talent retention. A

Sri Lanka’s economic narrative is shifting. After a period of intense stabilization, green shoots are emerging. Exports rise, FDI shows promise, and sectors vital to Colombo are gaining momentum. But beneath this fragile recovery lies a persistent challenge threatening to stall progress: a complex talent management crisis. Record remittances highlight skilled workers leaving, while Sri

Feeling squeezed? You’re not alone. Welcome to Colombo’s ‘polycrisis’ – the daily reality for managers navigating a perfect storm. On one hand, there’s the top-down pressure of IMF compliance driving fiscal discipline across Sri Lanka. On the other, ground-level operational risks are escalating, particularly with the uncertain CEB restructuring. This isn’t just another challenging quarter;

Sri Lanka’s HR landscape isn’t just shifting—it’s undergoing a seismic overhaul. In late 2025, managers across Colombo are grappling with a convergence of critical policy changes: a significant hike in the national minimum wage, contentious proposals for the plantation sector, and the drafting of sweeping new unified labor laws. For many businesses already navigating a

As a manager in Colombo, you’re fighting a war on two fronts. Last week, your best senior engineer resigned to move overseas—another contributor to the $5.81 billion in remittances Sri Lanka just recorded in the first nine months of 2025, according to Central Bank data reported by Xinhuanet. This week, you’re trying to train two

As a manager in Colombo, you’re living in a paradox. From one side, you hear the government’s ambitious plans for a National AI Strategy. From the other, you see your team—talented and hardworking, but perhaps not fully equipped for the tidal wave of AI tools reshaping your industry. This is the dangerous chasm every Sri

A company’s compensation strategy is more than a financial calculation; it is a powerful statement of its values and its role within the national community. In Sri Lanka today, a single policy announcement is forcing every business leader to re-examine what “fair pay” truly means. The President’s definitive pledge to raise the daily wage for