Sri Lankan social media users share false posts about retirement age for public sector workers

The false note was shared in this Facebook post published on October 27, 2022.

The post's Sinhala-language caption translates to English as: "Proposed retirement age limits."

The Sinhala text on the note in the post's photograph translates as: "Please note below the compulsory retirement ages that came into effect after the proposed circular on compulsory retirement ages was issued."

Image

Screenshot of the Facebook post captured on November 2, 2022.

According to the note, any public sector worker born after 1965 must retire by 60 years old, and workers born after 1973 must retire by 55 years old.

An identical image was shared dozens of times on Facebook, including here and here.

The posts circulated as Sri Lanka faced its worst economic crisis in more than 70 years, brought on by depleting foreign reserves that have led the island nation to impose reforms to conserve state expenditure, including a reduction of the workforce.

Blackouts, chronic fuel shortages and high prices triggered months of political unrest, ultimately forcing former president Gotabaya Rajapaksa to flee the country and resign in July, AFP reported.

The posts, however, are false. As of November 2022, the compulsory retirement age for public sector workers in Sri Lanka is fixed at 60 years old.

Retirement age change

The posts circulated online after the Sri Lankan government -- under president Ranil Wickremesinghe -- issued a circular on September 14 to reduce the compulsory retirement age for the public sector to 60 years old.

The circular adds that any official who is in service and has exceeded the age limit, or will turn 60 years by the end of 2022, should resign on or before December 31, 2022.

The government said the move was intended to reduce state sector expenditure during the ongoing economic crisis, Sri Lankan news site Economy Next reported on August 30, 2022.

This reversed a move by the previous Rajapaksa administration in January this year to extend the compulsory retirement age for public sector workers to 65 years old. The original extension was outlined in a circular published here by Sri Lanka's Ministry of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government.

M.M.P.K. Mayadunne, secretary to the Ministry of Public Administration, Home Affairs and Provincial Councils told AFP that the posts circulating online were false.

"The compulsory retirement age for all public sector employees stands at 60 years as per the new circular," he said. "There is no regulation that stipulates those born after 1963 must retire before reaching 60 years old."