"Sri Lanka has roughly just six weeks of fuel reserves left. That's why they've rolled out the four‑day week almost overnight, suspended public ceremonies, and launched a National Fuel Pass to ration how much petrol people can buy. And they're not the only country introducing these emergency measures to avoid running out of fuel."
"The three major crises since 2020-the pandemic, the 2022 European energy shock, now the Iran war-have each pushed governments to reach for the same lever: send people home, cut the commute, compress the week. And every time, some portion of that change proves permanent. Workers adjust. Productivity holds."
Sri Lanka declared every Wednesday a holiday for public institutions, schools, universities, and courts starting March 18, 2026, to reduce petrol consumption due to threats to oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz. With only six weeks of fuel reserves left, the government implemented emergency measures including a National Fuel Pass for fuel rationing and suspension of public ceremonies. Essential services like hospitals remain operational. The private sector was also requested to follow the mandate. This represents part of a broader pattern where major crises since 2020—the pandemic, the 2022 European energy shock, and the Iran war—have prompted governments to reduce work weeks, with some changes proving permanent. Other Asian nations including Pakistan and the Philippines are similarly adopting four-day workweeks.
#four-day-workweek #fuel-crisis #energy-conservation #middle-east-tensions #emergency-government-policy
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