Sri Lanka has reached a pivotal moment in the development of inclusive employment practices with the successful organization of the Parent-Inclusive Workplaces Summit 2025. This national event gathered senior corporate leaders, human resources professionals, policymakers, wellbeing practitioners, and members of the parenthood community to explore how workplaces can better support working parents, thereby enhancing organizational performance.
The summit was orchestrated by Parenthood Global in collaboration with Great Place to Work Sri Lanka. The comprehensive day-long program framed parent inclusion not as a mere benefit but as a strategic workforce priority, highlighting its significance in boosting employee engagement, retention, and the long-term sustainability of businesses.
The Parent-Inclusive Workplaces Summit 2025 provided a high-level platform for sharing knowledge and fostering action-oriented dialogue, addressing the practical challenges faced by working parents across various industries. Through expert panel discussions, leadership conversations, and evidence-based insights, participants delved into how organizations can create policies, workplace cultures, and leadership practices that empower employees to successfully balance professional and caregiving duties.
Key areas of focus included integrating principles of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging into parental policies, establishing sustainable work cultures for employees who care for both children and aging parents, and the role of inclusive leadership in fostering supportive organizational environments. The summit also covered topics like employee wellbeing, work-life integration, resilience, future workforce readiness, and the role of corporate social responsibility in supporting the broader parent community.
These discussions underscored the business case for parent-inclusive practices and provided practical strategies that organizations can implement, irrespective of their size or sector.
A major highlight of the summit was the launch of the Corporate Circle Lifestyle Portal, a digital platform created by Parenthood Global to aid working parents and family-friendly organizations. This portal aims to build a connected ecosystem that extends support beyond the workplace. It offers exclusive lifestyle benefits, access to wellbeing initiatives, corporate inclusion stories, best-practice showcases, curated experiences, and parent-focused support programs, all designed to enhance employer branding and improve employee engagement and retention.
The summit also featured the presentation of the Parent-Inclusive Workplace Awards 2025, recognizing organizations that have demonstrated outstanding commitment to supporting working parents. Award recipients were chosen through a structured, data-driven evaluation process based on organizational surveys, supporting evidence, and impact analysis covering the period from October 1, 2024, to September 30, 2025.
The award winners were:
- Best CEO and Leadership Initiatives for Working Parents – Dialog Business Services (Pvt) Ltd
- Best HR Policies Empowering Working Parents – HNB General Insurance Ltd
- Best Workplace Culture for Parents – Dijital Team
- Best Wellbeing Initiative for Working Parents – HNB Assurance PLC
- Most Innovative Initiative Supporting Working Parents – Allianz Insurance Lanka Ltd
- Parent-Inclusive Workplace of the Year 2025 – JXG (Janashakthi Group)
These organizations have set new standards for inclusive leadership, progressive human resource practices, and sustainable workplace cultures in Sri Lanka.
The summit featured a distinguished panel of senior leaders and subject-matter experts who shared insights from both local and global perspectives, including Ravi Jayasekera, Chief People and Corporate Affairs Officer, Hemas Holdings PLC; Sandra De Zoysa, Group Chief Customer Officer, Dialog Axiata PLC and Managing Director, Dialog Business Services; Felix Fernando, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Omega Line Ltd; Chethana Liyanage, Chief Talent Officer, Capital Maharaja Group and Chief Executive Officer, Maharaja Institute of Management; Manesh Fernando, Area General Manager, Hilton Colombo; Chandi H. Dharmaratne, Founder and Director, Prism Global Solutions (Pvt) Ltd; Lasantha Dasanayaka, Vice President Human Resources, NDB Bank PLC; Charitha Bandara, Head of Sales Learning Academy, Allianz Insurance Lanka Ltd; Rasini Bandara, International Wellbeing Consultant, International Transport Federation and Counseling Psychologist, Mind Heals (Pvt) Ltd; and Senela Jayasuriya, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Women Empowered Global.
Their contributions provided practical insights, leadership perspectives, and evidence-based guidance on strengthening parent inclusion and workplace wellbeing.
The Parent-Inclusive Workplaces Summit 2025 reaffirmed Parenthood Global’s commitment to promoting meaningful and measurable changes across workplaces in Sri Lanka. The event bolstered cross-sector collaboration and encouraged organizations to transform dialogue into action.
As workplace expectations continue to evolve, initiatives like this summit play a critical role in ensuring that working parents are supported and empowered, contributing to healthier organizations and a more inclusive national workforce.
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