March 22, 2026 | 04:46 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesian government plans to implement a work from home (WFH) policy for Civil Servants (ASN) and private employees after the 2026 Eid al-Fitr holiday. This step is being taken to optimize the budget amid the surge in world oil prices caused by the conflict in the Middle East.
"With the high oil prices, it is necessary to optimize working hours, where there will be flexibility for work from home for one day in a five-day work week," said Coordinating Minister for the Economy Airlangga Hartarto in a press conference on Wednesday, March 18, 2026.
Energy economist and lecturer at Gadjah Mada University (UGM), Fahmy Radhi, believes that it will be difficult to require civil servants and private employees to strictly implement WFH. This policy involves a change in employees' work patterns.
He stated that if the WFH for 1 day is implemented on a Friday, employees may not work from home but rather work from anywhere (WFA) at tourist destinations, enjoying a long weekend. "As a result, fuel consumption cannot be significantly reduced," he said in a written statement on Sunday, March 22, 2026.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, WFH was successful in saving fuel due to the necessity of avoiding contracting the virus. This variable is absent in the planned WFH policy for 1 day. Without the compulsion as before, WFH would be very difficult to implement consistently.
Additionally, he believes that working from home for one day could reduce income for the transportation sector, including online motorcycle taxi services and micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) that have been providing lunch for civil servants and private employees, and other businesses.
Mandating one day of WFH for private sector manufacturing workers will also reduce work productivity, which is detrimental to the sector. "The government should carefully consider the cost and benefit of WFH for one day. It should not be the case where the implementation of WFH for one day saves fuel subsidies, but shifts the costs to other sectors," said Fahmy.
Economic lecturer at the National Development University (UPN) Veteran Jakarta, Achmad Nur Hidayat, expressed a similar view. "When people do not go to work, fuel consumption decreases, and traffic congestion may be reduced. However, household energy consumption increases," he said.
He believes there is a significant opportunity to save. High traffic congestion means that any reduction in travel directly impacts energy usage. Therefore, if implemented systematically in sectors that allow for it, the WFA policy has the potential to optimize energy.
However, working from home should not be seen as the primary solution. If the office continues to operate as usual while employees work from home, the savings would be minimal. "Lights, air conditioning, elevators, and office equipment would still be operational, while household energy consumption increases. In this situation, it would not be efficient, but merely a transfer of burden," he said.
Previously, Coordinating Minister for the Economy Airlangga Hartarto stated that this policy applies to civil servants and is encouraged in the private sector as well. "The WFH regulations will be detailed. However, it will be applicable after Eid for both civil servants and in the private sector. But not for those working in the public service sector," said Airlangga on Saturday, March 21, 2026, as quoted by Antara.
Read: Pertamina Urges Public Not to Panic Buy as Fuel Queues Form
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