Central Java Provincial Government Bans ASN from Working from Home Outside Their Residences
The Central Java Provincial Government has banned the implementation of work from home (WFH) for civil servants (ASN) from anywhere other than their homes or places of residence. Central Java’s Secretary General, Sumarno, stated that his office is currently preparing guidelines for WFH implementation and supervision methods.
He said that the attendance concept is planned to be designed to ensure ASN report their presence from their respective homes. “Later, if there is any concern about going out (during WFH), it will certainly be avoided, because they must tag at home. They cannot do it in other places,” he said in a written statement on Wednesday, 1 April 2026.
Sumarno conveyed that for the time being, Central Java plans to follow the central government’s WFH pattern, namely on Fridays. The consideration is that Friday has a shorter working time due to the Friday prayer break.
Nevertheless, the Central Java Provincial Government is still refining the control and performance measurement instruments for ASN during WFH. According to him, implementing WFH in the provincial environment is more complex than in ministries or agencies. This is because, Sumarno assessed, the scope of public services in the regions is far broader.
He explained that while ministries or agencies generally handle only one field of affairs, the provincial government manages various cross-sectoral public services. Therefore, he stated that the WFH policy for fuel oil savings instructed by the centre cannot be applied directly.
“Supervision, work distribution, and performance achievement measurements for ASN must be prepared in detail before the policy is implemented,” he said.
Sumarno stated that the Central Java Provincial Government will measure the effectiveness of WFH from two aspects, namely work results and discipline. Work results will be seen from the products or outputs of the work, while supervision will be carried out through attendance and other control instruments.
Previously, the central government set a WFH policy once a week for civil servants. This WFH policy is a step to save fuel oil amid global oil price fluctuations due to the war between the United States and Israel against Iran in the Middle East.
The regulation then applies to the regions through the Minister of Home Affairs’ Circular on the Transformation of Civil Servants’ Work Culture (ASN) in the Regional Government Environment. This policy takes effect from 1 April 2026 and will be evaluated in the next two months.
The circular numbered 800.1.5/3349/SJ mandates that regional governments must regulate WFH implementation for up to 50 percent of ASN employees in their respective environments. However, several services must be excluded, such as government units handling disaster affairs, public order and security, and community protection.
Furthermore, exclusions also apply to personnel in cleanliness and waste management affairs, population and civil registration services (dukcapil), licensing in the investment sector, health services, education services, regional revenue services, and other public services that directly interact with the community.