Civil Servants and Private Employees to Work from Home Once a Week, This Business Gets a Windfall
The policy of working from home (WFH) one day per week will not only impact work patterns but also create opportunities for several business sectors. Amid reduced mobility, digital-based businesses are set to be the biggest beneficiaries.
Secretary General of the Indonesian Young Entrepreneurs Association (HIPMI), Anggawira, projects that the technology and digital services sectors will see increased demand when WFH is implemented.
“There are sectors that can actually benefit (from WFH), such as digital technology, telecommunications, e-commerce, cloud services, online meeting platforms, flexible co-working spaces, and household support businesses like food and grocery delivery,” Anggawira told CNBC Indonesia on Sunday (12/4/2026).
He assesses that when mobility decreases, the need for digital-based services typically increases.
“This should be viewed as a momentum to accelerate digital transformation in the business world,” he stated.
However, behind these opportunities, several business sectors face significant challenges. Particularly those that heavily depend on the physical presence of workers and field activities.
“The most common complaints usually come from business actors whose operations rely heavily on the physical presence of workers, such as manufacturing, logistics, transportation, construction, retail, hospitality, food and beverages, and service sectors that require direct interaction with consumers. These sectors cannot fully implement WFH because their business processes are on-site and field-based,” he explained.
Therefore, Anggawira believes that the WFH policy cannot be applied uniformly across all sectors. Flexibility is key to ensure this policy does not disrupt overall economic activities.
“Regarding the WFH policy for civil servants, state-owned enterprises, regional companies, or recommendations to the private sector, in principle, the business world understands that the government is taking anticipatory steps to reduce fuel consumption and mobility amid global geopolitical pressures, especially due to rising energy prices and potential supply disruptions,” he said.
Anggawira added that the business world fundamentally supports energy efficiency efforts but reminds that productivity must not be disrupted.
“However, for the business world, this policy must be implemented selectively, flexibly, and not uniformly for all sectors. Entrepreneurs certainly support energy efficiency measures, but productivity and economic activities must still be maintained without major disruptions,” he emphasised.
Previously, the government officially implemented the WFH policy one day per week for civil servants (ASN), namely every Friday starting from 1 April 2026. This policy was taken as an anticipatory step against the ripple effects of conflicts in the Middle East that have triggered global energy price volatility.
Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Airlangga Hartarto, stated that the policy is part of the national work culture transformation.
“Implementation of WFH for ASN in central and regional offices one working day every Friday,” said Airlangga during an online press conference on Tuesday evening (31/3/2026).
Meanwhile, on Wednesday (1/4/2026), the Minister of Manpower (Menaker) Yassierli stipulated that private workers, state-owned enterprises, and regional companies also follow the WFH policy one working day per week, but it is in the form of a recommendation.
“The implementation of WFH does not reduce annual leave. Workers or labourers carrying out WFH must still carry out their duties and obligations,” said Yassierli during a press conference at his office in Jakarta.
He also emphasised that several sectors are exempted from this policy, such as health, energy, industry, transportation, and food and beverages, to maintain operational continuity and public services.