Civil Servants' Wallets to Be Safe as Work-Near-Home Trial Begins

The National Civil Service Agency (BKN) is currently testing a new work scheme that allows state civil apparatus (ASN) to work closer to their domiciles or families. The programme is touted as an initial step towards a more flexible bureaucracy while helping ASN save on living costs amid economic pressures.

BKN Head Zudan Arif Fakrulloh stated that the policy is designed so that civil servants (PNS) and government employees with work agreements (PPPK) can remain productive without having to work far from their residences. According to Zudan, this new approach is also an effort to improve ASN welfare by reducing daily expenditures.

In the initial phase, the programme will be implemented on a limited basis within BKN as a pilot project. If it proves effective, the model is expected to be adopted by other ministries, agencies, and regional governments.

Zudan explained that the idea stemmed from the aspirations of ASN who face challenges in balancing work and family life. Many employees are forced to live apart from their spouses or children due to job placements far from their domiciles. The programme is also expected to reduce routine expenses that have burdened ASN, from transportation costs to household needs. According to Zudan, these savings are increasingly relevant given that the government currently lacks the capacity to significantly increase ASN income in the near future.

Through this programme, BKN hopes to create a more adaptive work pattern oriented towards employee welfare without sacrificing bureaucratic performance. If successful, the scheme could become a new national model for ASN management in an era of increasingly flexible work.