Gus Ipul: 2,708 Social Ministry Employees Skip Work After Eid
Social Minister Saifullah Yusuf, alias Gus Ipul, stated that 2,708 civil servants (ASN) working in the Ministry of Social Affairs were absent without reason or skipped work on the first day back after the Eid holiday. This figure was discovered after the Minister conducted a surprise inspection on the first working day following the Idul Fitri holiday on 25 March 2026.
Gus Ipul explained that out of a total of 46,090 Ministry of Social Affairs employees, 2,708 were reported absent without explanation. Of those absent, 156 were employees from offices and technical implementation units (UPT) at centres and halls who were supposed to work in the office. The remaining 2,500 were employees undergoing flexible working arrangements.
“Among them are the social companions who have now been appointed as civil servant candidates (PPPK),” said Gus Ipul during the Ministry of Social Affairs employee roll call, quoted from the official Ministry statement on Saturday, 28 March 2026.
In addition, on that occasion, the Social Minister also dismissed one ASN who had been proven to have not reported to work without reason for a long time. The General Secretary of the Nahdlatul Ulama Central Board emphasised that all employees reported absent without explanation would be subject to sanctions.
“We will impose sanctions according to each individual’s fault. For those who apologise and want to improve, we accept, appreciate, and will continue to monitor them. But for those with serious violations, some of them will be processed, and one of them we are dismissing today,” said Gus Ipul.
He then explained that according to applicable regulations, employees who do not record their attendance when entering or leaving work and are declared absent will be subject to sanctions in the form of a 3 per cent reduction in performance allowances per day of absence.
In 2025, Gus Ipul added, nearly 500 social companions were given warnings and 49 of them were dismissed for skipping work after the Eid holiday. He hopes this punishment can serve as a lesson for all employees in the Ministry of Social Affairs environment to truly carry out their duties well.
“I emphasise that every violation will be processed, every unexplained absence will be acted upon, and every form of indiscipline will have consequences,” he said.