Home Affairs Minister Monitors Civil Servants' WFH via Geolocation, Phones Must Be Active
Home Affairs Minister Muhammad Tito Karnavian has emphasised that civil servants implementing the work from home (WFH) policy will be under strict supervision. Tito previously issued a circular on the Transformation of Civil Servant Work Culture in Regional Government Environments.
The circular, numbered 800.1.5/3349/SJ, regulates the policy of one day of WFH every Friday morning for civil servants in regional governments. In his directives, Tito stressed that the WFH rules must not be misused as an opportunity to extend holidays.
Tito has prepared a monitoring scheme utilising geolocation technology to anticipate potential misuse. A similar system was implemented during the Covid-19 pandemic.
With this system, the whereabouts of employees during working hours can be tracked. “To ensure that ASN are truly carrying out work from home and their mobile phones are also required to be active so that their location can be known through geolocation,” Tito said, quoted from a statement by the Indonesian Government Communication Agency, Thursday, 2 April 2026.
However, the WFH policy does not apply to all ASN. Employees whose work is directly related to public services must work from the office. Sectors exempted from the WFH rules include emergencies, public order, cleanliness, waste management, population affairs, licensing, health, education, and regional revenue.
Tito stated that at the regional government level, sub-district heads and village heads are also excluded from the WFH policy. According to Tito, they must remain present and carry out their duties from the office to ensure public services continue smoothly. “Sub-district heads and village heads are also exempted, meaning they continue to carry out work from office,” said the former Chief of the Indonesian National Police.
The government emphasised that it will continue to monitor and evaluate the WFH policy. The government will review the implementation of work from home over the next two months to assess its effectiveness, particularly in supporting energy efficiency and ASN performance.
Tito also requested that regional governments submit monthly reports on the impacts and efficiencies resulting from the policy.
On 31 March 2026, Tito Karnavian signed the circular containing several provisions regarding the adjustment of civil servants’ official duties amid national efforts to save fuel oil (BBM). The circular states that regional governments will carry out official duties through a combination of work from office and work from home (WFH). Tito said WFH will be implemented once a week starting from 1 April 2026.