'I feel too lazy to work after holiday'

The Idul Fitri holiday that began last Thursday is now officially over and civil servants were required to return to work on Wednesday. Some felt refreshed after the long holiday, while others found it difficult to get back into the routine after so many days away from the office. The Jakarta Post talked to a number of people about how they felt being back at work.

Rani, 39, has been a civil servant in the city administration for 16 years. She lives in Kalibata, South Jakarta, with her husband and two children:

Honestly, I feel a bit lazy to start working after having six days off for Idul Fitri. I'm still thinking about my relatives and family. I wish I could spend more time with them. Anyway, there is not much to do in the office after a long holiday like this.

I only came to work today because I was afraid my supervisor would conduct an impromptu inspection to check and make sure everyone showed up for work. So I had to show up at the office.

I wasn't surprised that some of my colleagues didn't come to work for whatever reasons. It's common among civil servants I guess. But of course it also depends upon the individual.

I've done the same thing myself, extending the holiday for past Idul Fitris. But I didn't do that this year because I already had an extended holiday.

Efrimal, 45, has been a civil servant in the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries since 1984. He lives in Depok, West Java, with his wife and three children:

Maybe I'm different from the rest of my colleagues, but I'm happy to be back at work. That's how I feel. I'm just glad to be busy again.

You know, I felt a bit bored spending all those days at home with nothing to do. Maybe because I didn't go home for the holiday. I just spent my vacation at home here. Six days off is enough time for me to spend here with my family. I guess I would have felt different if I had gone to my hometown and spent the holiday there.

Adi Sasongko, 53, is a doctor at a community health center in Tebet, South Jakarta. He is married and has two children:

I realize that I have to go back to work because my profession requires me to do so. It's no big deal for me.

It's better to go to work than to stay at home because the rest of my family has gone back to work too.

Besides, as a doctor I'm on-call 24 hours a day. It's part of my job. So I never intended to extend my holiday.

However, I cannot deny that the working atmosphere here is still like a holiday. Several colleagues have not showed up yet. I can tolerate that because they are taking their annual leave.

Compared to last year, I don't really have any feelings about returning to work.

Kusmar, 42, has been a civil servant in the Ministry of Manpower and Transmigration for 17 years. He lives in Bekasi with his wife and six children:

Personally, I feel refreshed on the first day back at work after the Idul Fitri holiday, thanks to the three additional days.

I had enough time to visit and get together with all my relatives during the Idul Fitri celebration.

It's different than past years when I felt lazy to go back to work after the holiday, which only lasted two days. I never used to be in the mood to work.

I think the government should maintain its new policy extending the national holiday, because people are ready to get back to work after the long break.

-- Leo Wahyudi S