Is a 45-Hour Work Week Rule Really Coming? Here is Airlangga's Response

The proposal to increase working hours to 45 hours per week has resurfaced following pressure from the Indonesian Footwear Association (Aprisindo), which is pushing for a change from the current 40-hour weekly limit. However, the Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, Airlangga Hartarto, stated that the 40-hour per week provision remains the reference point.

Airlangga made this statement amidst the ratification of the Labour Protection Law by the House of Representatives (DPR RI). The new regulation was passed during a plenary session on Tuesday (6/10/2026), following discussions between the government and the legislature.

Airlangga noted that the 40-hour weekly work limit has already been agreed upon. He added that if there are proposals to increase it to 45 hours per week, any implementation must adhere to the regulations governing labour protection.

“I believe we have already agreed on 40 hours (per week). If it is 45 hours (per week), then it must follow the labour protection regulations,” Airlangga stated when met in Jakarta on Tuesday.

Previously, Aprisindo proposed the increase to 45 hours per week. Aprisindo representative, Hariyanto, presented the proposal by comparing Indonesia’s working hours with those in Vietnam.

“Currently, we are lagging in terms of working hours; it is 48 hours a week in Vietnam, whereas we are at 40 hours. From that alone, we are already 20 per cent behind. Therefore, we wish to propose increasing the working hours to 45 hours,” said Hariyanto.

Working hour provisions in Indonesia were previously regulated under Law Number 11 of 2020 concerning Job Creation. Under those regulations, two working hour schemes apply to companies.

The first scheme stipulates seven working hours per day or 40 hours per week, applicable to companies implementing a six-day work week with one day off. The second scheme stipulates eight working hours per day or 40 hours per week, applicable to companies implementing a five-day work week with two days off.

Under these provisions, the standard number of working hours per week is 40 hours. Any proposal to move to 45 hours per week must still be subject to the provisions within labour regulations.

Discussions regarding working hours are occurring alongside the process of forming new labour regulations. On Tuesday (6/10/2026), the House of Representatives (DPR RI) officially ratified the Bill on Labour Protection into law.