Private Sector WFH Mandate for One Day a Week: Employers' Association Response

The Indonesian Employers’ Association (Apindo) emphasises that the work-from-home (WFH) policy for the private sector should not disrupt supply chains and productivity. Apindo’s Head of Labour Affairs, Bob Azam, stated that this recommendation must be implemented selectively and measurably. Each company must adjust the application of WFH according to its operational needs. This is because the impact of WFH implementation will greatly depend on the characteristics of each business sector. Conversely, in real sectors such as manufacturing, logistics, trade, and the food and beverage industry, the flexibility to apply WFH is considered more limited because it depends on the physical presence of workers and the smooth operation on the ground. Therefore, he supports the flexibility provided by the government to business actors in determining the technical implementation of WFH according to each company’s conditions. “In this context, the exemption for public service sectors and strategic sectors is the right step to keep economic activities running,” he told Kompas.com on Wednesday (1/4/2026). In addition, he also reminded that the implementation of WFH for one day a week should be carried out with an adaptive approach so that this policy continues to run without sacrificing productivity and business continuity. “The important thing is to ensure that its implementation does not cause disruption to supply chains, goods distribution, or services to the public,” he said. Meanwhile, in general, Apindo understands that this policy is carried out by the government to anticipate global conditions, especially the potential rise in energy prices and its impact on fuel oil (BBM) consumption. “From the business world’s perspective, this step can be understood as part of efforts to build a sense of crisis while increasing preparedness to face the current volatile geopolitical dynamics,” said Bob. Previously, the Ministry of Manpower had urged the private sector, SOEs, and regional SOEs to implement WFH one day a week for employees. In determining the technical rules for WFH, the government leaves it to each company. The government only emphasises that workers’ rights such as salaries and annual leave must not be cut due to the implementation of WFH. Several business sectors are exempted from this WFH recommendation, such as health, energy, infrastructure, public services, trade, industry and production, services, factories, services and accommodation, food and beverages, transportation and logistics, to finance. This recommendation will be evaluated after being implemented for two months.