Public utilise Work From Anywhere and annual leave for earlier Eid travel

Jakarta – Several members of the public interviewed by ANTARA at Pasar Senen Station in Jakarta on Friday stated they were taking advantage of annual leave and the Work From Anywhere (WFA) policy implemented by the government for the Eid al-Fitr 1447 Hijri transport period.

Fahmi, a state civil servant (ASN) who has been employed since 2015, opted to travel home earlier by utilising leave and WFA on 16-17 March together with his family to Brebes, Central Java, travelling by train to avoid congestion.

“Travelling home earlier so it’s not too crowded and we can arrive faster,” he said.

Wahyu, a private sector employee heading to Brebes, Central Java, also acknowledged choosing to take annual leave during this Eid period in order to return home earlier. Additionally, he was reluctant to travel during the period closer to Eid celebrations.

“Because the available tickets are very close to Eid, I got one on the 17th, so I chose the 13th instead,” he said.

Meanwhile, Nisa, another private sector worker, also stated she was utilising WFA to meet her family in Tegal, Central Java.

“I happen to be undergoing training that can be done online, so I’m going home but still working from home, and I happened to get a ticket on the 13th,” she said.

The government has officially established the WFA policy for the 2026 Eid al-Fitr holiday period and has urged companies not to deduct employees’ annual leave entitlements.

Minister of Economy Airlangga Hartarto outlined that the WFA scheme applies on 16 and 17 March 2026 during the outbound travel period and 25, 26, and 27 March 2026 during the return travel period.

“To optimise public mobility and facilitate citizens in planning their travels during the national religious holidays for Eid al-Fitr, flexibility has been provided in determining working days,” Airlangga said at a press conference in Jakarta on Tuesday (10 March).

Airlangga stated the policy applies to both state civil servants (ASN) and private sector workers.

He emphasised that the policy represents a flexible working arrangement rather than establishing days off for workers.

Accordingly, Labour Minister Yassierli requested companies not to count WFA implementation as annual leave.

“Workers who implement WFA continue to carry out their work in accordance with their duties and obligations. Therefore, WFA implementation is not counted as annual leave,” said Yassierli.