Purbaya Proposes WFH Every Friday, DPR Member Disagrees: It Would Be Seen as a Long Holiday

Member of DPR RI Commission II Ahmad Irawan has proposed that the policy of working from home (WFH) be implemented every Wednesday to avoid the perception of a long holiday if applied every Friday. He stated that WFH on Fridays could deviate from its purpose, as fuel savings might not be achieved due to concerns that the public would interpret it as an extended break. This is because people might flock to tourist spots, viewing Friday as the start of a long holiday. “If WFH is implemented on Friday, that day could potentially be used for tourism instead. The public might see it as a long holiday,” Irawan said in Jakarta on Wednesday. According to him, WFH is proposed for Wednesday because it falls in the middle of the week. If implemented on Monday, it would similarly be seen as a long holiday. Whereas if on Thursday, people might take leave on Friday. Ahmad also assessed that the WFH policy is positive for reducing energy consumption. However, the WFH policy also needs to be paralleled with the wise provision of logistics and basic necessities for residents. Previously, Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa stated that if WFH is enforced for one day, for example on Friday, it would create a longer weekend sequence, namely Friday, Saturday, Sunday. This could encourage household activities while providing a small boost to the tourism sector. According to Purbaya, implementing WFH for one day can provide energy efficiency impacts, particularly in saving fuel oil (BBM). He explained that the reason for this policy being applied only one day is to maintain a balance between work flexibility and productivity.