Social Affairs Minister Investigates Reasons Behind 2,708 Employees' Absence on First Day Back at Work

Absence without notification constitutes a violation of civil servant (ASN) discipline that undermines the obligation to demonstrate integrity and exemplary conduct. Jakarta (ANTARA) - Social Affairs Minister Saifullah Yusuf stated that he is investigating the causes behind 2,708 employees in the Ministry of Social Affairs failing to report to work without notification on the first day back after the Eid al-Fitr 1447 Hijriah/2026 holiday, on Wednesday. “There are 2,708 employees without notification, no permission but also no absence. This number is quite large and we are tracing it through the Secretary General and staff to delve deeper into the causes,” he said during a press conference in Jakarta on Wednesday. He explained that the data was obtained after the attendance system was closed at 10:00 WIB. Based on data for a total of 46,090 ministry employees, 3,683 people worked in the office (WFO), 5,071 worked from anywhere (WFA), and 34,284 worked under a flexible scheme, while another 344 were on leave or sick. This is as regulated in Government Regulation (PP) No. 94 of 2021 on Civil Servant Discipline. “Sanctions will be imposed according to the level of the violation, ranging from light, moderate, to severe disciplinary punishments. For the light category, sanctions may include verbal reprimands, written reprimands, or a written statement of dissatisfaction from the leadership,” he stated. In addition to administrative sanctions, the violating employees are also threatened with financial sanctions in the form of deductions from performance allowances (tukin). Saifullah emphasised that his side has a monitoring application capable of accurately measuring employee discipline levels. This firm action is taken as an effort to guide and educate so that all ASN in the ministry environment comply with applicable laws and regulations. As a follow-up, the Minister has instructed all employees who were absent without notification to attend a guidance briefing on Thursday (26/3) at 10:00 WIB. Employees in the Jakarta area must attend in person at the office on Jalan Salemba Raya, while those outside the city must join online.