Story of Gen Z Civil Servant Tabita Working from Home in Jakarta: Flexible but Always on Standby

For Tabita, a Gen Z civil servant (ASN) stationed in Jakarta, the work-from-home (WFH) policy presents a different experience compared to many other employees. The proximity of her residence to the office means the system does not drastically alter her daily routine. However, other dynamics are more pronounced, particularly because her job demands high mobility. As a protocol officer, Tabita must adjust all her activities to the often-changing agenda of her superiors. This makes the concept of normal working hours almost inapplicable to her. “As a protocol officer, I also work according to the schedule of my superior’s activities. So, my daily work hours are uncertain, depending on the superior and the dense agendas in certain months,” she said. Although the WFH policy has been in place for four weeks, Tabita says not all remote working days are truly conducted from her boarding house. “Out of the four weeks of WFH implementation, there is one or two weeks that require me to go to the office on Fridays. The rest are truly from the boarding house, working remotely,” she stated. However, the quieter work atmosphere sometimes makes her feel something is different. Unlike typical administrative work, protocol duties heavily rely on direct interactions and on-site coordination. Tabita revealed that the scope of her work means the WFH policy cannot always be fully applied. “The scope of my work indeed requires meeting people, so this WFH rule has quite an impact. If my superior has a seminar or event outside, I have to go directly to the field,” she explained. Therefore, working from the boarding house is usually filled with preparing administrative needs for upcoming programmes.