Weekly One-Day WFH Needs Flexibility to Avoid Disrupting Business Operations

The Chairman of the Indonesian Employers’ Association (Apindo), Shinta Widjaja Kamdani, views the government’s plan to encourage work from home (WFH) one day per week as an understandable measure in response to global dynamics, particularly the potential rise in energy prices and its impact on fuel consumption. According to her, this policy also reflects efforts to build a sense of crisis amid ongoing geopolitical uncertainties. “The business world in principle understands this step as part of preparedness to face external pressures that could potentially affect national economic stability,” Shinta said when contacted on Tuesday (31/3). Nevertheless, Shinta stressed that the impact of implementing WFH will greatly depend on the characteristics of each business sector. For sectors based on back-office activities or non-essential physical work, this policy is considered relatively easy to implement without significantly disrupting productivity. On the other hand, in real sectors such as manufacturing, logistics, trade, and the food and beverage industry, WFH implementation has limitations because it heavily relies on the physical presence of workers and smooth on-site operations. “Therefore, flexibility in implementation is key to ensuring business activities continue optimally,” she emphasised. In this context, Apindo views exemptions for public service sectors and strategic sectors as an appropriate step to maintain economic continuity. This is important so that the applied policy does not cause disruptions to supply chains, goods distribution, or services to the public. Furthermore, the business world assesses that the WFH policy should be positioned as a selective and measured recommendation, with room for adaptation at the company level according to each operational need. A flexible approach is seen as able to maintain a balance between energy efficiency efforts and productivity continuity. With adaptive implementation, this policy is expected to remain effective without causing disruptions to business activities and maintaining economic stability amid global challenges.