WFH Day Options Emerge, Urged Not to Turn into Long Weekend

The government will implement a work-from-home (WFH) policy for one day per week as an effort to save fuel consumption. Various proposals for the WFH day have emerged, but there are warnings not to schedule it adjacent to holidays to avoid creating a long weekend. This caution was expressed by legislators in the DPR. They agree with the one-day WFH implementation as long as it is not adjacent to the Saturday-Sunday holiday period. Deputy Chair of PKB in Commission II of the DPR, Muhammad Khozin, reminded that WFH on Fridays could potentially increase mobility at the end of the week. He is concerned that choosing WFH on Fridays would turn it into a long holiday moment. “WFH on Friday could potentially increase public mobility ahead of the weekend. WFH on Friday has the potential to become a ‘Long Weekend’ because it is adjacent to the weekend,” said Khozin on Wednesday (25/3/2026). He also reminded that the WFH policy must target its intended goals. He does not want the WFH designation to instead increase fuel use and public mobility. “Which means, the purpose of WFH becomes ineffective because public mobility remains high,” he stated. In agreement, Member of Commission II of the DPR RI, Ahmad Irawan, issued the same warning. WFH every Friday could be interpreted as a long weekend, which workers might misuse for tourism. “Regarding the WFH implementation day, it is the government’s authority to set it. If WFH is carried out on Friday, that day has the potential to be used for tourism instead. The public could see it as a long holiday,” said Ahmad Irawan to reporters on Wednesday (25/3/2026). This Golkar legislator assessed that WFH on Friday could deviate from the objective. He is worried that fuel savings would not be achieved because many would interpret WFH as a long holiday. “Initially, we intended to save fuel consumption, but that goal might not be achieved,” he explained. He also outlined considerations for proposing WFH on Wednesdays every week. Irawan noted a tendency that if WFH is on Monday, employees might extend their weekend break. Whereas if WFH is on Thursday, he believes people might take leave on Friday, making the holiday span even longer. According to him, considerations from all aspects need to be studied by the government. “Regarding the day proposal, actually WFH is most appropriate on Wednesday every week. The considerations are as follows: If on Monday, people tend to extend their weekend holiday. If on Thursday, people could request leave or holiday for Friday. So people could holiday on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday,” he said. Government Has Set the WFH Day. Interior Minister (Mendagri) Tito Karnavian revealed that several coordinating ministers and technical ministers have agreed on the day for weekly work-from-home (WFH). Tito said the implementation of the WFH day is just awaiting a report to President Prabowo Subianto and an official announcement to the public. Tito mentioned that the agreement was reached in a meeting involving Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs Pratikno, Coordinating Minister for the Economy Airlangga Hartarto, State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi, up to Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya. The meeting discussed studies on government steps to address potential crises stemming from the Middle East conflict. “We had a meeting yesterday, almost 3 or 4 hours. Yes, but we agreed on one voice, meaning who will convey it, I don’t know, (the meeting) at the Palace. Whether by Coordinating Minister for Politics, Law, and Security, Coordinating Minister for Economy, or later by the State Secretary (who will announce it). So, we just provide inputs, but I am not authorised to convey it to the public,” said Tito after the PHTC update press conference at the Presidential Palace complex in Jakarta on Wednesday (25/3/2026). Tito declined to reveal the agreed day. Because, he said, the meeting results still need to be reported to the President first. “I don’t want to mention it, yesterday it was actually almost directed towards majority agreement on one day, the same one, but I won’t say it again because the meeting results from yesterday must be reported to the President,” he stated. Furthermore, Tito emphasised that the central government and regional governments have no issues with the WFH one-day-per-week proposal. He recalled that the scheme was implemented during the COVID outbreak. “No problem for me. I’m sure there won’t be problems, because this is not the first experience. During the COVID era, WFH was even sometimes only 25% WFO. The Ministry of Home Affairs was 25% WFO, and it still ran. So, it’s not something new, we have experience,” he said.