WFH Every Friday Applies Nationally, Can Private Sector Employees Also Work from Home?

The government has officially implemented a work from home (WFH) policy for civil servants (ASN) every Friday, effective from 1 April 2026. This policy was announced by the Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Airlangga Hartarto, and will be evaluated after two months of implementation. “The implementation of work from home for ASN in central and regional agencies will occur for one working day per week, namely every Friday, regulated through a circular letter (SE) from the Minister of State Apparatus Empowerment and Bureaucratic Reform and an SE from the Minister of Home Affairs,” said Airlangga during a virtual press conference in Jakarta on Tuesday, 31 March 2026. Not only applicable to ASN, the government is also encouraging the adoption of WFH in the private sector. This encouragement will be regulated through a circular from the Minister of Manpower, while still considering the characteristics and needs of each business sector. However, not all sectors can implement this policy. Airlangga detailed that public service sectors such as health, security, and cleanliness, as well as strategic sectors like industry, energy, water, basic goods, food and beverages, trade, transportation, logistics, and finance are excluded from the WFH policy. In the education sector, teaching and learning activities for primary to secondary levels will continue to be conducted in person five days a week without restrictions. Meanwhile, for higher education, particularly for students from the fourth semester upwards, implementation will adjust to policies from the relevant ministry. “The education sector will continue teaching and learning activities in person, namely offline normally across all primary to secondary education levels. Five days a week, and there are no restrictions on sports activities related to achievements or other extracurriculars. Meanwhile, for higher education, from the fourth semester upwards, it will adjust to the circular from the Minister of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology,” he stated. In addition to work arrangements, the government is taking efficiency measures for mobility by limiting the use of official vehicles to 50 percent, except for operational needs and electric vehicles. Domestic official trips are also reduced by 50 percent, while overseas trips are cut by 70 percent. “Specifically for regional governments, there is encouragement to increase the number of days, times, and coverage of roads for car-free days, according to the characteristics of each region, and this will be regulated by an SE from the Minister of Home Affairs,” explained the Coordinating Minister.