WFH for Civil Servants Amid Energy Crisis: Efficiency That Tests Trust

When the Iran-Israel war intensifies, it is not only the Middle East region that burns, but also the stability and resilience of global energy. How could it not be, as the Strait of Hormuz once again becomes a vulnerable point, causing oil prices to surge. From this strait, the world’s oil route converges.

As a result, developing countries like Indonesia are beginning to feel real pressure. In the midst of this situation, the government is seeking quick ways: to suppress energy consumption. One option that is being raised again is work from home (WFH) for civil servants.

By rough calculation, this policy appears rational. For one agency with around 2,000 employees, WFH can save up to 2,000 litres of fuel per day. The savings will certainly increase if multiplied by several other agencies. In conditions of fiscal pressure, this efficiency is certainly tempting. However, public policy cannot be measured only by savings figures. It must also be assessed by how present the state remains for its citizens.

From the perspective of Public Service Logic, public service is not merely an administrative process, but a relationship between the state and society. The value of service arises from interaction. The value of service emerges from feeling understood, heard, and served in a humane way. When service shifts from face-to-face spaces to digital screens, something fundamental changes. Because human interaction is replaced by systems. Faces are replaced by forms. Empathy is replaced by automated responses.

Meanwhile, Social Presence Theory explains that the quality of communication is determined by how much one feels the presence of the other party. When that presence weakens, communication becomes impersonal. In the context of bureaucracy, this condition has the potential to give birth to what can be called bureaucratic distancing. In this case, the state is present systematically, but feels distant emotionally. Whereas, from an Islamic perspective, public service is not merely an administrative function, but part of amanah. Allah SWT says:

“Indeed, Allah commands you to render trusts to whom they are due…” (QS. An-Nisa: 58)

This verse emphasises that power, positions, and service responsibilities are amanah that must be carried out with full responsibility. The state is not only demanded to be efficient, but also just, responsive, and present.

In the context of bureaucracy, state apparatus are leaders in their respective work spaces. When service becomes distant, slow, or loses empathy, what is at stake is not only performance, but also amanah. WFH amplifies this risk. Without physical presence, social control weakens. Interactions among employees decrease. Work norms that are usually formed collectively become blurred. In this condition, performance greatly depends on individual awareness.

The problem is that not all individuals have strong discipline and self-regulation. As a result, the phenomenon of disengagement emerges. In this case, work continues, but loses the meaning of service. Tasks are completed, but without the spirit of serving.

Yet Islam emphasises the importance of work quality. The Prophet Muhammad SAW said:

“Indeed, Allah loves someone who, when he works, perfects it.” (HR. Thabrani)

Here lies the paradox. WFH can save energy and costs, but has the potential to erode empathy and closeness between the state and society. Efficiency is achieved, but the quality of relations may decline.

Data from the Indonesian Ombudsman released in February 2026 shows that public complaints are still dominated by slow services, maladministration, and unclear procedures. If human interactions decrease further, this risk could increase.

Our bureaucracy may become increasingly digital, but not necessarily more humane. Therefore, the solution needed is not to reject WFH entirely, but also not to accept it blindly. A wiser approach is hybrid working, which combines digital work efficiency while still maintaining spaces for direct interaction. The hybrid system must not be merely a technical compromise. The hybrid system must be designed with the awareness that public service is a human relationship, not merely a system flow created following standard operating procedures alone. Technology may help, but it must not replace presence.

WFH may be appropriate as a short-term solution in facing the global energy crisis. But if made a long-term policy without mature design, what is at stake is no longer just efficiency, but the quality of the state’s presence itself. Going forward, the government must strive for energy diversification not only from petroleum fuel, but also electricity or biodiesel intensively.

In the end, it is hoped that the government does not only think about efficiency, but also fast service, and service that feels close. Because a good state is not only one that can save energy, but one that remains able to maintain amanah, namely that they must be present, serve, and be felt by the people.