WFH One Day a Week Also Implemented in Jakarta, Why Friday?

Amid the dense workweek, the government has chosen one day to slightly ease the rhythm. This is not without reason: the policy of working from home (WFH) for civil servants (ASN) has been officially set for every Friday. The choice of day carries its own explanation. Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Airlangga Hartarto, emphasised that this policy applies for one day per week. According to Airlangga, Friday was selected due to its different character from other workdays. “We chose Friday because Friday is indeed a half-day, meaning not full like Monday to Thursday,” he said. He also mentioned that a four-day workweek pattern was implemented in several ministries and agencies during the Covid-19 pandemic. This policy itself is part of cost-saving efforts, in line with high world oil prices due to conflicts in the Middle East region. The government has conducted studies before establishing it. Although there is a WFH arrangement, the government assures that public services will not be disrupted. “Public services will continue to run, and productive activities including banking, capital markets, and others will continue. Those in the offices are permitted to arrange with certain applications,” said Airlangga. The technical arrangements for this policy will be outlined in a Circular from the Minister of State Apparatus Empowerment and Bureaucratic Reform as well as the Minister of Home Affairs. Several sectors will also be exempted from this policy. At the regional level, the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government has confirmed it will follow the policy.