Which Sectors Are Not Encouraged to Implement WFH?

The Ministry of Manpower has urged State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs), Regional-Owned Enterprises (ROEs), and private businesses to implement work from home (WFH) for one day per week. Manpower Minister Yassierli stated that several sectors are exempted from WFH. “The technical implementation of WFH is regulated by each company,” he said during a press conference on Wednesday, 1 March 2026. The sectors in question include healthcare, hospitals, clinics, medical personnel, and pharmaceuticals; energy, oil and gas fuels, and electricity; infrastructure and public services, toll roads, clean water, and waste transportation. In addition, the retail or trade sector, basic goods, direct trade services, markets and shopping areas; the industrial and factory production sector, and industries requiring physical presence for machine operations and production; the services sector, hospitality, tourism, security, and hospitality. Also, the food and beverage sector, restaurants, cafes, and culinary businesses. The transportation and logistics sector, passenger transport, goods transport, warehousing, and delivery services. The financial sector, banking, non-bank financial institutions, insurance, capital markets, and stock exchanges. Yassierli urged companies to involve workers or labour unions in planning WFH. The selection of the WFH day can be mutually agreed upon and does not have to align with civil servants (ASN) who implement it every Friday. “If we want to align with our ASN colleagues, the option can be Friday,” he said. During WFH, Yassierli stated, wages or salaries and other workers’ rights will continue to be paid as per regulations. Furthermore, the implementation of WFH does not reduce annual leave; workers or labourers implementing WFH still carry out their work according to their duties and obligations, and companies must ensure that performance, productivity, and service quality remain maintained. If there are labour violations, he urged workers to report through the Lapor Menaker channel. He stated that no employee rights may be reduced during the implementation of WFH. “We have the Lapor Menaker channel, and then our supervisors will follow up,” he said. The WFH provisions are regulated in the Minister of Manpower’s Circular Letter Number M/6/HK.04/III/2026 concerning Work From Home and the Workplace Energy Optimisation Programme. This implementation aims to save energy consumption at the workplace due to the impact of geopolitical conflicts in the Middle East, which have caused oil prices in the global market to surge.