Jakarta. Indonesia’s business community is urging caution over the government’s plan to introduce a one-day work-from-home (WFH) policy, warning that a blanket approach could disrupt operations across key sectors.

Indonesian Employers Association (Apindo) said the government must first conduct a thorough assessment and design a clear policy framework before rolling out the measure, emphasizing that different industries have distinct operational needs.

Apindo Chairwoman Shinta W. Kamdani said policymakers need to carefully evaluate the proposed scheme and its broader implications, particularly on productivity and business continuity.

“The government needs to first clarify the policy design and assess its impact across multiple aspects, including from the perspective of productivity and the sustainability of business operations,” Shinta said on Monday.

She highlighted that real-sector industries such as manufacturing, logistics, trade, and field services still rely heavily on physical presence to maintain production and distribution flows.

While sectors like information technology and the creative industry may be more adaptable to remote work, Apindo stressed that work arrangements should remain under each company’s internal authority, allowing businesses to tailor policies based on their operational requirements.

“Work arrangements like this should be left to each company’s internal policy design,” she added.

The business group also called for deeper studies and structured dialogue between the government and industry players before implementing the policy, to ensure that energy-saving goals do not come at the expense of economic activity or operational stability.

Concerns intensified after Coordinating Economic Minister Airlangga Hartarto said the government would soon announce a WFH scheme as part of a national energy efficiency drive. The policy is expected to be mandatory for civil servants, while remaining advisory for the private sector.

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