Unpad and Unpar academics support the WFH policy as a step to save energy

JAKARTA - A number of public policy experts in the city of Bandung, West Java, support the government's policy of implementing work from home (WFH) every Friday starting April 1, 2026 as a strategic step to reduce energy consumption in the midst of uncertainty in world oil prices. This policy is seen as a realistic effort by the government to maintain stability without having to raise the price of fuel oil (BBM).

Public policy observer at Padjadjaran University (Unpad), Bonti Wiradinata said that the policy was a form of effective energy demand management. The government, he said, chose a more economically and politically safe approach than the option of raising fuel prices, which risked triggering inflation.

"The National WFH policy every Friday starting April 1, 2026 is an interesting strategic step to be analyzed. In the midst of the volatile world crude oil prices, the government seems to choose the 'demand management' path rather than raising the subsidized price, which risks triggering inflation and political turmoil," said Bonti in a statement, Thursday, April 2.

Bonti explained that the reduction in electricity load in government and private buildings in Jakarta, Surabaya, and Medan can reach 15-20 percent due to WFH on Friday. This reduces the peak load of PLN.

In addition, referring to historical data on mobility in 5 major cities; Jakarta, Surabaya, Bandung, Medan, and Makassar, Bonti said the transportation sector accounted for about 46 percent of total final energy consumption. Assuming 20-30 percent of the workforce is doing WFH, Bonti said there is a potential for a significant reduction in office electricity consumption.

"From the perspective of public policy, this step is a form of sectoral energy conservation policy. Energy savings occur at two main points, namely office building operations and vehicle fuel consumption," he said.

In terms of productivity, Bonti said the policy of one day of WFH per week would not significantly disrupt the performance of institutions and companies. In fact, with the support of adequate digital infrastructure, the hybrid work pattern has the potential to increase work efficiency.

Bonti added that this policy also provides direct economic benefits for workers due to reduced transportation and daily operating costs. Meanwhile, for the government, this step is an instrument for controlling energy consumption that is relatively cheap but has a wide impact.

"From a political perspective and organizational management, this is often questioned. The key is not in the location, but in digital infrastructure as the backbone of bureaucratic management," said Bonti.

In line with Bonti, public policy expert at Parahyangan Catholic University (Unpar), Kristian Widya Wicaksono, assessed the WFH policy as a rational step in responding to the global energy crisis. According to him, this approach allows the government to control energy consumption without burdening the state's finances.

"The government's policy of imposing WFH every Friday for ASN and some private sectors can be seen as a rational and relatively positive step in the context of the global energy crisis. From the perspective of public policy, this is a form of intervention on the demand side (demand-side management), namely an effort to reduce energy consumption without having to add a fiscal burden through subsidies or raising fuel prices," said Kristian.

Furthermore, he assessed that the reduction in daily mobility, especially home-office trips, would have a direct impact on the reduction in fuel consumption in the transportation sector. However, he reminded that the savings effect is not completely linear due to the potential for changes in energy consumption patterns in households.

In terms of productivity, the one-day-a-week WFH policy according to Kristian will basically not significantly reduce the performance of the organization, in fact in some cases it can even increase work efficiency. He said that the experience during the COVID-19 pandemic showed that the hybrid work model, which is a combination of work from the office and from home, is able to maintain and even increase productivity if supported by a clear performance management system, adequate digital infrastructure, and an adaptive work culture.

"Challenges are still there, especially regarding digital readiness and performance monitoring mechanisms. However, because this policy is only implemented one day a week, the potential for disruption to public coordination and services can be minimized, especially if essential service sectors are still excluded," he said.

The proposal for WFH for ASN and private employees was first submitted by the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) Bahlil Lahadalia as one of the efforts to save fuel to anticipate the threat of a global energy crisis due to the conflict in the Middle East. "There are indeed several steps that will be taken, but are being studied, again being studied, about whether we need WFH. But, in my opinion, all those possibilities can happen," said Bahlil when met by reporters at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, Jakarta on Tuesday, March 17.

Welcoming the proposal, the Minister of Manpower (Menaker) Yassierli issued a Circular Letter (SE) from the Menaker Number M/6/HK.04/III/2026 which came into force effective April 1, 2026. In the SE, private companies, SOEs, and BUMD are urged to implement WFH one day a week.

The purpose of the policy is to create a productive and adaptive work pattern while significantly reducing energy consumption in the workplace. Although companies have flexibility in determining the day of implementation of WFH, the Minister of Manpower provides strict employment guarantees. During WFH, wages or salaries and other employee rights must be paid in full without any deductions from annual leave allowances.