The Issue Of The Rising Petition Of Returning WFH, Indonesian Chamber Of Commerce And Industry: Work Flexibility Can't Be DONE According To The Wishes

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Deputy Chairperson of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Adi Mahfudz Wuhadji, responded to the emergence of a petition asking that the implementation of the work from home (WFH) policy be carried out again because congestion in Jakarta is increasing.

Adi said that the implementation of work from home or WFH was not appropriate to do, especially with the reason of traffic jams. He considered that traffic jams were not one of the emergency reasons for the implementation of the policy.

"We don't necessarily do the work flexibility according to our wishes, but to what extent is the need to carry out work activities themselves," Adi told VOI, Wednesday, January 25.

Furthermore, said Adi, the plan to re-implement WFH is deemed unnecessary at this time. Because, according to him, not all sectors of work can implement this policy.

"WFH is sometimes suitable for work that does not require physical presence to produce certain products, for example service businesses that are oriented towards specification of certain products (consultants, designs, programmers, etc.). Meanwhile, those who are oriented to produce products of production goods, of course, physical presence is needed," he said.

Therefore, Adi said the petition should be based on urgent needs.

"Of course WFH is very appropriate in an emergency or it is not possible to work physically for a reason, such as during the COVID-19 pandemic," he concluded.

For your information, there has been a petition made by an employee named Riwaty Sidabutar that has been widely discussed on social media. On the change.org page, Riwaty uploaded a petition entitled "Return WFH Because Streets Are More Audit, Pollution, and Not Productive".

This petition started two months ago. At that time, the status of the implementation of restrictions on community activities (PPKM) throughout Indonesia was level 1. The essential to non-essential office sector can operate with 100 percent employee capacity working in the office.

The petition began to get busy when President Joko Widodo revoked the PPKM policy in Indonesia. The petition maker's office worker revealed the reason he wanted the work from home (WFH) rules to be reinstated because he felt stressed when he traveled to his office and returned home.

"Two years can work from home, when going to the office again it feels even more stressful," Riwaty wrote in her petition on the change.org page.

Riwaty explained that she had to travel 20 kilometers to her office and 20 kilometers to return home every working day. "Not to mention when it rains. It could be, I was stuck in traffic for a long time, one hour even using a motorbike," he said.

According to the petitioner, work from office (WFO) does not necessarily make the work of employees more productive. Because, when you have to face traffic jams and the length of the trip makes you even more tired. Meanwhile, WFH allows it to work immediately without having to travel.