"WFA ASN" Ahead of Eid, Can Go Home Earlier but Still Open Laptop

To reduce traffic congestion ahead of Lebaran, civil servants or ASN are allowed to travel home earlier. This opportunity arises after the government permitted ASN to work from home or work from anywhere. However, with such flexibility, are ASN truly continuing to work?

Amid the swift journey of the Manahan Train from Jakarta to Yogyakarta on Wednesday (26/3/2025), Octavia (28) pulled out the folding table from her seat to place her laptop. She was completely unfazed by the "Lebaran holiday vibes" already evident among many of the train's passengers. This civil servant at the National Civil Service Agency (BKN) remained focused on her laptop and the pile of work she needed to complete.

The government has decided that civil servants (ASN) will begin their holiday for Nyepi and Eid on Friday (28/3/2025). However, from Monday to Thursday (24-27/3/2025), the government has allowed government agencies to implement flexibility in work arrangements. Civil servants are not required to work in the office but are permitted to work from home or anywhere else. This work flexibility policy has been adopted by the government to reduce traffic congestion that typically occurs ahead of Eid.

Octavia is one of the civil servants who took advantage of the policy. She was able to return to her hometown in Magelang, Central Java, before the collective holiday began. However, she still had to work.

Thus, on the train, he continued completing the tasks assigned to him, including preparing proposals for the names of civil servants who would retire and determining Employee Identification Numbers (NIP) through an online system.

"I still fill in the attendance list online from 08.00-15.00 according to working hours during Ramadan. That was an instruction from my superiors to keep working during the WFA (work from anywhere) policy from Kemenpan RB (Ministry of Empowerment of State Apparatus and Bureaucratic Reform)," said Octavia when contacted, Thursday (3/27/2025).

Today, even while in his hometown, he continues to work. He wakes up early, then logs his attendance online through an application on his phone when the workday begins at 8:00 AM WIB. After that, he proceeds to complete tasks that were left unfinished the previous day.

He continues to work with full awareness of his responsibilities as a civil servant. Moreover, his superior regularly monitors the progress of his work, making it impossible for him not to perform his duties.

"Since Tuesday (25/3), I started WFA. In my division, I am no longer surprised by the WFA policy because all work can be done from anywhere and the progress can be known through the online system," he explained.

According to the Head of the State Civil Service Agency (BKN) Zudan Arif Fakrulloh, not only before this Eid, in his agency, every ASN is asked to write down daily performance related to what is done from morning to evening. All of that is recorded, then each unit head checks the performance of his staff. A digital system is also available for that purpose.

"All business processes are monitored, including incoming and outgoing letters, personnel services and online consultations," he said.

Not only Octavia, Fijar (40), a civil servant at the Ministry of Immigration and Corrections (Imipas) from Sukoharjo, Central Java, also chose to work from home. Although working from home does not mean he can do whatever he wants. He still has to be ready during working hours, from 08.00 to 15.00. Assignments from superiors usually come through Whatsapp Groups or through the ministry's internal correspondence system.

Because he works in public relations on a daily basis, he must be ready to work on news to be uploaded on the ministry's official website, create press releases, social media content, and other work in accordance with the main duties and functions of public communication at the Ministry of Imipas.

"Usually, in the morning there is a job check or listing. Then, in the afternoon or evening, the progress will be updated again," he said.

Head of the Bureau of Data, Analysis, and International Cooperation of the Ministry of Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform Mohammad Averrouce said that ASN's work flexibility was not the first to be implemented ahead of the Nyepi and Lebaran holidays. Much earlier, precisely during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, it had been implemented.

Thus, when currently, the flexible work system is implemented, it is not difficult. Public services are ensured not to be disrupted. ASN still completes the work that must be completed. To ensure all of that, there is already a control system from superiors. Each agency also has a system for monitoring attendance and performance reporting.

Especially ahead of Nyepi and Eid this time, Minister of Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform Rini Widyantini has also issued circular letter Number 2 of 2025, to ensure that ASN remains productive and public services are not affected by the flexibility of the work system.

In the circular regarding adjustments to the implementation of ASN official duties in government agencies and the provision of public services during national holidays and joint leave for Nyepi and Lebaran, the personnel development officer (PPK) in each agency is asked to be responsible for the implementation of flexible work arrangements in their workplace.

"PPK monitors and supervises the targets and targets of performance and public services," added Averrouce.

Rini Widyantini has also reminded leaders in each government agency to divide the number of employees who work from the office, from home or from other locations determined by the head of the government agency (work from anywhere/WFA) by referring to the number of employees and the characteristics of government services.

The circular also states that the heads of government agencies ensure that adjustments to the implementation of official duties do not disrupt the smooth running of government and public services to the community.

"Things that need to be considered by government agency leaders in order to support the smooth implementation of government and public services to the community include optimizing the implementation of electronic-based government systems in their agency environment," he explained.

Agency leaders are also expected to ensure that essential public services that have a direct impact on the community remain available and accessible.

The essential public services are health services, transportation services, security services, and others. Rini also emphasized that public services must remain friendly to vulnerable groups including people with disabilities, the elderly, pregnant women, children, and other vulnerable groups.

"In this adjustment, I also appeal to the leaders of government agencies to be selective in providing annual leave by considering the workload, nature and characteristics of the tasks, and the number of employees from each agency/organization providing public services," Rini emphasized.

Member of the Indonesian Ombudsman Robert Na Endi Jaweng believes that if work from anywhere is done effectively, it will support the budget efficiency program that is being promoted by the government. Not only that, the bureaucracy can move agilely like employees in private institutions. Public service jobs that do not require direct face-to-face meetings can also be done from anywhere and at any time.

What needs to be considered in implementing work flexibility is the smoothness of the internet network and the support system in the government to support this way of working. No less important, whatever the system, do not let public services be disrupted.