C

ivil servants working for the Jakarta administration have learned their lesson not to skip work during the harpitnas, short for hari kejepit nasional (the caught-in-between-national holiday) as punishments involve considerable financial sanctions.

Jakarta Inspectorate head Lasro Marbun said that only five out of 2,138 civil servants from the 23 working units at City Hall were absent without providing explanation to their superiors after the Idul Adha holiday on Thursday.

According to the Jakarta Employment Agency (BKD), on Friday, 242 workers were on leave, called in sick, were on official visits or studying abroad.

'€œWe have shown our civil servants that we are serious about punishing those who skip work. It seems that they have learned their lesson,'€ Lasro told The Jakarta Post over the phone on Friday.

Civil servants have been frequently criticized for their chronic absenteeism, especially on harpitnas or after national holidays. But in recent years the government has intensified efforts to boost the attendance of the employees.

Some regions throughout the country have imposed strict sanctions such as paycuts or even dismissal to deter truancy among employees.

Lasro said the city administration had canceled the three-month Regional Performance Incentives (TKD) of civil servants who failed to attend work without explanation after the Idul Fitri holiday.

From the total 69,235 civil servants throughout Jakarta, as many as 126 civil servants skipped work without explanation, while 6,043 were on leave, called in sick or were pursuing education outside Jakarta on last Idul Fitri Holiday in July.

'€œOur punishment for civil servants who skip work without permission is severe, which is to annul their allowances for three months,'€ said Lasro.

'€œThe allowance can reach twice their basic salary, therefore it is more difficult for them to get
by with just their basic salary,'€ Lasro said.

The city'€™s new allowance system, which was introduced earlier this year, applies a stick and carrot approach, with diligent employees rewarded and the indolent sanctioned. In the new system, civil servants receive a point for each work assignment they complete. Some diligent employees have received an 100 percent raise under the new allowance system.

Separately, One-Stop Integrated Service (PTSP) Agency head Edy Junaedi Harahap said that services in the agency had proceeded normally.

'€œNone of our civil servants skipped work without permission,'€ Edy told the Post via text message on Friday.