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Employers oppose govt’s WFH plan to curb pollution
The adjustment, which was also implemented during the pandemic, could cause slower economic growth and lower productivity, according to private businesses.
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Hazy days: Vehicles are stuck in traffic on Aug. 1, 2023, on Jl. Gatot Subroto in South Jakarta. Emissions from fossil fuel-powered vehicles are among the major causes of increased air pollution in the capital. (Antara/Galih Pradipta)
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mployers are urging the government to refrain from mandating a work from home (WFH) policy to curb pollution in the Greater Jakarta area.
Businesses saw the proposed policy as unsustainable and warned that it might do more harm than good, citing the risks of slower economic growth and lower productivity.
Jakarta has been among the most polluted cities in the world for the past several weeks, according to the Air Quality Index (AQI) ranking by Swiss air quality tech company IQAir.
President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo, who called the condition "very, very bad", has asked for several solutions that include reviving remote working policies, which the country abandoned after the pandemic.
"If needed, we have to be brave in encouraging offices [in Jakarta] to do hybrid working, [some employees] work from office while [others] work from home," Jokowi stated during a meeting in the State Palace on Aug. 14.
Ministers conducted a meeting on Friday, which resulted in a decision to mandate that civil servants work from home, Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi told reporters.
However, Coordinating Maritime Affairs and Investment Minister Luhut Pandjaitan said in a statement on Friday that the government would also require firms to reduce their working hours to curb traffic congestion and reduce pollution.
