JAKARTA: Indonesia’s Ministry of State-Owned Enterprises has officially rolled out its four-day work week initiative to interested employees following the success of a pilot project that began in June last year.
Known as the Compressed Work Schedule, the voluntary programme allows employees of the ministry who meet the 40-hour work requirement the option to work four days a week.
They are able to do so up to twice a month.
“So, if someone is working for 40 hours in a week, they can opt for the four-day work week within the same week. It’s available for those who want it, but it requires approval,” Tedi Bharata – who is the Deputy Minister for Human Resource Management, Technology, and Information – told CNN Indonesia last Friday (Jan 24).
He did not reveal when the initiative was rolled out.
If the 40-hour weekly threshold is not met, employees will continue to follow the traditional five-day work schedule.
Currently, the initiative is only applicable to staff members at the Ministry of State-Owned Enterprises and has not been extended to firms under the ministry’s purview.
“(The initiative is) still limited to the ministry,” Tedi said, referring to the Ministry of State-Owned Enterprises that is being led by Erick Thohir.
Tedi further noted that the four-day work week initiative is still being evaluated for its effectiveness before it could potentially be expanded to firms under the purview of the Ministry of State-Owned Enterprises.
The Jakarta Globe in November reported that there were 47 state-owned enterprises in the country, though there are plans to reduce the number to just 30.
Thohir said in March last year that the main goal of the four-day work week initiative was to reduce employees’ stress levels while improving work-life balance, noting that 70 per cent of the younger generation today faces mental health challenges that affect their productivity.
“The Indonesian economy will face many challenges in 2024 and 2025, so it is important to maintain a balance between work and life,” he said in an Instagram post.
Internal surveys conducted by his ministry found a strong desire for improved work-life balance among employees.
It remains unclear whether the four-day work week initiative will be extended to other Indonesian government ministries.
Meanwhile, a member of the gubernatorial transition team of incoming Jakarta governor Pramono Anung has proposed introducing a four-day work week for workers in the Indonesian capital – a plan that has garnered support from Tedi.
“I think it is a good policy,” the deputy minister said.
However, the head of Pramono’s gubernatorial transition team Ima Mahdiah has since clarified that the four-day work week policy suggestion was a personal view of Nirwana Joga – an urban planning expert who is part of the team.
“We never discussed or proposed a four-day work week policy. This is Joga’s personal opinion as an expert, not as a transition team member,” Ima said.
Globally, more countries and firms have adopted a four-day work week in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Belgium became the first European Union country to implement a law permitting a four-day work week which came into effect in March 2022.
Employees in Belgium can choose between working four or five days a week, with longer daily hours required for those opting for the shorter work week.
In Asia, several cities in Japan have also begun to pilot a four-day work week initiative.
The Japanese government has also introduced such a system, but for employees with particular responsibilities such as looking after children or other family members. The plan will be implemented in Japan for all employees in April 2025.
Meanwhile in Indonesia, the four-day work week has primarily been adopted by startups, including Syariah-compliant fintech company Alami, e-commerce platform Bolt, and crowdfunding platform Kickstarter.
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/indonesia-ministry-state-owned-enterprises-4-day-work-week-work-life-balance-4908086
