Working from home in Indonesia

[Vlerkprauw]

During the Covid period, many companies were forced to switch to working from home. Most employers had been wary of remote work before that, and many people predicted that once employers realized that this actually works (only in certain sectors of course), remote work would remain common after the lockdowns would be lifted.

One Indonesian software developer I spoke to (he works in Jakarta at Tokopedia) told me that he thought Indonesian employers would get their employees back in the office as soon as possible and get back to the normal situation, as they still don't trust people to work effectively from home even in this line of work.

Especially in a congested city like Jakarta with all the time wasted commuting I see huge advantages to working from home, and I'm wondering if any of you have insights into this development. Do you expect remote work to become more accepted than before the pandemic in Indonesian cities?

 

[snpark]

They will want them back
Remember a lot of these office workers live in poor communties or with parents and probably don't have state of the art laptops and fibreoptic internet and if I was an employer I would want all my confidential company information being accessible to anyone outside of my staff.

People working from home need access to company software system, finances, files, contracts etc. Very risky.

 

[jukung11]

snpark makes a good point. There have been quite a few articles recently on the higher resource burdens of a decentralized work force.

Also, Indonesian office work and a lot of jobs are not just about productivity. There is a lot of politics, ass kissing, and power dynamics at play. A little pandemic is not going to shift the culture that much.

 

[gemima]

They will want them back
Remember a lot of these office workers live in poor communties or with parents and probably don't have state of the art laptops and fibreoptic internet and if I was an employer I would want all my confidential company information being accessible to anyone outside of my staff.

People working from home need access to company software system, finances, files, contracts etc. Very risky.

This is very true I run a company in Jakarta and allow my team to work from home if their work permits (I run a lab so not all their work can be done from home). I've had no issues with their output - the deadlines are the deadlines.
Most of my team actually prefer to come to the office because they find it difficult to work at home. They all live with big families. Grandparents/ parents/ aunties/ siblings/ maids/ babies. Working from home in your spare room in a western country is very different than working from home in Indonesia.

 

[El_Goretto]

This is very true I run a company in Jakarta and allow my team to work from home if their work permits (I run a lab so not all their work can be done from home). I've had no issues with their output - the deadlines are the deadlines.
Most of my team actually prefer to come to the office because they find it difficult to work at home. They all live with big families. Grandparents/ parents/ aunties/ siblings/ maids/ babies. Working from home in your spare room in a western country is very different than working from home in Indonesia.

Yes, likewise, most of my team used to prefer coming to the office. I, on the other hand, don't miss the commuting one bit.

 

[Balifrog]

I would miss the "team spirit", the coffee in the morning with colleagues, lunch together, etc....

As I worked in a field (construction) where this spirit still exist.

 

[ChrisTex]

I prefer WFH as the internet is more stable for me that at my office. However starting Monday, everyone has to come in. I am not looking forward to waking up early, but at least it seems like we will have half days.

 

[MamangDudul]

I would miss the "team spirit", the coffee in the morning with colleagues, lunch together, etc....

As I worked in a field (construction) where this spirit still exist.

I alsp like these rituals. When I still worked in the bakery it also was like that. Well not lunch since we were off at around 10am but breakfast.

Since it is a bit hard to be a baker from home I can only compare it to online school. Such a nuisance to deal with young kids that don't feel like doing homework, especially with all possible distractions around and things happening all the time.

So not only for company security, I more than understand why some people prefer to work at the office. As much as I love my family, being with them 24 hours everyday can be a challenge.

 

[El_Goretto]

I would miss the "team spirit", the coffee in the morning with colleagues, lunch together, etc....

As I worked in a field (construction) where this spirit still exist.

When commuting 3 hours a day in Jakarta traffic, I'm willing to sacrifice the office atmosphere... However, I must say that it gets a bit lonely being at home day in day out, feels like groundhog day.

 

[Vulgarian]

It's also easier to convince my wife that I'm busy when she can't watch me dicking about on reddit half of the day

 

[Balifrog]

When commuting 3 hours a day in Jakarta traffic, I'm willing to sacrifice the office atmosphere... However, I must say that it gets a bit lonely being at home day in day out, feels like groundhog day.

I have known this commuting thing. HCMC 15 y ago and BKK in the 90's were worst.
Even when leaving home at 06.30.
In HKG a normal commute, by MTR (subway) was 1 h each way minimum.
KL was best, a 2 min walk from my flat to the office.

 

[fastpitch17]

I'm retired from home. Do what I want, go to and from as I please. As for work from home? Of course, I have a wife.