The work-from-home (WFH) policy needs to be implemented more flexibly amid the recent spike in cases caused by Omicron transmission, Labor Institute Indonesia executive secretary Andy William Sinaga has said.
“With the increasing number of cases due to the transmission of the Omicron variant, I think the government needs to re-create a more flexible work from home policy. This means that WFH doesn’t need to be up to 100 percent, but only 50 percent. Meanwhile, the implementation of health protocols needs to be monitored more closely,” Sinaga said when contacted from here on Friday.
Preventive measures need to be taken to ensure occupational safety and health (K3) aspects amid the COVID-19 spike, the executive secretary of the non-governmental organization added.
He cited the example of booster vaccinations as an effort to prevent the spread of the Omicron variant among workers.
The implementation of the health protocols also needs to be tightened in workplaces enforcing work from office (WFO), he said. Labor inspectors have an important role in ensuring their implementation, he added.
“The point is that it is necessary to enforce the health protocols in the workplace. Meanwhile, labor inspectors need to supervise their implementation,” said the observer.
President Joko Widodo, in a press statement issued on Tuesday, had appealed to the public to reduce activities in crowded areas and also suggested working from home to reduce the risk of transmission of Omicron, which spreads more quickly.
“If you all don’t have urgent activities, maybe it’s better to reduce activities in crowded centers and for those who can work from home, you can work from home,” the President remarked.
Source: Antara News