Working from home has saved the government over RM7.3 million in petrol subsidy spending and cut fuel consumption by more than 4 million litres, with a cumulative total of 659,000 civil servants benefiting since the initiative began in mid-April, according to chief secretary to the government Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar.

Because the initiative worked, the government is now turning it into a Hybrid Working Day (HWD) policy with a fixed weekly formula starting 1 August. The policy only covers civil servants, but you can apply for a similar arrangement at your own workplace under the Employment Act 1955.

How The Hybrid Working Day Works

Under the new policy, civil servants will work three days in the office and two days from home or another location each week. The goals stay the same as the original initiative, which are to lower the government’s fuel subsidy bill and to keep productivity up.

There is one rule on which days can be taken at home. Hybrid days cannot fall next to weekend holidays, so a civil servant who is off on Saturday and Sunday cannot pick Friday or Monday as a remote day.

Flexible Workers Get More Done, Government Study Finds 

A government study released this month found that flexible work arrangements improve productivity for workers and employers alike. Deputy Human Resources Minister Khairul Firdaus Akbar Khan shared findings from a study across the Klang Valley, Johor, and Penang on how well the arrangements perform for both sides.

In Johor, 77% of workers said they were more productive when they could set their own start and end times, and 64.4% said working from home made their jobs easier. In Penang, 77% of employers reported a clear improvement in how smoothly their operations ran after adopting flexible work arrangements.

How To Apply for Flexible Work at Your Company

Since 1 January 2023, the Employment Act 1955 [PDF] has given you the legal right to apply for a flexible work arrangement, no matter how much you earn. You can ask to change your working hours, your working days, or your place of work, which covers working from home.

The application must be made in writing to your employer. State what you want to change, for example working from home two days a week, and give your reasons. The government’s own results can go straight into your letter, alongside your lower petrol spending, the time you save on commuting, and the productivity findings above.

Your employer must reply in writing within 60 days. If the answer is no, they must state the reasons for refusing, and they cannot ignore your application. 

Two WFH Days A Week Can Become Normal For Everyone

Civil servants now have two remote days a week built into their routine, along with the petrol, toll, and parking money that stays in their pockets on those days.

The same option is open to you. The government ran this arrangement across 659,000 workers for three months before deciding to keep it, and those results are public. If your job can be done from home two days a week, put in your written application, attach the reasons that apply to you, and start the 60-day clock. 

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