PUTRAJAYA: The Cabinet has agreed to implement the Hybrid Work Day (HBH) arrangement as a new norm in the Public Service, effective Aug 1, according to the Public Service Department (PSD).
Under the new arrangement, civil servants will be allowed to work two days from home, or from an alternative location approved by their Head of Department, and three days at the office, subject to service requirements, job suitability and established conditions.
In a statement on Friday (June 26), the department said the HBH framework will replace the existing work-from-home (WFH) arrangements.
"Civil servants may work two days from home or at an alternative location approved by the Head of Department and three days at the office, subject to service requirements, functional suitability and prescribed conditions.
"HBH is a new government initiative that introduces more flexible work arrangements for civil servants without reducing working hours,” the statement said.
The PSD assured that the implementation of HBH would not affect the delivery of essential public services.
Counter services and functions requiring physical presence will continue to operate as usual, including in the security, defence, education, healthcare and judicial sectors.
For states observing Sunday as the weekly rest day, Monday and Friday have been designated as compulsory office attendance days.
Meanwhile, for states with Friday as the weekly holiday – namely Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu – Sunday and Thursday will be mandatory office attendance days.
According to the PSD, the initiative forms part of the government’s broader public service reform agenda aimed at modernising the sector through results-based work practices and greater use of digital technology.
The department added that a monitoring mechanism will be introduced to ensure integrity, performance and service delivery remain at optimal levels.
"Hybrid work arrangements have also been adopted in countries such as Singapore, Australia, Finland and Sweden,” the statement said.
Detailed guidelines and implementation conditions for HBH will be announced by the department in due course. – Bernama
