Malaysia’s PMX announced a WFH policy for the public sector, statutory bodies, and GLCs, effective 15 April 2026, decided during a Cabinet meeting and it has sparked conversations about productivity vs. flexibility.
Friends in the media have reached out to me for a commentary, and there was one that perplexed me. I was asked, “Should you be allowed to run personal errands during working hours when WFH, like filing your taxes, picking up your kids, cooking lunch, etc.”
I was perplexed because aren’t we already doing the same when we are working from the office? Nobody is glued to their desk for 8 hours straight. And let’s be real, even in the office, we handle personal stuff from time to time.
I’ve seen people scrolling through social media, making a cup of coffee, heading downstairs to pick up a courier, or grabbing something nearby during working hours, and that was perfectly okay.
If we need to run an errand or step out for more than 20 minutes, the courteous thing to do is to inform our boss, get permission, and we get on with it. WFH is no different. The same courtesy should apply.
The rules are simple: be reachable, don’t disappear for too long, and most importantly, get your work done, whether it’s WFH or WFO.
And besides, it’s also quite common to receive work-related texts after working hours. Most of the time, we respond… knowing full well we won’t be paid extra for it.
So if we’re already giving our personal time to work without being asked, I think it’s only fair that our working hours have a little flexibility for us too.
Do your laundry, pick up your kids, do what you need to do. Just be reachable, be responsible, and yes, get your work done.
Trust has to go both ways.
xoxoxo
