COVID-19 in the Workplace in Indonesia

Abstract

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been declared a pandemic because of its worldwide spread. The COVID-19 pandemic does not only impact public health but also the operations of businesses and workers’ safety in their workplace. The objectives of this study were to provide a broad perspective of COVID-19 prevention and control implementation in industries, investigate barriers and challenges as well as drivers in implementing COVID-19 prevention and control, and provide key recommendations to the policy makers regarding COVID-19 prevention and control in industries. This study was conducted through online interviews with selected organizations in various industries which were selected by the granting body, including agriculture and animal husbandry; construction; manufacturing; and logistic and goods transportation. It also involved policy makers from government agencies including the Ministry of Manpower, Ministry of Health, Indonesian Safety and Health Council, International Labor Organization, and Indonesian COVID-19 Task Force. The participants of this study were chosen using convenience sampling. The findings of this study indicate that health protocols are implemented to varying degrees in companies, both within and across the sectors, and that drivers to comply with the Health Protocols include compliance, business continuity, and top management commitment. The significant barriers and challenges include a perceived lack of clear direction from the government, rapid changes in directives’, poor worker awareness, and limited organizational resources. The key recommendations to the policy maker include harmonization of the guidelines and legislation, additional schemes to provide funding in the COVID-19 prevention and control implementation, as well as facilitate the ongoing education of the general working public.

1. Introduction

The world is presently affected by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). COVID-19 is a relatively new disease caused by the transmission of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) which was first identified in December 2019 in Wuhan, China. The outbreak was declared by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a worldwide pandemic on 11 March 2020 [1].

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a dramatic loss of human life worldwide. According to the COVID-19 Situation report as of 22 October 2021, WHO reported a global cumulative number of 243 million positive cases and 4.94 million deaths since the start of the pandemic [2]. In Indonesia, the Government of the Republic of Indonesia has reported 4,238,594 confirmed cases of COVID-19 with 143,153 reported deaths [2].

The COVID-19 pandemic also presents an unprecedented challenge to public health, food systems, and the business world. The economic and social disruptions caused by the pandemic are devastating. Millions of businesses face an existential threat because of interrupted operations due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic COVID-19 has a significant impact on the workplaces, including work practice changes such as working from the office to work from home, affecting workers’ mental health, social distancing, unemployment, and implementation of health protocols [3].

In the early phase of the pandemic, the Indonesian government through its Ministry of Manpower held meetings and discussions on how to respond if the pandemic enters Indonesia and how to deal with its impacts on businesses [4]. The Ministry of Manpower also issued a circular to prevent the spread of this severe pneumonia in the labor sector. In this Circular Letter (SE) Number B.5/51/AS.02.02/I/2020, the Ministry of Manpower asked companies and related agencies to report and collect data on every case or suspected case of severe pneumonia; take precautions for pneumonia cases in the workplace; implement Clean and Healthy Behavior (PHBS). Meanwhile, the ministry continued to collaborate with other countries and the International Labor Organization (ILO) on COVID-19 prevention and control measures [4,5]. Several preventive measures for COVID-19 transmission in the workplace within Indonesian companies have been implemented including the implementation of procedure and policy, operational, health and safety programs, and external activities [6].

Starting from 17 March 2020, all governors in Indonesia, based on the Circular Number M/3/H.04/III/2020 on Protection of Workers/Laborers and Business Continuity in the Context of Preventing and Overcoming COVID-19, are expected to protect workers’ wages during the COVID-19 pandemic and make efforts to prevent and control COVID-19 in the workplace. The Minister of Manpower stated that workers who are proven to be COVID-19 suspects by a doctor’s statement and undergo quarantine or isolation have the right to receive their full wage during quarantine/isolation [4,7].

After the WHO declared COVID-19 as a global pandemic, the Minister of Manpower of the Republic of Indonesia announced that actions are needed to protect workers and business continuity. These actions include, among others, providing guidance and supervision on the implementation of regulations related to Occupational Safety and Health (OSH); requiring companies to collect and report data to relevant agencies on COVID-19 cases in the company; urging business owners to implement measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus in the company [4,7]. Business continuity has been known to foster business activities and recovery processes from either natural or technological disasters [8].

The Ministry of Manpower then issued the Minister of Manpower Circular Number M/7/AS.02.02/V/2020 on Business Continuity Plans in Facing the 2019 Coronavirus Disease Pandemic (COVID-19) and Protocol for COVID-19 Transmission Prevention in Companies [4,5,9]. In this circular, the following seven steps of action are required to maintain business continuity during the pandemic:

• Recognizing Business Priorities

In this stage, companies need to determine the main products or services of the company by ranking them based on their priority as well as identifying activities that need to be carried out and workers who will do these activities.

2.

Pandemic Risk Identification

This stage consists of efforts to identify and assess risks that may be faced by the companies due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This risk identification and assessment must consider possible threat scenarios, vulnerabilities in business activities, and company capabilities.

3.

Planning for Risk Mitigation

A risk mitigation plan can be developed, including the preparation of Standard Operating Procedures, to ensure that goods needed for business activities are available and free from COVID-19 contamination. This step also includes re-analyzing policies related to the possible impacts of the pandemic as well as implementing OSH as an effort to prevent COVID-19 transmission in the workplace.

4.

Pandemic Impact Response Identification

At this stage, the company responds accordingly as the pandemic develops by ensuring workers understand actions that must be taken to prevent COVID-19 transmission. The company also has to ensure that buyers and suppliers receive the necessary information and know that the company is capable of dealing with the pandemic conditions.

5.

Designing and Implementing Business Continuity Planning

This stage is carried out by gathering all related information and compiling a business continuity plan that contains all business activities in the company.

6.

Communicating Business Continuity Plan.

The plan that has been developed is disseminated and all information regarding the plan is communicated to both internal and external parties.

7.

Conducting Business Continuity Plan Tests

The plan must be tested periodically so that new problems can be identified, and solutions and corrective measures can be implemented [4,5,9].

In addition to explaining the stages of the business continuity plan, the Minister of Manpower Circular Number M/7/AS.02.02/V/2020 also discusses the health protocols that must be implemented in the workplace to prevent the transmission of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) [4,6,9]. The health protocol that must be implemented includes: (1) maintaining a clean and sanitary work environment; (2) providing hand washing facilities, such as soap or hand sanitizer and running water; (3) ensuring that all workers must wear masks when going to work or leaving their homes; (4) providing a non-contact thermometer to check the worker’s body temperature before coming to work and paying attention to the health condition of workers. Workers with a body temperature of above 37.5 °C or with symptoms of cough/cold/sore throat/shortness of breath are not allowed to work in the workplace; (5) setting up the distance between workers to be at least 1 m and urging workers not to have physical contact with other workers; (6) providing education and outreach to all workers regarding COVID-19, such as what COVID-19 is, its causes, symptoms, ways of transmission, and preventive measures; (7) arranging the company work system so that workers can work at home or schedule workers who have to continue working at the office to minimize the number of workers working at the same time; and (8) if there are workers showing COVID-19 symptoms, the health workers or OSH experts in the company need to report and coordinate with relevant agencies and provide education about independent isolation to these workers [4,5,9].

The Ministry of Manpower also elaborates seven strategies to be implemented during this pandemic, including:

• Implementing transmission prevention measures by encouraging companies and workers to make efforts to anticipate the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace.
• Implementing the new normal procedure.
• Providing social security protection for workers exposed to COVID-19.
• Supervising the entire company, not only with regard to the implementation of the health protocol for preventing COVID-19, but also other safety procedures in the workplace, both online and onsite.
• Collaborating with relevant parties, such as the ILO, the National Occupational Safety and Health Council (DK3N), OSH stakeholders, universities, and inspection service companies.
• Creating communication access for the community through establishing an information hub, giving consultation, and reporting OSH issues related to COVID-19 in the company.
• Shifting the OSH-related activities as regulated by the Ministry of Manpower, such as OHSMS audits, the appointment of OSH experts in companies, and others, into online activities [4,5,9].

The handling of the COVID-19 pandemic requires participation from all parties and the business world has a major contribution in breaking the chain of transmission due to the size of the working population and the amount of mobility and interactions of the population generally caused by work activities [10]. Organizations are facing significant challenges in responding rapidly as the government, particularly the Ministry of Manpower encourages businesses to implement the COVID-19 Health Protocol through the Ministry of Manpower Circular Number M/7/AS.02.02/V/2020 on Business Continuity Plans in Facing the 2019 Coronavirus Disease Pandemic (COVID-19) and Protocol for the Prevention of COVID-19 Transmission in Companies [9].

The objectives of this study were to:

• Provide a broad perspective on the implementation of COVID-19 prevention and control in specific industries from both the industry perspective and the policy makers’ perspective.
• Investigate the barriers and challenges as well as the drives to the implementation of COVID-19 prevention and control in the industries
• Provide key recommendations to policy makers regarding the implementation of COVID-19 prevention and control in the specified industries.

2. Materials and Methods

2.1. Research Design

This research project is a cross-sectional mixed method study designed to provide insights and information regarding the implementation of COVID-19 Health Protocols in selected industries and selected workplaces.

2.2. Industry Population

The study participants were drawn from four (4) industry sectors that were working under the New Normal Policy. These sectors were chosen by the funding body as these sectors are included in its priority scope of work. In addition, these sectors are deemed to have a significant economic impact, yet the low risk of COVID-19 infection, based on the assessment of the Indonesian COVID-19 Task Force (2020). The sectors included:

• Agriculture and Animal Husbandry
• Logistics and Goods Transportation
• Construction
• Manufacturing

Businesses were recruited using convenience sampling through the Indonesian Safety Council Network. There were only three (3) businesses chosen from each of the four targeted sectors. The companies were approached to participate through written and verbal correspondence. For each business, the members of the COVID-19 Response Team/Task Force (which included the top management and designated person/s in charge of personnel, health, and safety, or a health worker) were recruited to be research participants.

2.3. Policy-Maker Involvement

Key employees from relevant Government Departments and other stakeholders related to policy making were recruited through contacts of the research team. There were six stakeholders recruited from the Ministry of Labor, Ministry of Health, Indonesian Safety and Health Council, International Labor Organization, and Indonesian COVID-19 Task Force.

2.4. Ethical Clearance

This research project obtained ethics approval from the Ethics Commission for Research and Community Service Faculty of Public Health Universitas Indonesia under the ethical clearance No. 436/UN2.F10.D11/PPM.00.02/2020 on 11 July 2020 and from The University of Queensland’s Human Research Ethics Committee (2020001712) on 21 July 2020. Prior to the data collection process, all participants underwent the informed consent process that consisted of explaining the project aims and objectives, their involvement in this research, as well as the use and confidentiality of the data collected. Informed consent was then obtained from all participants.

2.5. Data Collection

The members of each Business’ COVID-19 Response Team/Task Force were invited to participate in panel online interviews using the Zoom platform. Secondary data, such as the Business’ COVID-19 policy and procedures, examples of rapid test result mapping, and worker self-risk assessment dashboards, were also collected.

The interviews were conducted between 1 October and 9 November 2020. The interview questions were developed based on the requirements in the Minister of Manpower Circular No. M/7/AS.02.02/V/2020 on Business Continuity Plans in the 2019 Coronavirus Disease Pandemic (COVID-19) and Protocol for the Prevention of COVID-19 Transmission in Companies. All interviews were recorded with the permission of the participants. The audio recordings were transcribed verbatim for data analysis prior to English translation.

Prior to data analysis, individual stakeholders and participating companies were allocated a code for de-identification purposes. The code was created using a prefix in accordance with each sector of industry. These prefixes were AG (agriculture and animal husbandry), CS (Construction), MF (Manufacturing), LG (Logistics and Goods Transportation), and ST (Stakeholder).

2.6. Data Analysis

Interview transcripts were summarized and analyzed thematically. Data were compiled using excel and trends within and across industry sectors were identified.

2.7. Research Limitations

There were several limitations in this study. Firstly, this study was limited to four industry sectors that were chosen by the granting body. Secondly, the organizations were recruited using convenience sampling. This method of sampling was chosen because of time constraints from the granting body to carry out research. It is recognized that these limitations might affect the generalization of the findings in this study. However, because of the qualitative nature of the data collection, the information obtained from the participants provides a detailed understanding of the implementation of COVID-19 prevention and control strategies across the four industry sectors studied.

3. Results

The following presents a summary of the findings for each of the industry sectors and stakeholders. A general description of the organizations is provided in

Table 1. General Information of the sample organizations.

No.	Sector	Code	Location	Brief Overview of Organisation
1	Agriculture	AG01	Purwakarta	AG01 was founded in 1990 and is engaged in the seeding of vegetables. They are involved in teaching farmers how to seed vegetables and grow ready-to-consume vegetables. Have 600 employees spread throughout Indonesia.
2		AG02	Jakarta	AG02 is an agribusiness, specifically in palm oil with the production of CPO and its derivative products. Head office in Jakarta and operating units throughout Indonesia. 170,000 employees
3		AG03	Palembang	AG03 is engaged in fertilization. Has 5 factories with a capacity of around 2.6 million tons of urea and 1.6 million tons of ammonia. 1900 employees.
4	Goods Transportation	LG01	Jakarta	Logistics company managing land and sea freight cargo. It has 20 employees in Head office.
5		LG02	Jakarta	Trucking and Warehousing. It consists of 60% Drivers and 40% employees.
6		LG03	Jakarta	Same-day courier service. It has 1800–2000 employees at HQ, 200 other office-based employees, and 1400 couriers.
7	Manufacturing	MF01	Jakarta	MF01 has been engaged in the healthy food and beverage industry since 1980. It produces a health drink brand that has been distributing the products all across more than 30 countries.
8		MF02	Padang	MF02 is a cement industry that is a subsidiary of BUMN (State-Owned Enterprises). The MF02 is marketed in the Sumatra area and partly exported. It has 1000 employees and around 2000–3000 outsourced workers.
9		MF03	Jakarta	MF03 is a food and beverages company that operates from Sabang to Merauke, with approximately eight manufacturing plants, with more than 300 distribution centers. Whether it’s third-party or premises. The total magnitude for the employees is 6000 with the number of contractors approximately the same as 6000, across Indonesia
10	Construction	CS01	Jakarta	CS01 is a subsidiary of BUMN (State-Owned Enterprises) which specializes in civil work. The head office is in Jakarta and projects all around Indonesia. Permanent employees, around 3000 people, and temporary employees in projects of more than 20,000 to 27,000.
11		CS02	Jakarta	CS02 is one of the leading state industries in Indonesia that has had an integral part in infrastructure development since 1961. It has around 6000 permanent employees and thousands of temporary employees in projects across Indonesia.
12		CS03	Jakarta	CS03 is a state-owned company that is engaged in construction services and has been operating for nearly 40 years. It has projects throughout Indonesia.

.

3.1. Agricultural Industry Findings

3.1.1. Overview

Three organizations from the agricultural industry participated in this study, including an organization assisting farmers through the production of vegetable seedlings and farmer education with over 600 people spread throughout Indonesia (AG01); an organization involved in palm oil production with over 170,000 employees throughout Indonesia (AG02); and an organization involved in the production of fertilizers with over 1900 employees (AG03).

The three organizations from the agricultural industry were all able to describe detailed processes they have in place to manage the risk of COVID-19 transmission within their operations. These included procedures for rapid testing, health surveillance, 3M procedures (masks, hand washing, and social distancing), 3T procedures (tracing, tracking, and testing), temperature checks, work from home arrangements, rostering system, good internal and external communications processes, education, crisis management procedures, and restrictions on employees traveling outside the area.

3.1.2. Barriers and Challenges

The main barriers discussed by interviewees in this industry included difficulties in maintaining high levels of workforce compliance including the need for ongoing education and reminders on the 3Ms. This was reflected in several statements from the interviewees. For example:

“For us, the biggest obstacle is awareness of the dangers of COVID-19, that it can be spread to anyone, whether employees, managers, directors, none will be spared. Second is their discipline to implement the 3M.”

(AG01)

“So, it’s more of discipline actually, individual discipline. But we have the system, it’ll be much easier.”

(AG02)

“We have to monitor the implementation and remind the employees, that’s why COVID-19 ranger is needed”

(AG03)

The second main barrier was challenges faced in combating misinformation workers obtained from social media and other sources. Again, this was tied back to the need for education within the workplace.

There was also a potential infection risk presented by members of the public that workers may interact with outside of work, which was another challenge in the efforts for preventing COVID-19 prevention. Quotes from participants that highlight these themes include:

“Why, there are so many who don’t wear masks.”

(AG01)

“In fact, our main concern regarding transmission comes from the evidence that some are tested positive. It’s not because they are in the office because they travel, meet their parents, meet friends, meet sellers, and outsiders. That’s what we are afraid of.”

(AG02)

Another barrier mentioned by the interviewees were public transport overcrowding and schedules that do not accommodate work rostering requirements or issues with other organizations not using rostering so normal peak hour presented an overcrowding risk for travelers. There were also issues with inconsistencies in requirements at different levels of government and in different areas of the country that impacted the two participating organizations that operated in different areas of Indonesia.

3.1.3. Drivers

The main drivers discussed by interviewees in this industry included maintaining employees’ health and maintaining sustainable operations.

All three organizations interviewed were consistent in their views regarding the main driver for implementing COVID-19 requirements, which was to maintain employees’ health so that the company can maintain uninterrupted operations. Thus, it can be stated that, basically, the driver was business continuity. This was illustrated in the following quotes from the interviewees:

“We have to keep our employees healthy as much as possible so they can work well, and the company’s target can be achieved maximally.”

(AG03)

“…the company’s commitment for COVID-19 is very high since we see the employees as assets and our business cannot be interrupted. Once one person is tested positive, it will impact the entire unit.”

(AG02)

Interviewees from AG02 also discussed their organization’s vision for sustainable operations and the connection between this vision and having good management systems for COVID-19 prevention:

“…the first driving factor is that we are working in a company that has the vision to be a leader and a company that is sustainable, that becomes the choice of people. Now, that’s a big vision that must be supported.”

3.1.4. Impacts

The main impacts discussed by interviewees in this industry included impacts on productivity and the psychological impact of the changed working requirements.

All three agricultural organizations reported either no or positive impacts on productivity. For example:

“Our productivity is still good, there’s no significant decrease in performance.”

(AG03)

Work from home arrangements did not affect productivity negatively. One organization noted improvements in productivity due to the use of new technology and a streamlining of its operations. For example:

“…used and explored the use of technology as much as possible. Therefore, in my opinion, our productivity, especially related to training and auditing and so on, actually increases.”

(AG02)

In terms of the psychological impact of the changed working requirements, one of the interviewees stated:

“…people are really uncomfortable working with the new system because they are used to the old way of working. It’s a negative impact psychologically.”

(AG02)

3.2. Logistics Industry Findings

3.2.1. Overview

Three participating organizations from the logistics industry were a subsidiary company managing land and sea freight cargo with 20 people across port and head office operations (LG01); a subsidiary company involved in trucking, warehousing, and forwarding, who employed a combination of office staff and truck drivers (LG02); and a start-up organization that provides same-day courier services with over 1800 workers, including 400 office-based employees and 1400 independent couriers that operate across a number of regions of Indonesia (LG03).

The three organizations from the logistics industry were able to describe processes they had in place to manage the risk of COVID-19 transmission within their operations. These included procedures for COVID-19 Taskforce, 3M procedures (masks, hand washing, and social distancing), temperature checks (limited), testing (one company only), work from home arrangements (in the initial phase), internal communications processes, education, and provision of supplements.

3.2.2. Barriers and Challenges

The main barriers discussed by interviewees in this industry included available resources, exposure of workers to the general population, compliance with health protocols, and lack of specific guidelines.

Resources for implementing required activities (including both finances and time) became one of the main barriers in this sector. LG01 reported that in respect to detection (i.e., testing) they had been asked to test their workers by their parent company. However, they reported that they had been unable to comply due to time constraints. Example quotes that demonstrate this theme include:

“I am currently in the process of communicating with management whether we really need to test 100% of our employees and drivers. But so far, it’s been deeply examined, whether it is necessary or not. Because it’s related to the cost.”

[LG02]

“However, the rapid test is only provided if there is a possible interaction and so on. It’s also because the total number of our couriers is high. There are 1400 people. So, in terms of expenses, it is somewhat difficult to facilitate everything.”

[LG03]

Furthermore, all three organizations were concerned about the exposure of their workers to the public, which may lead to cross-transmission between the worker population and the general population.

“But when they are outside, outside of our scope of work, they perhaps hang out together with their friends, hang out together with their families. It is problematic for us to monitor their activities outside of office activities.”

[LG01]

Inadequate compliance to health protocol also raised concerns among all organizations, particularly compliance to 3M among non-office workers (i.e., truck drivers and couriers). It was also identified that communicating the importance of compliance with health protocols was challenging.

“Because it is true that from different levels of education, the way of understanding and comprehending is different, so the way to communicate must also be different.”

[LG03]

One participant, which is a start-up independent company, voiced concerns about the lack of specific guidance both from regional governments and respective sectors.

“For the specific preventive protocol for logistics, I don’t know it yet, Ma’am, I still don’t know it yet. We still haven’t had any communication or initiative with the regional government or related agencies.”

[LG03]

3.2.3. Drivers

The main drivers discussed by interviewees in this industry were ensuring the health of their workers and, for subsidiaries, implementation of protocols as assigned by the parent company.

All three organizations considered that ensuring the health of all their workers would minimize the impact of the pandemic on their operations. There was a strong focus on building the immunity of the workers through the provision of supplements (i.e., vitamins and immunity builders), as well as temperature checking, education, and enforcement of the 3M.

For subsidiary companies (LG01 and LG02) in particular, a focus on implementing the protocols of the parent company was conveyed.

3.2.4. Impacts

The main impacts discussed by interviewees in this industry included the initial impact of the pandemic on productivity; problems related to the Work From Home (WFH) protocols; and impacts from the number of workers who were found positive for COVID-19 and needed to isolate

All three businesses reported initial impacts on productivity, which was very severe in some cases. Nevertheless, all organizations were then able to pivot to new and emerging markets to sustain their businesses and were all now financially viable.

These businesses considered the WFH protocols to be problematic as they affect operations and may lead to operational issues. This is reflected in the following statement:

“If we apply a work from home system or a shift system in our company, we will find it difficult to carry out the operational activities. Finally, we gathered all the employees, told them that this job indeed required human resources who must be present at the office. It cannot be done by working from home since it is an operational work.”

[LG01]

General concerns about the impact of positive cases and the need for workers to isolate were also voiced by the interviewees. For example:

“If there’s a test that comes back positive, it will affect the business process, in which we have to close for 3 days, with the closing of 3 days, yes, commercially, we will be harmed.”

[LG02]

In addition, there was also a statement that the enforcement of the protocols within these organizations was still inadequate and that the impact was still minimal.

3.3. Construction Industry Findings

3.3.1. Overview

The three construction companies that participated in this research are leading state industries in Indonesia, which included an organization that has been operating for 60 years and specializes in civil work with five business lines including construction, EPC, investment, property, and manufacturing (CS01); an organization that has been operating for 59 years as a general contractor that also has a construction investment business with four main core businesses including toll and non-toll roads, property, and manufacturing. (CS02); and an organization engaged in construction services which have been operating for nearly 40 years, which is also engaged in the property sector. (CS03).

The three organizations from the construction industry were able to describe processes they had in place to manage the risk of COVID-19 transmission within their operations. These included procedures for establishing a COVID-19 Task Force (including crisis management team and COVID-19 rangers); Working from Home (WFH) and Work at the Office (WAO) policies; 3T procedure (Testing, Tracing and Tracking); 3M procedure (Mask, Washing Hands and Physical Distancing); temperature checks; health self-assessment through mobile application; use of COSMIC application “COVID-19 Safe Management Information and Compliance” developed by the Ministry of State Enterprises; health Promotion and education through WhatsApp groups, email, banners, safety induction and toolbox meeting; and crisis management plan.

3.3.2. Barriers and Challenges

The main barriers discussed by interviewees in this industry included difficulties in educating workers and enforcing 3M among workers; relocation of budget for 3M implementation; and lack of public awareness of the company’s health protocol.

The interviewees from the three organizations conveyed the difficulties in reaching a large number of employees to educate, implement and enforce 3M (using masks, washing hands, and physical distancing) as stated below.

“Not all projects are located in an environment that has adequate health facilities and infrastructures, and personnel… In addition, there may be mobilization and transportation problems in small areas.”

(CS03)

“So, I always do socialization about 3M. For me, I add one, namely increasing immunity, maintaining immunity. This is the hardest thing to do in the project.”

(CS01)

“It’s because of the relationship with behavior change, right? At the head office itself and at the cooperative office every morning, we have started to get used to conducting safety briefings. In this case, the briefing is related to this COVID-19 health problem. In each workspace in a working group, we take turns to deliver. Yes, even though what was said was repeated over and over again, we hope people will remember it.”

(CS01)

In order to implement the 3M, relevant provisions need to be made available and this required a large amount of money. This also created challenges in terms of reallocating the budget as described by the interviewees.

Concerns were also voiced regarding the lack of the public’s awareness of the company’s health protocol. This was justifiable concerns due to the possible transmission caused by interactions between the public and workers. For example:

“The biggest obstacle is the concern of external parties related to our company. Because no matter how sophisticated and strict the government to control and evaluate COVID-19, without any supports from externals who interact intensely, it will eventually become ineffective”

(CS02)

3.3.3. Drivers

The main drivers discussed for this industry included top management commitment and the use of technology. The three companies all discussed that top management commitment is the key driver for implementing health protocols. The interviewees discussed companies’ board of directors and their commitment and involvement in implementing the response to COVID-19 in the workplace through the implementation of the COVID-19 related company’s policies and procedures, as well as the establishment of a COVID-19 Task Force. For example:

“The director of CS02 already has commitment and involvement in handling COVID-19 by placing the QHSE functions as the main command (VP Quality HSE and systems). Commanding all the directors of the subsidiary and in chief of senior VP of operations.”

(CS02)

“The company’s commitment is evidenced by the existence of programs to prevent virus transmission… Monitoring is performed every week, which is led directly by the Task Force Team Leader chaired by the Director of Finance and Human Resources and attended by the project leader.”

(CS03)

“The company provides a means for washing hands. Then the company also provides the workers’ barracks that we have designed so that they cannot talk, release droplets, and infect other people. So, we put screens on their beds.”

(CS01)

The use of technology was also considered one of the important drivers in the implementation of COVID-19 protocols. The development of IT-based applications, such as COSMIC, helps companies monitor and promote COVID-19 prevention in the workplace.

3.3.4. Impacts

One of the main impacts discussed by interviewees in this industry included impacts on the economy and productivity. All three construction organizations reported that the COVID-19 pandemic has affected their companies in terms of economy and productivity as stated below.

“First, it must have an impact. It must have an impact from all sides, both from the economic point of view as well as work productivity…. In addition, previously the government allocated funds for projects. But in the end, it was canceled because the project budget was relocated to the national COVID-19 countermeasures effort.”

(CS01)

“Productivity is affected, and this productivity is lower than normal.”

(CS02)

Another common impact raised was the required change in work and operational systems. The implementation of health protocols has driven the companies to establish online work systems.

“All CS02 governance is IT-based. Project meetings, business unit coordination meetings, project pre-implementation, quarterly coordination meetings, vendor negotiations, and walkthrough survey by top management to projects has done by online system”

(CS02)

“For communication, information technology is basically used, because there are no face-to-face interactions due to physical distancing”

(CS03)

3.4. Manufacturing Industry Findings

3.4.1. Overview

The three participating organizations from the manufacturing industry were an organization involved in the food and beverage industry since 1980 (MF01); an organization involved in the cement industry which is a subsidiary of a State-owned enterprise. (MF02); and an organization involved in the manufacture and distribution of beverages. (MF03)

The three organizations from the manufacturing industry were able to describe detailed processes they have in place to manage the risk of COVID-19 transmission within their operations. These included procedures for COVID-19 Task Force; Work from home or Work from Office system; PCR Testing; tracing and tracking System; company doctors; communication systems; self-assessment; reporting system; and employee socialization, education, and monitoring.

3.4.2. Barriers and Challenges

There were several main barriers discussed by interviewees in this industry, one of which was employees’ perceptions of COVID-19 and changing the culture related to health protocol implementation. For example:

“Then also outside, it turns out that there are also many employees who are still subject to local customs. Like ngaliwet and so on.”

(MF01)

“The internal obstacle faced by the company is changing the culture, which requires a huge effort.”

(MF03)

Numerous government policies that are difficult to understand and implement became another barrier conveyed by the interviewees. This issue is highlighted in the following quotes:

“The use of the medical terms in Permenkes (Ministry of Health Regulations) are difficult for ordinary people to understand.”

(MF01)

“As an illustration, I will tell you that there is a change in temperature for the reference from 38 to 37.3. That may sound simple. But for the implementation, changing the mindset, and providing an explanation for why it changed, that’s a tremendous effort.”

(MF02)

In addition to the two barriers above, insufficient financial resources to implement desired prevention strategies was also mentioned as a barrier in preventing COVID-19 transmission in companies.

“On the other hand, the lower the productivity level, the lower the sales volume level, giving vitamins means providing extra budget.”

(MF03)

3.4.3. Drivers

All interviewees from the three manufacturing companies agreed that the main driving factor was a commitment from the top management. For example:

“The formation of the COVID-19 Task Force is directly led by the board of directors.”

(MF01)

“MF02 management commitment to COVID-19 is very high. The team has to report every week on what we do: there is a team that manages prevention and a specific team for the adaptation to the new habits that we have done. Decisions are made right away in meetings, including reporting on the Behavioral Change Assessment (BCA). There is a BCA team that monitors the general level of compliance with the COVID-19 protocol.”

(MF02)

“Top Management commitment. The company’s CEO went down immediately to do daily updates on the latest conditions at the start of the pandemic, then continued to do weekly updates which also involved BOD.”

(MF03)

Furthermore, they also agreed that routine communication and socialization using digital technology also has a significant impact on COVID-19 Protocol implementation.

“The first one is Outlook blasting, e-mail blasting. So, at the factory, it was blasted from the internal community to all employees with certain materials. Then through the WhatsApp Group, so we know that in each work unit they always have a WhatsApp Group.”

(MF01)

“Demographically, the companies are spread in various provinces with extraordinary magnitude. Without this communication, participatory and consultative technology, it could not work well.”

(MF03)

3.4.4. Impacts

The main impacts discussed by interviewees in this industry included impacts on productivity and total sales, as well as the use of technology in dealing with the pandemic. The three companies stated that there was a decrease in productivity and total sales, as stated below.

“The impact on sales, it definitely happened. Especially, …because schools were closed, of course, the impact was very much, because we sold a lot in school canteens.”

(MF01)

“During the pandemic, our production is only about 80%.”

(MF02)

In terms of the use of technology in dealing with the pandemic, some interviews gave the following statements:

“Usually we use Teams, ma’am. Connected to the company server. Even the coordination between sites and so on, which we used to frequent if we don’t meet in person, it’s becoming difficult, now, while at home we can have meetings. So, I think there is a fundamental change in the way we work.”

(MF01)

“For offices, WFO is attempted for a maximum 50% or even only 30% (of the office capacity) by utilizing technology for work, including also for communication and meetings that support our work. Meetings are generally held virtually.”

(MF02)

3.5. Stakeholders Findings

3.5.1. Overview

The six participating stakeholders are key employees from relevant Government Departments stakeholders related to policy development. The roles of each stakeholder include the followings:

• Provide guidance, supervision, examination, testing, law enforcement efforts as well as formulating safety and health norms in the workplace (ST01)
• Develop policies and implement NSPK (Norms, Standards, Procedures, and Criteria) as well as provide technical assistance and supervision, and evaluation in occupational safety and health (ST02)
• Provide advice for the implementation of government policies related to OHS issues (ST02)
• Coordinate the health program at work (ST04)
• Encourage the policy maker to establish comprehensive regulations, as well as monitoring and evaluating the implementation of regulations in a global context (ST05)
• Involved in policy making, cross-sectoral coordination, inter-ministerial coordination, limited cabinet meetings, as well as regular coordination with the regions (ST06)

3.5.2. Implementation of the Regulation

From the perspective of the stakeholders, it was discussed that the regulations related to COVID-19 Prevention and Control are implemented in coordination with Government Supervisors (Inspectors) throughout Indonesia as well as the health and safety committees in the companies. For example:

“So, we empower the health and safety committee, we prepare tools for business continuity, new normal, physical activity with exercise. Those are items that we design to prevent transmission of COVID-19 in the workplace.”

(ST01)

“At the level of the company or industry, there are several steps that are already performed by ST02, one of which is norm enforcement by colleagues in the supervision department… The implementation is done by involving and coordinating with related parties so that when COVID-19 prevention measures are implemented.”

(ST02)

The regulations are also communicated to related parties through seminars, campaigns, training, and meetings to encourage workers and the public to understand the issue of preventing COVID-19.

“There have been many campaigns, there have been training, and there have been many meetings which incidentally were to encourage workers and the community to be more aware of the issue of prevention and the issue of COVID-19 in more depth.”

(ST05)

3.5.3. Monitoring and Evaluation of Regulation

The interviewees suggested that the monitoring and evaluation of the regulations are carried out using a ‘PentaHelix’ approach that involves multiple parties, including supervisors in each region in collaboration with local governments, COVID-19 rangers in the companies, professional representatives, academics, expert associations, and communities.

“…fellow supervisors are measuring the policies carried out by the local government where they implement policies of COVID-19 in the workplace… also we created COVID-19 ranger in the workplace… that helps supervisors to carry out the COVID-19 prevention protocol.”

(ST01)

“In monitoring and evaluating health protocols in the workplace… we have a means of monitoring health protocol compliance or behavior adherence in the context of behavior change, we look at their practice individually and in institutions… We also conduct surveys… We are actually the ‘PentaHelix’ approach. Become multi-partners… So, in the process, we also received reports from all those parties.”

(ST06)

There are IT-based monitoring evaluation tools for health protocol compliance which are reported systematically.

“Monitoring is basically done through ‘Siperi K3′ application digitally. Companies can fill out (the application) and they will automatically know in which risk category they are in, whether it is in the high, medium, or low-risk categories.”

(ST02)

3.5.4. Barriers in Implementing the Regulation

There were several barriers discussed by the stakeholders. The first barrier was the difficulty of businesses to comply with the regulations since there are a lot of regulations regarding COVID-19.

“Due to compliance with many regulations, businessmen are also stressed. For example, someone asked me, ‘Mr. Director, how come there are many regulations regarding the COVID-19 issue, which we have complied with. We want to comply; we don’t want our business is disturbed’.”

(ST01)

This condition became even more challenging with the lack of coordination among institutions in implementing the regulations.

“In the implementation of monitoring and evaluation, the barrier is coordination… Based on this observation, the government needs to appoint a leading sector, in this case, the Coordinating Minister, to do inter-agency coordination so that the barrier in terms of coordination as we see today can be minimized and there would be no coordination issue triggered by sectoral ego.”

(ST02)

“Regarding applications and so on, it is true that in the context of monitoring evaluation, there has been a tremendous disruption in Indonesia, many parties want to make their own, and ultimately not integrated.”

(ST06)

Furthermore, some companies were unable to facilitate COVID-19 prevention and control due to budget limitations. This was worsened by the fact that the public does not fully understand the existing regulations, thus the need for socialization and education related to regulations, which indirectly influence the effectiveness of the control measures applied in the company. There was also a tendency of workers to not comply with the protocols.

“People tend to get tired of enforcing health protocols… there is still a stigma in the community regarding COVID-19... ‘If people wear masks, they are sick. So, if they don’t feel sick, they don’t need masks’…. And this generally happens in informal workplaces.”

(ST04)

3.5.5. Drivers in Implementing the Regulation

The main driver identified from the discussion with interviewees was the health protocol enforcement that is regulated under Presidential Instruction no. 6 of 2020.

“In order to enforce the health protocol in the form of Presidential Instruction no. 6 of 2020, it is mandated that all parties, which includes the regional government, the army, and the police are asked to enforce discipline in implementing health protocols in the community. For law enforcement, it can be from a regional regulation; it can be a regional head regulation. And it is dependent on each region.”

(ST06)

“But if you don’t obey …they finally had to stop the production process. We leave it to the local government. For example, in Jakarta, if 1 person in the company is affected by COVID-19, then the company must be stopped for 3 days. It’s a form of sanction.”

(ST01)

4. Discussion

The findings of the study provide a broad perspective on the implementation of the health protocol, its drivers, barriers, and challenges that are common across the organizations and within sectors. Research about COVID-19 transmission prevention and health measures implemented in the workplace is limited [6,11,12,13,14,15,16]. Even though previous studies have been conducted for precautionary measures against COVID-19 in Indonesian workplaces, analyses about drivers, barriers, and challenges against health protocols have not been determined [6,17].

4.1. Implementation of Health Protocols

A summary of the key measures reported to be implemented by the organizations is provided in

Table 2. Summary of the implementation of Health Protocols across Organizations and their Sectors.

Measure	AG01	AG02	AG03	LG01	LG02	LG03	MF01	MF02	MF03	CS01	CS02	CS03
COVID-19 task force	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x
3M (Masks, hand washing, social distancing)	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x
3T (tracing, tracking, and testing)	x	x	x				x	x	x	x	x	x
WFH	x	x	x		x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x
Rapid testing—random	x										x
Rapid testing—high risk					x					x
Rapid testing—all		x	x					x				x
PCR testing—targeted	x	x	x				x	x	x	x	x	x
Temperature check	x	x	x	x	x					x	x	x
Self-Risk Assessment	x	x	x		x			x	x	x	x	x
Company Doctor/Clinic	x		x		x		x	x	x
Rostering system	x	x								x
Internal communication	x	x	x		x		x	x		x	x	x
Education	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x
Employee monitoring and/or enforcement	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x		x	x	x
Management of returning travelers	x	x			x						x	x
Provision of supplements	x			x	x	x

.

The data summary highlights that the Health Protocols are being implemented to varying degrees both within and across the sectors. This study found that all organizations have already established a COVID-19 task force that is responsible for planning, implementing, controlling, and evaluating the implementation of COVID-19 Health protocols and other prevention and control measures. In Indonesian workplaces, it is compulsory to form a COVID-19 task force in the workplace based on the Indonesian Ministry of Health Regulation, and it appears to be one of the strong drivers for COVID-19 transmission prevention in the workplace. A similar study has also shown the formation of the COVID-19 task force in the workplace on US Construction projects [18].

It is also apparent that most of the organizations have consistently implemented the 3M (wearing masks, hand washing, and physical distancing) protocol by ensuring all workers always wear masks, providing hand washing facilities, and setting the distance between workers to be at least 1 m and urging workers not to have physical contact with other workers. These protocols are also stated clearly in the COVID-19 procedures in the companies. According to the Ministry of Manpower Circular Letter, COVID-19 prevention in the workplace shall include the implementation of a clean and healthy lifestyle, mask use, physical distancing, and provision of health facilities [9]. Research shows that personal protective measures (e.g., physical distancing, hand hygiene, and mask-wearing) are considered as one of the main public health and social measures (PHSMs) that should be implemented in order to suppress COVID-19 transmission [19,20]. The importance to using masks, handwashing, social distancing, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, conducting tracing, tracking, and testing provide significant COVID-19 cases from the workplace [3,6,12,13,14,15,16,17,21,22,23,24,25,26,27,28,29,30,31,32,33,34,35,36,37].

Our study found that all organizations have already conducted socialization and education regarding COVID-19 to the workers. The information disseminated includes the causes, symptoms, ways of transmission, and preventive measures of COVID-19, as well as the Clean and Healthy Living Behavior (PHBS). Educating workers on COVID-19 policies, signs and symptoms, hygiene procedures, and understanding the spread of the virus might provide workers the knowledge about the significance of requisite behaviors that effectively combat the spread of the outbreaks [38]. Our study also found that socialization and education are conducted through safety inductions, online meetings, webinars, training, WhatsApp blasts, campaigns, and posters. According to the ISO/PAS 4005:2020, these communication methods are suggested so the messages are accessible and can be understood by all relevant parties with different levels of literacy [38,39,40,41]. It seems that all organizations in this study have implemented effective health communication which is a key factor to break the transmission of COVID-19. It is suggested that accurate and well-developed health communication can facilitate how societies promote and accomplish adherence to necessary behavior change [38,42]. In addition, effective risk communication is crucial to enhance the understanding of the health threats as well as to facilitate the society in making informed decisions for mitigating the risk regarding COVID-19 [38,43]. However, learning various communication tools might be challenging. Lack of familiarity and expertise with digital solutions and communication tools might affect workers’ productivity and mental health. The increased use of technology to facilitate communication could lead to potential impacts such as increased stress and work-life balance issues [38,44].

Most organizations participating in this study already have a business continuity plan that is included in the Emergency Response procedures or other related procedures in the company. However, these documents are not written according to the business continuity plan template described in the Ministry of Manpower Circular. In the circular letter, the Ministry of Manpower required the organizations to implement a business continuity management system to maintain business continuity during the pandemic [9]. Research has shown that protecting business continuity is one of the effective management strategies to overcome health and safety challenges during COVID-19 [8,38]. Indeed, business continuity has been known to foster organizations’ resilience and foster recovery from any disruptions including pandemic COVID-19 [45,46].

Our study found that there are several differences in COVID-19 prevention and control measures implemented by the organizations within and across the sectors. The most significant area of difference is around the testing protocol. This ranges from organizations conducting no testing to organizations implementing rapid testing of all employees/visitors/etc. complemented with PCR testing. Most organizations have reported random or high-risk testing implementation first and then progressed to comprehensive testing. Organizations that do not test frequently, or even do not do any testing, mention financial resource limitation as the reason, despite the fact that the government through the Ministry of Manpower already facilitates rapid testing as well as PCR/Swab Test for industries. This finding shows that intense upgrading of testing capacities in the workplace is required as testing will subsequently help to discover cases and cohorts, trace contacts, and ensure the implementation of preventive self-isolation of contacts, which is crucial in breaking the chain of transmission [47]. In addition, the monitoring of COVID-19 testing results provides information as to whether the prevention and control measures have been effective or not [48]. However, published studies generally concluded that all testing should be combined with high-quality workplace infection control practices [49,50,51,52].

In summary, our study found that the Health Protocols are implemented to varying degrees, both within and across the sectors. There is a range of factors that may have contributed to these differences, including the nature of the business, organizational structure and size, financial resources, and geographic location. It was also identified that well-established large organizations, with comprehensive management systems, appeared to have a better ability to rapidly and effectively implement COVID-19 policies and procedures. Thus, it is suggested that policy makers consider additional schemes to provide funding and/or other resources to assist organizations (particularly SMEs) to comply with the Health Protocols.

4.2. Drivers to Implement Health Protocols

This study revealed that the drivers for compliance towards health protocols vary among organizations; however, these three main areas apply in all organizations:

• Compliance with Government directives
• Ensuring business continuity by keeping workers healthy
• Response to the top management commitment or, in the case of subsidiary organizations, response to the parent company’s commitment towards COVID-19 prevention and control measures.

We found that all participating organizations from the Agriculture and Logistics sectors were consistent in their views regarding the main driver for implementing COVID-19 control measures, being the maintenance of employees’ health so that the company can continue uninterrupted operations. Basically, the driver is business continuity. The following quote illustrates this driver:

“…the company’s commitment for COVID-19 is very high since we see the employees as assets and our business cannot be interrupted. Once one person is tested positive, it will impact the entire unit.”

(AG02)

Previous research has also identified this main business continuity driver, finding that organization’s responses to the COVID-19 crisis is to ensure the well-being of the workforce and to reduce the negative effects of the outbreak while creating the conditions for enhancing the human capital of the organization [47]. A business continuity plan has been known to speed up COVID-19 recovery and enhance workplace resilience [8,45,46].

On the other hand, the participating organizations from the construction and manufacturing sectors agree that the key driver for implementing health protocols is top management commitment. All interviewees suggested that the companies’ board of directors were committed and involved in implementing COVID-19 response in the workplace through the implementation of the company’s policies and procedures regarding COVID-19 and the establishment of a COVID-19 Task Force. The example quotes describing this driver include:

“The director of CS02 already has commitment and involvement in handling COVID-19 by placing the QHSE functions as the main command (VP Quality HSE and systems). Commanding all the directors of the subsidiary and in chief of the senior VP of operations.”

(CS02)

“The formation of the COVID-19 Task Force is directly led by the board of directors.”

(MF01)

According to the ISO/PAS 45005:2020, organizations should demonstrate leadership and commitment to collective responsibility and safe working practices to assist effective management of COVID-19 in the workplace [39]. Research also demonstrates that organizations with a high level of commitment are reported to have been more resilient during the crisis and fostering the prevention of COVID-19 transmission in the workplaces [32,53,54,55]. A previous study showed management commitment will encourage an employee to adopt positive behaviors which consist of employees’ voluntary and creative actions beyond the formal requirements [32].

From the perspective of the Ministry of Manpower, it is stated that the main driver for organizations to implement the Health Protocol is law enforcement. It is suggested that organizations need to comply with the Government directives as enforced by Presidential Instruction no. 6 of 2020 [4]. Recent research has found that the fear of non-compliance is associated with rules dictated by authorities. It is suggested that the COVID-19 pandemic is perceived as a threat, which then acts as a motivational factor to increase the probability of compliance with regulations [56].

4.3. Barriers and Challenges in Implementing Health Protocols

Our results found that the significant barriers and challenges to the implementation of the protocols were overall consistent across all participating organizations.

Perceived a lack of clear direction from government agencies due to differences in directives from different levels of government and across regions and sectors, which is particularly challenging for organizations operating at a national level. This issue is also identified by the stakeholders that have identified the difficulties faced by businesses in complying with the regulations due to various different regulations regarding the COVID-19 response. In addition, this study also highlights other barriers to the implementation of the Health Protocols in the workplace, including the rapid changes in directives with limited timeframes for information dissemination and action. Literature also underlines the lack of government policies as a challenge in implementing COVID-19 prevention and control measures [57]. Research has shown that organizations were overwhelmed by constantly changing COVID-19 prevention and control guidelines. Even though there is an awareness of new guidelines or standards, the application of these mitigations is unprecedented with no guidance to share examples of good practice. Hence the adherence to guidelines is influenced by levels of support, commitment, and communication from management [44,49]. On the other hand, the government should frame effective policies that could be easily implemented to prevent COVID-19 from spreading [57]. Therefore, it is recommended that key agencies should aim to better coordinate and integrate their efforts to ensure more consistent messaging in terms of regulations. Although the multi-agency (Penta Helix) approach has advantages in securing support from key players, it is contributing to a lack of clarity. The desired output is a harmonization of the regulations.

Another finding is the presence of ‘COVID-19 pandemic fatigue’ as a challenge to implement the Health Protocols. The term ‘Pandemic fatigue’ is defined as distress that emerges gradually, resulting in demotivation to follow recommended protective behavior over time [58,59,60,61]. Pandemic fatigue appears to exist due to long exposure to pandemic COVID-19, this includes mental health disturbances, burnout, and stress [11,58,59,60,61,62]. A continuous intervention that is forced by the company because of the uncertainty and complexities of the pandemic has led to persistent feelings of fatigue and less motivation that counteracts the virus [38]. Organizations in our study stated that there is a tendency for workers to not comply with the protocols. It shows poor worker awareness and compliance with an emphasis on sustained behavior, ongoing vigilance, and enforcement problems. Given the complex nature of so-called ‘pandemic fatigue’, a multifactorial action must be taken in accordance with the barriers and drivers experienced by people and implemented in an integrated way [58]. Thus, it is suggested that policymakers facilitate the ongoing education of workers in general, with a particular focus on exploring new ways to counteract pandemic fatigue.

This study also found the difficulties faced by organizations to increase workers’ awareness and change the behavior through socialization, education, and enforcement due to limited resources including financial resources, infrastructure, and personnel. The barrier related to limited organizational resources is not only found in the changing behavior issue but also in implementing other desired (and/or) required actions of COVID-19 prevention and control. For instance, it is reported that in respect to detection (i.e., testing), some organizations have been unable to comply due to budget limitations and time constraints. This issue is highlighted in the following quote:

“I am currently in the process of communicating with management whether we really need to test 100% of our employees and drivers. But so far it’s been deeply examined, whether it is necessary or not. Because it’s related to the cost.”

[LG02]

A previous study also described the lack of resources as one of the barriers to implementing public health and social measures [57]. The resources here refer to resources like equipment, personnel, and financial resources, which become critical barriers in implementing COVID-19 preventive measures [57]. It is suggested that the government should prioritize funding, particularly for Small-Medium Enterprises (SMEs) which may lack financial resources for adequate prevention and control programs [49].

4.4. Positive Implications of COVID-19 Prevention and Control Measures

Some of the participants identified positive impacts from the implementation of COVID-19 prevention and control measures, including improvements in productivity as a result of work from home arrangements, the use of new technology, and a streamlining of operations. Other studies have also reported on positive impacts for workplaces and society related to COVID-19 driven innovations in technology [63] and the benefits for society from work from home arrangements [64].

5. Conclusions

Several conclusions are made based on this study. Firstly, health protocols are implemented to varying degrees in companies, both within and across the sectors, with well-established large organizations having more comprehensive management systems and being better able to rapidly and effectively implement COVID policies and procedures. Secondly, drivers to comply with the New Normal Health Protocols also vary but focus on three main areas including compliance with government directives, ensuring business continuity by keeping workers healthy, and response to the top management commitment on COVID-19 response. Thirdly, significant barriers and challenges for implementing the protocols are identified and consistent across all participating organizations. These barriers and challenges included perceived lack of clear direction from government agencies; rapid changes in directives with limited timeframes for information dissemination and action; poor worker awareness and compliance with an emphasis on sustained behavior (pandemic fatigue); on-going vigilance and enforcement problems; and limited organizational resources to implement desired (and/or required) actions.

Thus, it is recommended that the key agencies aim to better coordinate and integrate their efforts to ensure more consistent messaging and harmonization of guidelines and legislation across industry and more broadly across Indonesia. The policy maker should also consider additional schemes to provide funding and/or other resources to assist organizations, particularly SMEs, comply with the Health Protocols. Moreover, policy makers should facilitate the ongoing education of the general working public, with a particular focus on exploring new ways to counteract ‘pandemic fatigue’. In addition, it is suggested that further research with measurable variables is needed to provide a broad perspective on the effectiveness of the implementation of the COVID-19 related Health Protocols in workplaces.