Introduction Myocardial infarction as a cardiac disease that has the highest fatality rate in Indonesia occurs in many working age population and causes temporary disability for work. Approximately 90 million working days are lost every year due to myocardial infarction. Many research showed that the unemployed condition is associated with a relative risk of mortality and increases the risk of death by almost 50%. However, Indonesia that has more than fifty million workers, has no reference to the duration of return to work after myocardial infarction.

Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted at National Cardiovascular Centre Harapan Kita. 130 employed out-patients were involved to this study by consecutive sampling method. The required data was gathered from general data questionnaires, DASS 42, Job Satisfaction Survey and medical records.

Results The median for the subjects’ age was 55. 93,2% subjects were male and 6,8% were female. 74,2% subjects had sedentary job and 25,8% had an active job. Among them, 45,5% had PCI and 54,5% had conservative treatment. The median duration for return to work was 14 days. Based on linear regression analysis, subjects with active job have longer return to work duration (p 0.004), those with EF <40% have longer return to work duration (p 0.02), and those with longer hospitalisation duration also have longer return to work duration (p 0.004). Depression, anxiety, and job satisfaction did not associated with return to work duration.

Conclusion The successful of return to work after myocardial infarction needs a precise evaluation on type of job, left ventricular ejection fraction, and hospitalisation duration by an occupational medicine specialist and cardiologist. Different from another country, psychologic factors is not associated to return to work duration after myocardial infarction in Indonesia, thus the prevention for longer disability after myocardial infarction should be focusing on clinical and occupational factors.