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For Millennials like me, work flexibility is just a myth.
Writer
Just call her by the name Mawar.
Published on
Mar 12, 2020
One day, an old campus friend sent me a text message. At first, there was indeed some interest, but in the end, it became just small talk.
“Hey, where are you working now?” he asked.
“At ((sensor)). He he.”
“WOW… YOU'RE REALLY ARROGANT, HUH,” this is how he joked. He might be annoyed because I was reluctant to keep in touch, especially to just let him know that I was working at the same parent company as him.
“You're in ((sensor)). I'm in ((sensor)). He he,” I replied. Honestly, I was just lazy to make small talk about work. At that time, I was experiencing acute insecurity.
“IT'S THE SAME. IT'S JUST A DIFFERENT BUILDING. IT'S REALLY CLOSE. When are you going to the office? Let's meet.”
“I never go to the office. He he. I'm a freelancer. I also work remote.
“Wow, that's nice. You get to travel a lot, huh,” he joked again. Maybe he thought I was working as a journalist sent to cover outside the city, not bound by time and place, and could breathe air outside the cubicle desk and computer screen. His response made me even more insecure.
I work as a freelance worker or casual worker. More precisely, a freelancer under the corporate umbrella. At that time, I was still working remote. Maybe because my friend worked full-time and always went to the office, he started to expect that my job was nice. Maybe he was bored with the rigid office routine that stifled his freedom, so when he heard ‘remote work’, suddenly, what came to his mind was heaven. Even though I was overwhelmed with insecurity, I understood his position a little. After all, we were both at a disadvantage.
At least for the current condition, I am part of the millennials group that wants to work at a standard pace—which sometimes sounds ‘conservative’ for this 4.0 era. Like regularly going to the office or being assigned by the office to go out—clearly not staying inside the house. I could go to a cafe to work on my tasks, but that’s still a consideration because I’m actually broke.
Other desires, for example, to be able to meet regularly with office colleagues and build enjoyable friendships—aren't these relationships a healthy work ecosystem? Then, of course, I want to earn a decent income, receive benefits, and various other accesses.
Unfortunately, I have to accept the reality; I spend more time working at home with equipment and internet data that I bear myself, never face-to-face with colleagues even video calls are not happening, an inadequate income, and of course no benefits.
Earnings below the minimum wage, transferred monthly, but if I don't go to work—whether the reason is sick or for any permission—it is still deducted based on the number of absent days. So, I almost never absent even if it’s a public holiday or a great holiday—unless I'm desperate—or I try to find replacement hours by trading schedules with colleagues.
Indeed, some people feel suitable working as freelancers plus remote. A person's living conditions also determine the ideal job type needed within a certain period. These conditions are always fluid and can change at any time. For example, a mother with a toddler might find it difficult to work full-time, thus freelance can be an alternative. But what about my situation as a (back then) fresh graduate, with a mediocre economic background, and starting to feel frustrated after being rejected by companies repeatedly?
This freelance work is my first ‘official’ job in a corporation. Previously, I had only worked as an intern and part-time jobs. Initially, I thought, instead of being unemployed for too long, it’s better to take it. At least the contract says that I can leave whenever if I get a job in another company. After some time, it turned out to be not as easy as I imagined.
I felt stuck in a box and kept spinning inside it. Job applications to other companies went unanswered. On the one hand, I wanted to give up that job—which was toxic to me—but I always hesitated. This is a dilemma. Because if I resign, I would have no income. In the end, I had to extend the contract again (and again?).
The reality is, remote working isn't always as beautiful as many people imagine. Not everyone is suited to this system. Harvard Business Review once released a short review of research on 1,100 workers. They said that 52% of those who remote work at home tend to feel isolated, especially if they never have direct contact with coworkers who stay at the office. This is what I roughly feel.
During nearly a year of remote working, I could count on one hand how many times I went to the office; when training and orientation as new workers, when signing and extending contracts, and when invited to attend the year-end meeting. All forms of telecommunication were only through text messages, and in the chat room, only work-related topics were discussed. There were no regular meetings as if freelancers were merely small crumbs and not part of the company.
After almost a year, the company offered freelancers the chance to work at the office. The reason was that face-to-face interactions were beginning to be seen as a communication necessity (see, I told you. This is very important in a work ecosystem). As an implication, the salary was indeed increased but still not significantly. The mechanism and workload didn’t change—thankfully, the jobdesk didn’t become heavier.
Then the next reason, the company wanted to improve the quality of production. At this point, I started to cringe. Of course, I was happy if the company kept improving ‘quality’ considering its negative image in previous years. But, wait a minute. Wanting to improve production quality but by employing young freelancers, on short-term contracts, and minimal salaries?
The company reasoned that it had financial constraints, as its income was declining that year. Reportedly there was an ‘efficiency’ of permanent workers in the office, some of whom were ‘laid off’—I do not know whether they were transferred to another business unit or truly ‘sent home’.
In the end, I gave in because I had no alternative choices. Moreover, to maintain my mental stability so that I can often engage in activities outside the home. Honestly, during my remote work, my mental health deteriorated.
This experience made me question the touted work flexibility that was said to enhance worker and company productivity. Many say millennials like this type of job. But actually, who are the 'millennials that tend to prefer flexible work'? Which millennials?
If they mean urban millennials who have privileges and stable, even affluent economic backgrounds, such flexible work is probably not a problem. They do not worry about whether the amount of money in their account is enough, whether they can save or not, whether they can buy this or that or not.
I often doubt the surveys and research used as the basis for arguments that ‘flexible work is like a paradise with promises of freedom’, isn’t it biased? For instance, how diverse is the respondent pool used in the sample? This needs to be examined and critiqued further.
Moreover, the media simplifies that narrative concoction in various ways. Just try googling, for example, with the keywords ‘millennials and flexible work’, most results speak in a positive tone. Furthermore, companies legitimize the trend of flexible work among youth purely for production purposes; minimizing expenses as much as possible by employing young people under PKWT.
Well, if work flexibility is accompanied by fulfilling workers' rights and treating them humanely, who wouldn’t want that? But let alone that utopia, even permanent workers' rights are still often ignored.
Moreover, hey… ((remember)) if the Cilaka omnibus law—which is still a hot debate—one day gets approved, what will happen to workers like me? With the Cilaka Bill yet to be passed, I'm already struggling to survive in an imbalanced work-life, let alone if it gets officially enacted?
The Chairwoman of the Media and Creative Industry Workers Union for Democracy (SINDIKASI) Ellena Ekarahendy stated during a discussion at Walhi National, Jakarta, Thursday (20/2) that if the Cilaka Bill is passed, it will allow for a wave where workers become permanently temporary workers. And this is increasingly worrying for young workers, especially fresh graduates, as they are in a difficult position to gain high bargaining power. The relationship of becoming permanent workers becomes increasingly challenging.
The principle of ‘easy hiring, easy firing’ is indeed the spirit advanced by the Cilaka omnibus law. As the Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto ‘confirmed’ that this Bill will regulate the flexibility of working hours as well as ease in the recruitment process and termination of employment or layoffs (katadata.co.id).
The image of flexibility perhaps stems from the boredom of a rigid, stagnant work world, like what my friend above experienced. Workers long for freedom, flexibility, and leniency. But what if that 'freedom' turns into another form of prison?
A prison that is subtly built by corporate logic, facilitated by capitalism, reproduced by technology and the digital economy, and… legalized by the government? Work flexibility ultimately becomes a myth in the 4.0 civilization. A myth for the working class who has no power.
Author: let's just say her name is Mawar.
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Article
4
min read
Just Pretend to Be Good: About the Well-being of Lecturers in Indonesia
Lecturers so far seem to have no problems, maybe it’s because we are in denial. We pretend to be okay. So it’s like (we need) awareness that we are not okay, awareness that something needs to change, awareness that we are the working class who are very likely to be oppressed in our work fulfillment relationships.” – Nabiyla Risfa Azzati, representative of the Lecturer Welfare Research Team (2023)
The teaching profession, which is considered promising, does not guarantee worker welfare. A survey from the Lecturer Welfare Team shows that there are still lecturers who are dissatisfied with their salaries. This research was released in commemoration of Labor Day and National Education Day 2023.
Survey by the Lecturer Welfare Research Team (UGM-UI-Unram, 2023) shows that 42.9% of lecturers earn below Rp3 million. About 35% of them feel that their monthly income does not match their workload and qualifications as lecturers. Moreover, nearly one-third of respondents reported spending monthly living costs of Rp3-5 million.
Not All Lecturers Live Prosperously
The representative of the Lecturer Welfare Research Team, Nabiyla Risfa Azzati, stated that this research shows the fact that many lecturers are not prosperous. The labor law lecturer at UGM noted that more than 40% of lecturers earning below Rp3 million is a red flag.
“This speaks about a profession that on one hand requires very high qualifications to enter, therefore its barrier is very high, while on the other hand, this profession also becomes the backbone of knowledge creation,” emphasized Nabiyla when met by the Never Okay Project (NOP) team.
Issues of Lecturer Welfare Rarely Discussed
Nabiyla revealed that the welfare of lecturers is rarely raised. This is why this research was conducted: to make this issue mainstream so that the parties concerned can be more open and acknowledge that there are problems.
“Because if we can acknowledge that there is a problem, we can start from there, we can look for solutions together. If we don’t even admit there’s a problem, it’s very difficult, right?” she said.
Nabiyla realizes that discussions about salaries are still considered taboo, especially for the teaching profession, which is considered noble and carries a certain social status. She also acknowledges that it is not difficult to find prosperous lecturers. However, that does not mean we should turn a blind eye to the 42.9% of respondents who earn less than Rp3 million.
“If my life is used as an example, lecturers are fine. But there are many other lecturers who are not okay,” she said.
Lecturers No Longer an Attractive Career Choice
The results of this research also seem to answer an assumption that being a lecturer is no longer an attractive choice. “How can we attract quality individuals to work in a profession that in its early stages cannot provide welfare. Like it’s impossible,” she said.
Nabiyla also mentioned the high resignation rate from CASN (Civil Service Candidates) lecturers. This indicates that something is wrong.
“This actually shows that there’s something wrong, we do not value people who actually want to dedicate their time to knowledge creation in Indonesia,” she explained.
Read also: Violence Against Journalists: From Sexual to KBGO
Ideal Salary Standards for Lecturers
Discussing ideal salaries for lecturers is quite complicated. This is because the benchmark for fair wages in Indonesia refers to the minimum wage, which in this context is the standard of Decent Living Needs (KHL). However, this context is considered less suitable when talking about lecturer salaries.
“Why? Because first, the barrier to becoming a lecturer is high, so this should be seen as a profession that should not be valued at bare minimum,” explained Nabiyla.
She compared it to other countries that generally do not value lecturer salaries at minimum wage. The reason is that lecturer salaries there are negotiated. In Indonesia, sector-based negotiations are nearly non-existent, so the Lecturer Welfare Research Team cannot answer how to provide an ideal standard for lecturers.
Comparing Lecturer Salaries with Neighboring Countries
The Lecturer Welfare Research Team attempted to compare lecturer salaries in Indonesia with comparable neighboring countries, namely Malaysia and Thailand. The results are quite shocking. The average lecturer salary in Malaysia is Rp 20-25 million and in Thailand is Rp 38-42 million. Nabiyla revealed that initially, the team felt those figures were not suitable for this job because they were too high. However, the main problem is that Indonesia does not have a standard for lecturer salaries.
“The comparison with Malaysia and Thailand should not be a very far comparison, but seeing that we currently do not have a standard, if we were to present at the Ministry of Education and Culture, we’d face ridicule. It’s strange how we don’t have standards; we are even afraid to mention a figure that isn’t too high at all, it’s actually quite normal,” said Nabiyla.
Lecturers are Workers Too: Fighting Not to be Oppressed
The survey results from the Lecturer Welfare Research Team also show that the lecturer profession is a labor profession. Therefore, it is necessary to fight to not be oppressed.
“Call us professional workers, call us white-collar workers, call us knowledge producers, whatever the name, at the end of the day, we are workers, we are laborers,” said Nabiyla.
Source:
Lecturer Welfare Research Team. (2023, May 4). How much do lecturers earn? Here are the results of the first national survey mapping the welfare of academics in Indonesia. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/berapa-gaji-dosen-berikut-hasil-survei-nasional-pertama-yang-memetakan-kesejahteraan-akademisi-di-indonesia-203854 accessed on May 21, 2023.
Interview with the representative of the Lecturer Welfare Research Team, Nabiyla Risfa Azzati. May 17, 2023.
Writer: Yanti Nainggolan
Editor: Imelda
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Article
6
min read
World AIDS Day: The Rise of Discrimination Against PLHIV in the Workplace
December 1st is World AIDS Day. Unfortunately, the stigma against People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) still strongly persists in society, including in the workplace. Many of our friends have lost access to employment early on due to discriminatory company policies. The reasons vary, from concerns of being unproductive to fears of transmission.
PLWHAs do not need pity, but rather support to maintain their empowerment. Combatting the stigma around HIV/AIDS can start with self-education, you know, so please read this article to the end!
World AIDS Day: HIV/AIDS in Indonesia by the Numbers
Just like World AIDS Day which is commemorated every year, the number of HIV/AIDS cases in Indonesia continues to rise each year. The HIV/AIDS epidemic in Indonesia has been ongoing since 1987. HIV/AIDS cases are spread across 34 provinces and 308 (61%) out of 504 districts/cities. According to WHO data from 2019, there are 78% of new HIV infections in the Asia-Pacific region.
According to data from Kemkes RI, the highest number of tests recorded was in 2019 with approximately 4.1 million HIV tests, and 50,282 of these were HIV positive. Based on gender, the majority of PLWHAs are male. The largest AIDS risk factors are heterosexual (70%) and homosexual (22%). The number of AIDS cases reported in 2019 was 7,036 cases.
At the end of 2020, UNAIDS reported the number of PLWHAs in Indonesia as 540,000 people. This year recorded 28,000 new cases of PLWHA. Data shows that 66% of PLWHAs are aware of their condition and 26% of PLWHAs have access to Anti-Retroviral (ARV) therapy. Since 2010, the percentage of PLWHAs receiving ARV therapy has continued to increase.
Read also: Research results by Never Okay Project regarding Harassment and Sexual Violence in the Workplace
World AIDS Day: Discrimination against PLWHAs in the Workplace Continues
Although the number of PLWHAs receiving ARV therapy continues to rise, it does not reduce the discrimination they face. According to UNAIDS, in 2019, 12.2% of PLWHAs reported experiencing discrimination from their surrounding environment.
Without the consent of the PLWHA concerned, people around them report their health status to medical personnel. This then adversely affects the lives of PLWHAs.
What are the vulnerabilities of discrimination against PLWHAs in the workplace?
Here are five vulnerabilities of discrimination against PLWHAs in the workplace that we should know:
Direct discrimination, such as firing employees solely because of their HIV-positive status
Indirect discrimination, for instance, through HIV-free job requirements
Associative discrimination, such as someone being avoided for associating with PLWHAs
Harassment, through actions that demean the dignity of PLWHAs
Blaming the victim, when a PLWHA who is a victim of discrimination reports to HR. Instead of receiving justice, they are blamed by HR.
What about the stigma and mental pressure on PLWHAs?
Aside from societal stigma, PLWHAs also experience psychosocial pressures or reactions, which are:
Anxiety about the illness they suffer from, treatment, even threats of death
Depression, feeling sad, powerless, guilty, worthless, hopeless, and even suicidal due to their HIV/AIDS status
Isolation and lack of social support, feeling rejected by family and society
Anger, manifesting hostility towards caregivers, and rejecting ARV therapy due to lack of self-acceptance
Fear of others knowing their HIV/AIDS status
Shame due to the negative stigma of being an HIV/AIDS patient
Read also: Other articles related to Sexual Harassment in the Workplace
What is the role of education in combating stigma against PLWHAs in the workplace?
“But, if I get close to PLWHAs, I might get infected.”
The fact is, HIV is not transmitted through touch, tears, sweat, saliva, urine, or even feces of the infected person. According to WHO, HIV can be transmitted through the exchange of various bodily fluids from an infected person, such as blood, breast milk, semen, and vaginal fluids.
HIV can also be transmitted from a mother to her child during pregnancy and childbirth. Remember, we will not get infected just by hugging, kissing, shaking hands, and sharing eating utensils with PLWHAs.
Misconceptions about PLWHA stigma are also evident in the workplace. Many companies set HIV-free job requirements and terminate employees with HIV/AIDS due to the myth that PLWHAs are weak and frequently sick, thus affecting productivity.
The reality is that by undergoing ARV therapy, PLWHAs can lead productive lives and contribute just like others. ARVs are proven to suppress the amount of HIV virus in the body and restore the immune system.
Is it illegal to fire PLWHAs because of their HIV+ status?
Yes. Tragically, many PLWHAs still face termination due to their HIV/AIDS status. In fact, this violates human rights and the law:
Article 5 paragraph (1) Kep. 68/MEN/IV/2004: “Employers or managers are prohibited from conducting HIV tests to be used as a prerequisite for the recruitment process or continuation of employee status or routine health examination obligations.”
International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights Article 2 paragraph (2) and (3) – ratified through Law No. 11 of 2005: Prohibits all forms of discrimination in accessing and maintaining employment.
How should companies protect PLWHAs?
In fact, employers should have HIV/AIDS handling policies. According to Kep. 20/DJPPK/VI/2005 on the Prevention and Control of HIV/AIDS in the Workplace, the employer's policy includes:
HIV/AIDS education programs for employees
Not requiring HIV/AIDS testing as a condition for accepting employees, promotions, and continuation of employment status
Not discriminating against employees with HIV/AIDS in terms of job opportunities, promotion rights, training opportunities, or other special treatments
Allowing employees with HIV/AIDS to continue working as long as they medically meet the applicable work standards
Keeping all medical information, health records, or other related information confidential
Employees with HIV/AIDS are not required to disclose their HIV/AIDS status to the company unless they choose to do so.
Thus, a sense of security in the workplace will be felt by all workers in Indonesia. In the context of HIV issues, that sense of security can take the form of a work environment that is friendly and free from stigma and discrimination. The positive impact on economic development will also be felt by the Indonesian government due to high workforce participation.
Let’s celebrate World AIDS Day by supporting the elimination of stigma against PLWHAs in the workplace!
References:
Indonesia. UNAIDS. (2021). Accessed on December 3, 2021, from https://www.unaids.org/en/regionscountries/countries/indonesia.
HIV Infodatin. Center for Data and Information of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia. (2020). Accessed on December 3, 2021, from https://pusdatin.kemkes.go.id/resources/download/pusdatin/infodatin/infodatin-2020-HIV.pdf.
Minister of Manpower and Transmigration of the Republic of Indonesia Decree Number KEP. 68/MEN/IV/2004 on the Prevention and Control of HIV/AIDS in the Workplace. ILO. (2005). Accessed on December 3, 2021, from https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/—asia/—ro-bangkok/—ilo-jakarta/documents/publication/wcms_123956.pdf.
Minister of Manpower and Transmigration of the Republic of Indonesia. UNAIDS. (2004). Accessed on December 3, 2021, from https://data.unaids.org/topics/partnership-menus/indonesia_hiv-workplace_id.pdf.
Towards Indonesia Free of AIDS 2030. Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Cultural Affairs. (2020). Accessed on December 3, 2021, from https://www.kemenkopmk.go.id/menuju-indonesia-bebas-aids-2030.
Permata, A. (2018). What is Needed is #LovePLWHA, Not Stigma. LBH Community. Accessed on December 3, 2021, from https://lbhmasyarakat.org/yang-dibutuhkan-itu-sayangodha-bukan-stigma/.
HIV/AIDS Programs in the Workplace. ILO. (2020). Accessed on December 3, 2021, from https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/—asia/—ro-bangkok/—ilo-jakarta/documents/projectdocumentation/wcms_746744.pdf.
Tristanto, A. (2020). Stigma Towards People Living with HIV and AIDS (PLWHA). Center for Social Counseling. Accessed on December 3, 2021, from https://puspensos.kemensos.go.id/stigma-terhadap-orang-dengan-hiv-dan-aids-odha.
UNAIDS data 2021. UNAIDS. (2021). Accessed on December 3, 2021, from https://www.unaids.org/en/resources/documents/2021/2021_unaids_data.
Author: Sasmithaningtyas Prihasti
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Article
3
min read
Violence Against Journalists: Ranging from Sexual to GBV
The recent case of sexual harassment against a KPI member has opened our eyes that harassment also occurs in the media world, including cases of violence against journalists. The world of journalism, especially investigative journalism and hard news, is a masculine domain that is associated with violence, including sexual violence.
Violence Against Journalists in Numbers
The Independent Journalists Alliance (AJI) conducted research at the end of 2020 to examine the sexual violence experienced by journalists. From a questionnaire filled out by 34 respondents – 31 women and three men – it was revealed that 85% (25 people) of them had experienced sexual violence, with one person possibly experiencing more than one type of sexual violence.
This finding is not much different from the research conducted by the International Center of Journalists and UNESCO. Their research on 714 female journalists in 113 countries at the end of 2020 showed that nearly 75% of female journalists had experienced online violence, including sexual harassment.
This online violence, which occurs on social media, can even lead to murder.
What are the cyber threats faced by female journalists?
There are three types of cyber threats experienced by female journalists, namely
Harassment and misogynistic violence
Dirty campaigns or misinformation that exploit misogynistic narratives
Privacy and digital security attacks that increase physical risks associated with cyber violence
All three lead to the same goal; to damage the reputation of female journalists by undermining their credibility and humiliating them, as well as reducing critical journalism.
How is the misogynistic violence experienced by female journalists?
The misogynistic violence experienced by female journalists includes threats of sexual violence, rape, and murder, including threats to their daughters, sisters, or mothers. Other types involve derogatory words and insults regarding their appearance and profession to undermine their self-confidence.
Directly (offline), misogynistic violence was experienced by CTV Canada reporter Krista Sharpe while filming in Kitchener, Ontario. A man in a passing car shouted at her with offensive words.
What forms of dirty campaigns target female journalists?
Female journalists are also often targeted by digital misinformation campaigns, such as accusations of professional misconduct, spreading insults about their character to damage their reputation, and hate-filled representations such as disseminating fake porn videos, memes that mock, or manipulated images.
Journalists conducting investigations often face threats to their privacy through malware, hacking of social media accounts, dissemination of personal information (doxing), and impersonation to obtain personal information (spoofing).
This reduction in privacy increases the physical threat to them due to the exposure of their identities, such as home addresses, office addresses, and movement patterns.
Maria Ressa: A Survivor of Violence Against Journalists
Some forms of cyber violence have been experienced by Maria Ressa, CEO of Rappler, who received the Nobel Peace Prize last October. As a prominent journalist unafraid to voice criticism in the political field, Maria is not exempt from unpleasant actions from those who disagree with her.
She is often the target of threats of rape and murder communicated online, as well as being the subject of hashtag campaigns aimed at discrediting her and Rappler. Last year, Maria was even convicted on charges of cyber libel against the government of President Rodrigo Duterte.
What impact does violence against journalists have on the world of journalism?
The various types of violence against female journalists have negative personal and systemic impacts on the field of journalism. Personally, female journalists become afraid to report from the front lines.
For safety, they are forced to choose to avoid online discussions about certain issues, even leaving their profession as journalists.
Without actions to stop the violence against female journalists, the number of female journalists will decrease, while those who remain will lose their confidence to discuss critical issues online.
With a decrease in female journalists, the journalistic ecosystem becomes gender-insensitive, increasingly masculine, and unwelcoming to women.
Author: Sari Idayatni
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