DIALECTIC OF THE RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS OF FREELANCE AND REMOTE WORKERS IN THE DIGITAL ERA: A QUALITATIVE STUDY BASED ON INDONESIAN LABOR REGULATIONS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.58174/ijqmr.v1i6.108Keywords:
Freelance Workers; Remote Working; Right to Disconnect; Platform EconomyAbstract
Rapid advances in digital technology and information systems have fundamentally transformed the global employment landscape, creating alternative work forms such as freelance work (gig economy) and remote working that challenge conventional labor regulation frameworks. This qualitative research explores the dialectics of rights and obligations of freelance and remote workers in the digital era through in-depth analysis of 20 reputable literature sources using qualitative juridical-normative approach and historical-comparative analysis. Research findings identify that the statutory definition of employment relationships in Law Number 13 of 2003 relying on triadic criteria (work, direction, wages) fails to accommodate decentralized autonomy in platform and digital freelance economy. Freelance workers are systematically misclassified as independent contractors, effectively excluded from mandatory labor protections including minimum wages, overtime compensation, paid leave, and social insurance. Conversely, remote workers despite formal employee status, face significant practical challenges regarding digital occupational health and safety, unlimited work intensification, and elimination of work-private life boundaries. Through compensation management analysis, research finds that digital workers bear 25-40% of gross income for independent operational costs (internet, devices, electricity) and social security risks, creating substantial distributive injustice. Qualitative data analysis reveals that 82% of freelancers experience delayed or unpaid payments, and 74% of remote overtime goes unrecorded and unpaid. Research recommends institutionalization of additional worker category (worker-plus) with limited protection rights, codification of right to disconnect in working hour regulations, standardization of digital infrastructure allowances for remote workers, and development of portable social insurance systems independent of formal employment status.
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