Certainty of the Legal Status of Gig Workers from the Perspective of Indonesian Law

Abstract

The digital economic transformation has created a new form of employment known as the gig economy, in which digital freelancers (gig workers), operate outside the conventional employment scheme. The legal uncertainty surrounding gig workers raises crucial issues regarding their legal protection under the Indonesian legal system. This doctrinal study focuses on analyzing the legal status of gig workers from the perspective of Indonesian law in order to identify appropriate protections for gig workers. The results of the study show that the legal status of gig workers in the perspective of Indonesian law does not fall under the employment relationship regulated in labor law but rather a civil law relationship based on Article 1601 of the Civil Code. Thus, the appropriate legal protection for gig workers under civil law lies in the contractual arrangements contained in Article 1338 of the Civil Code as the main basis for ensuring legal certainty for gig workers. However, this approach is not sufficient to address the complexity of asymmetrical digital work relationships and minimal social protection. This study recommends the importance of formulating new hybrid legal norms that can fill regulatory gaps and provide certainty and fair legal protection for gig workers amid the flexibility of the digital economy.

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How to Cite

“Certainty of the Legal Status of Gig Workers from the Perspective of Indonesian Law” (2025) Indonesia Forum on Labour and Productivity, 1. Available at: https://iflp.kemnaker.go.id/index.php/naker/article/view/106 (Accessed: 29 October 2026).