Examining the PPRT Bill: Key Points, Workers' Rights, and Employers' Obligations

Examining the RUU Perlindungan Pekerja Rumah Tangga (PPRT) – the bill on protection for domestic workers – has entered the final phase in the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR). After more than two decades on the Prolegnas list, the measure is targeted to become law in 2026. The step is intended to provide a legal umbrella for around 4.2 million domestic workers in Indonesia while delivering certainty for employers.

To date, the employment relationship between domestic workers and their employers has often been treated as a family-like arrangement with no formal rules. This has left many domestic workers vulnerable to discrimination and violence, while employers have lacked guarantees on work quality or protection in the event of disputes. The PPRT Bill aims to formalise this relationship without eroding the spirit of gotong royong (mutual cooperation).

In discussions in the Legislature’s Legislative Body (Baleg) in March 2026, key points were agreed to strengthen the draft regulation. The bill is not solely about safeguarding the interests of domestic workers; employers would also receive legal protections, among other provisions.

The enactment of the PPRT Bill in 2026 is seen as a potential milestone in Indonesia’s labour landscape. Clear rules are expected to foster a more professional, humane, and mutually beneficial domestic working environment for both domestic workers and employers.

Deputy Speaker of the MPR (People’s Consultative Assembly), Lestari Moerdijat, has urged the DPR to move swiftly to enact the PPRT Bill. The DPR has indicated that it could complete work on the PPRT Bill within the year, as stated by Baleg leadership Bob Hasan. Provisions emphasise the need for prompt enactment, given that domestic workers form a major segment of Indonesia’s migrant labour force. Kowani, a domestic workers’ association, has called on the state to actively ensure the rights, safety and welfare of domestic workers as equal citizens under the law.

The Baleg DPR, in concert with the Ministry of Law and Human Rights (Kemenkumham) and the PPUU Commission of the DPD RI, has set Prolegnas Priority 2025–2026 with a total of 67 Bills.