PPRT Law Passed, Bekasi Residents Prefer Recruiting Domestic Workers from Relatives for Trust

BEKASI, KOMPAS.com – Several users of domestic assistant (ART) services in Bekasi, West Java, admit to preferring to recruit workers directly or through recommendations from relatives rather than using services from ART provider companies. The main reason behind this choice is the factor of trust as well as the ease of getting to know the worker’s background directly. One of them, expressed by Kurnia Dwi Hapsari (37), a resident of West Bekasi, who chose to recruit an ART without going through a foundation. According to her, this approach makes the adaptation process easier because the ART comes from an already familiar environment. Kurnia emphasised that from the start, she always communicates openly about the type of work, the number of family members, and working hours. “I need childcare and help with housework. Work from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. If outside working hours, there will be extra money. The most important thing is honesty,” she said. She mentioned that wage agreements become the main thing discussed from the beginning, as well as the basis for performance evaluation. “Wage issues are discussed at the beginning, whether they agree or not with the offered amount. Then I review it every year; if it’s good, there’s a salary increase,” she stated. For holiday allowances (THR), Kurnia admits to routinely giving one times the salary, and sometimes even receiving additions from other family members in the house. “Certainly, ART is always paid on time, even if the employer hasn’t been paid yet, it’s endeavoured,” she said. “If it’s urgent like that, of course I allow it. But usually my ART never asks for sudden leave. Everything is communicated,” she added. She admits to treating ART as part of the family, including in terms of work environment and rest time. “Sometimes if my child is sleeping, the ART sleeps too, and that’s fine,” she said.