Youth Rights @ Work Campaign

Protection at Work for Young Workers

This article is one of six articles about youth rights at work as part of the ILO's efforts and campaign in promoting decent work for all, including youth. The article is part of the ILO's Youth Rights @ Work Campaign.

Article | Jakarta, Indonesia | 12 January 2018

If you are a young worker who has no health insurance coverage if you are sick, you may be among the 80 percent of the world's population who do not have adequate social security. Before demanding your right to social security, let's we first understand what social security actually is?

Social security is a form of social protection that the state must provide to meet the basic living needs of every citizen. Social security is the right of every citizen to be governed by law.

Many young people or young workers still ignore the importance of social security in their lives. In fact, this security is very important to ensure the welfare of our lives and families in times of need health care, have employment injury, no longer are able to work because of age, and so forth. If you do not have social security, make sure you take care of it right away so that your life will not be overshadowed by uncertainty.

This social security is given by state in the form of various benefits such as:

  1. Health benefits that include medical care, doctor's consultation, and hospital fees
  2. Sickness benefits in which the employer is obliged to pay the salary of the sick worker
  3. Maternity benefits for mothers who give birth
  4. Unemployment benefits provided for people who no longer work not because of their own mistakes (but unavailable in Indonesia)
  5. Employment injury benefits
  6. Invalidity benefits for workers who are incapacitated and unable to work or disability workers, and
  7. Old-age or retirement benefits
Many young people or young workers still ignore the importance of social security in their lives. In fact, this security is very important to ensure the welfare of our lives and families in times of need health care, have employment injury, no longer are able to work because of age, and so forth. For this security, you must set aside a small part of your monthly salary. Usually, employers will deduct a portion of the worker's salary to pay these social security contributions. Check your salary slip on how much salary cut for your social security.

Each country has a different social security scheme. In Indonesia, it is known as the National Social Security System regulated in Law no. 40/2004. This government obligation is organized by Health Social Security Administrator (BPJS Kesehatan) which focuses on health insurance, and Employment Social Security Administrator (BPJS Ketenagakerjaan) which focuses on employment injury insurance, pension, and death allowance.

So, what's the difference between social security and insurance? Social security is very different from insurance. Social security is a civil rights fulfillment program implemented by the government and regulated by law. While insurance is an individual protection program run by private companies or state-owned enterprises (SOEs).


Some of the differences that distinguish social security and insurance are:

  1. Social security contributions are more affordable and its amount determines the social security class to be earned. Meanwhile, insurance contributions vary widely. The greater the contribution, the wider the coverage.
  2. All citizens are required to have social security. Meanwhile, insurance is not required and anyone can register themselves to have insurance.
  3. Protection provided by social security has no limits as long as it is in line with the established rules. Meanwhile, insurance coverage is very limited because it depends on the type of insurance taken.
Now we know that as citizens, we are entitled to have social security. We also know that the government is obliged to provide social security for all citizens.

If you do not have social security, make sure you take care of it right away so that your life will not be overshadowed by uncertainty.

Let’s be aware of our rights at work!