Commitment to Ethical and Lawful Employment

Universitas Islam Sultan Agung (UNISSULA) is committed to maintaining employment practices that are humane, fair, safe, and consistent with applicable laws and regulations.

In 2025, UNISSULA formalized this commitment through Circular No. 8396/J/SA/IX/2025, dated 4 September 2025. The circular establishes a university-wide policy prohibiting forced labour, modern slavery, human trafficking, and child labour in university employment and operational activities.

Prohibition of Forced Labour, Modern Slavery, Human Trafficking, and Child Labour

UNISSULA explicitly prohibits all forms of:

• Forced labour;
• Modern slavery;
• Human trafficking; and
• Child labour.

The prohibition applies throughout university employment and operational activities.

This policy establishes a clear institutional commitment that exploitative labour practices are not permitted within UNISSULA.

Employment Based on Free and Lawful Consent

UNISSULA requires all employment relationships to be based on lawful and voluntary consent.

The 2025 circular states that employment relationships must be free from:

• Coercion;
• Threats;
• Exploitation;
• Retention of personal documents; and
• Other practices that restrict workers’ freedom.

This provision reinforces the university’s commitment to ensuring that work is undertaken voluntarily and that employees retain their personal freedom throughout the employment relationship.

Prevention of Forced Labour

The policy directly addresses the risk of forced labour by requiring employment to be based on valid consent and by prohibiting coercive practices.

Workers must not be compelled to work through threats, exploitation, restrictions on personal freedom, or retention of personal documents.

This supports a working environment in which employment is based on agreement rather than compulsion.

Commitment Against Modern Slavery

UNISSULA explicitly identifies modern slavery as a prohibited practice.

By prohibiting modern slavery together with coercion, exploitation, document retention, and other restrictions on worker freedom, the university establishes a clear institutional position against exploitative employment practices.

Commitment Against Human Trafficking

The university also explicitly prohibits human trafficking within its employment and operational activities.

This prohibition forms part of UNISSULA’s broader commitment to protecting human dignity and ensuring that labour relationships are lawful, voluntary, and free from exploitation.

Prevention of Child Labour

UNISSULA explicitly commits not to employ children below the minimum working age established by applicable laws and regulations.

The policy therefore establishes a direct institutional safeguard against child labour.

Rather than setting a separate institutional age threshold, UNISSULA requires compliance with the legally applicable minimum working age.

Application to Third Parties

The 2025 policy extends beyond direct employment by UNISSULA.

The circular requires both:

• University work units; and
• Third parties working for or on behalf of the university

to comply with the same requirements.

This provision strengthens the policy because the prohibition is not limited only to employees directly appointed by UNISSULA.

Institution-Wide Responsibility

The circular requires all leaders and work units within UNISSULA to implement and maintain the policy.

The document is formally addressed to leaders across faculties, RSIGM, bureaus, institutions, UPTs, units, and administrative offices.

This gives the policy university-wide institutional coverage.

Supporting Employment Regulations

The university’s policy is reinforced by the broader 2025 YBW-SA Employment Regulations.

Those regulations formally define UNISSULA as a higher education unit under YBW-SA and establish employee categories covering educational, administrative, medical, and health-related staff.

They also establish formal employment relationships through permanent and fixed-term employment agreements.

Formal Employment Agreements

Under the 2025 YBW-SA Employment Regulations, prospective employees who pass the recruitment process are required to sign an employment agreement and an integrity pact before being accepted as employees.

The regulations also govern fixed-term employment arrangements and provide compensation rights in accordance with applicable legislation.

These provisions support transparent and documented employment relationships.

Protection Against Abusive Employment Practices

The YBW-SA Employment Regulations also provide safeguards where employees experience abusive or unlawful treatment.

The regulations recognize circumstances in which employees may seek termination of employment where the employer:

• Abuses, insults, or threatens an employee;
• Persuades or orders an employee to commit an unlawful act;
• Orders work outside what was agreed in the employment arrangement; or
• Assigns dangerous work that was not included in the employment agreement.

These provisions support the principle that employment must remain lawful, agreed, and free from abusive practices.

Employee Rights

The 2025 employment regulations provide employees with formal rights, including:

• Salary;
• Allowances;
• Overtime pay;
• Meal facilities;
• Uniforms according to employment status;
• Promotion;
• Leave;
• Social security; and
• Other rights provided under applicable laws and regulations.

This broader employment framework supports fair and lawful working conditions.

Compliance with Employment Law

The YBW-SA Employment Regulations refer to Indonesian employment legislation, including national employment law, the Job Creation framework, and regulations concerning fixed-term employment, outsourcing, working time, rest periods, and termination of employment.

The 2025 employment regulation itself came into effect in June 2025.

This provides an additional legal and institutional foundation for UNISSULA’s employment practices.

Institutional Framework

UNISSULA’s approach can be summarized as follows:

Formal prohibition
→ forced labour, modern slavery, human trafficking, and child labour are prohibited.

Voluntary employment
→ employment must be based on lawful consent and be free from coercion, threats, exploitation, retention of personal documents, or restrictions on worker freedom.

Child protection
→ children below the legally established minimum working age are not employed.

Third-party responsibility
→ university units and third parties working for or on behalf of UNISSULA must comply with the same policy.

Formal employment arrangements
→ employees are appointed through documented employment agreements.

Employee protection
→ employment regulations protect workers from abusive and unlawful employment practices.

Institution-wide implementation
→ all university leaders and work units are responsible for applying the policy.

Contribution to Decent Work

Through these measures, UNISSULA promotes decent and ethical employment by supporting:

• Voluntary employment relationships;
• Freedom from coercion;
• Freedom from exploitation;
• Prohibition of forced labour;
• Prohibition of modern slavery;
• Prohibition of human trafficking;
• Prevention of child labour;
• Formal employment agreements;
• Protection of employee rights; and
• Responsible employment practices involving third parties.