Employee Competency and Certification in the Halal Industry: A New Legal Obligation for Employers under Indonesia's Employment Law and Halal Product Assurance System

Abstract

The implementation of Indonesia's Halal Product Assurance System (HPAS) has expanded halal certification beyond product compliance to include workforce competency and organizational governance. However, although the Halal Product Assurance Law requires business actors to appoint a Halal Supervisor, it does not explicitly regulate employers' obligation to provide halal competency training. This study examines the relationship between employers' training obligations under Indonesian employment law and the implementation of the Halal Product Assurance System. Using a normative juridical method with statutory, conceptual, and comparative approaches, the study analyses Law Number 13 of 2003 concerning Employment as amended by Law Number 6 of 2023, Law Number 33 of 2014 concerning Halal Product Assurance, Government Regulation Number 42 of 2024, and relevant regulations on halal supervision and professional certification. The findings reveal that, although halal legislation does not expressly mandate halal training for all employees, a systematic and teleological interpretation of employment and halal laws establishes an implied legal obligation for employers to ensure that workers engaged in halal-critical activities possess adequate competencies. Such competencies should be developed through structured training and professional certification, particularly for Halal Supervisors and Halal Slaughterers. This study further proposes an integrated collaborative model involving Vocational Training Centers (LPK), Halal Inspection Bodies (LPH), Local Manpower Offices (Disnaker), the National Professional Certification Board (BNSP), and the Halal Product Assurance Agency (BPJPH) to strengthen Indonesia's halal workforce development system. The proposed model contributes to the harmonization of employment law and halal governance while supporting sustainable development and global competitiveness of Indonesia's halal industry.