Several things confused me when I first started work here, one of which was that nobody asked for my bank account. Naturally this worried me a bit. I wasn’t given a written work contract, and nobody asked for my bank account. Crikey. I approached the end of my first month with some trepidation.
Apparently I didn’t need to worry. My salary comes in cash. In an envelope. Received from the accountant, who retrieves it from a big iron safe-deposit from behind his desk in his dodgy office on the second floor. Every month.
Apparently that’s not the only thing I’m receiving. On my way out from a meeting at another department, the receptionist in front of the meeting room beckoned for me to approach the desk, indicated a spot where I was to put my signature, and then proceeded to shove me a white envelope. On a different occasion, after completing a power point presentation where my sole task (and please note extremely important task) was to press the next-slide button on the laptop, I was again shoved a paper to sign and a white envelope.
You may call it a pleasant surprise, or “rejeki nomplok”. But it is all still rather confusing. The very first thing of course was to clarify whether this was legal, and after asking around made myself content with the fact that it is “normal”. Besides, obviously it wasn’t under the desk, as in it was literally handed over the desk. I am sure that out there somewhere, lies a decree which renews a previous decree which re-confirms a previous decree (as is the nature of Indonesian law) that says this is legal. *fingers-crossed*
But the next question is, why should I be given “extras” for the conduct of my professional work, which my (meager) salary supposedly already covers? It’s quite silly and unnecessary. An even more irritating question in my head though, is why the #$%* doesn’t anyone up there know and take into consideration the amazing invention called the bank account? Say hello to computerized, fast, efficient, and uh… transparent?
Carrying around white envelopes, no matter how legal and deserved, make me feel like the mafia.
3 comments:
wow, REALLY?
i didn't know they are so ancient about this. man, this really threw my spirit of going paperless! hahahahahkahak!
oh well, i guess i would want to try carrying white envelopes with cash in them. just want to experience how it's like to be a mob's wife.
Happy Eid, dear! take care of those THR and don't empty those envelopes for the holiday :D
Ah...did "normal" answer "legal"?
Getting your salary in an envelope...it is always nice to see some things never change! When I worked for the Department of Labor RI way back when I was paid in an envelope too! But it was brown and not white. This was pre-krismon and it did not have much in it anyway!
Envelopes are normal, agreed! Legal and perhaps ethical is a different matter entirely. It is standard practice that whenever you do something like present a seminar (even if you just get to press the buttons and play with the cool technology) you get an envelope...my beef is that if it is work related then it is part of your job and technically should be covered by your salary, right? If it is not work related then it is income from a second job and can be received and if you want to be legal about it, declared.
But from a practical stand point how do you pay tax on the white envelopes? Is it declared income? or is it like a bonus or allowance?
I have always wondered about the practice, particularly from a conflict of interest point of view. As somebody working in the publishing and journalism field the offer of any colored envelope is problematic...my advice would be it is better to be safe than sorry, check that it is legal as well as normal!
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