Pergeseran Loyalitas Karyawan Menuju Gig Economy: Analisis Motivasi Karyawan Tetap Beralih Menjadi Pekerja Lepas (Freelancer) pada Pekerja Retail di Kota Tasikmalaya

Riki Nugraha (Universitas Mayasari Bakti)
Reza Faizal Anshori (Universitas Mayasari Bakti)

Jurnal Ragam Pengabdian
Vol. 3 No. 3 (2026): September-Desember In Progress

The shift from permanent employment to freelancing within the gig economy reflects a redefinition of work loyalty. This study explores the experiences and subjective meanings of retail employees transitioning to freelance work, alongside their underlying motivations. It proposes the concept of loyalty reorientation, expanding turnover studies from an employee exit view to a career transition perspective. Using a descriptive qualitative approach with Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), data were gathered via in depth interviews with 30 current and former permanent retail employees in Tasikmalaya City who transitioned into freelancing. Findings reveal that declining conventional loyalty stemmed from push factors like micromanagement, rigid working hours, and corporate burnout. Conversely, key pull factors included achieving schedule autonomy, income diversification, and work-life integration. These findings contribute to future of work academia and assist retail leaders in developing retention strategies tailored to autonomy, flexibility, and modern career development.