New Responsible Recruitment Gateway to Help Companies Move Toward Ethical Recruitment

Today, more than 200 million migrants have left their homes to seek better economic opportunity, crossing borders to work in growing industries like electronics and construction, with the hope of sending their earnings back to their families.

Unfortunately, even before they leave, many of these migrant workers become trapped in a system of debt bondage. They come to owe thousands of dollars to the labor recruiters and brokers who helped them find their jobs, as well as to the informal lenders who charge them exorbitant interest rates to cover these costs. These unethical practices trap workers in circumstances equivalent to forced labor or modern day slavery.

To bring attention to this issue and inspire corporations to commit to the “Employer Pays Principle,” the Institute for Human Rights and Business has launched the Responsible Recruitment Gateway at employerpays.org. This web site offers information and resources about labor recruitment in supply chains and highlights the work of the Leadership Group for Responsible Recruitment, a collaboration between corporations and expert NGOs aiming to eradicate worker-paid recruitment fees in the next ten years.

Humanity United is proud to support the work of the Leadership Group for Responsible Recruitment and the launch of this new online resource that will help corporations and partner organizations work toward a world where no worker must pay a fee to obtain a job.