Human Trafficking in The Workplace

Although Christmas is the culturally dominant holiday this time of year, it is not the only holiday. We live in a multi cultural society filled with many different celebrations in the month of December. Many families are celebrating Hannukah, Kwanzaa and many other religious holidays from different faiths.

Today, December 2nd is International Day for the Abolition of Slavery. The International Day for the Abolition of Slavery marks the date of the adoption, by the General Assembly of the United Nations Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and of the Exploitation of the Prostitutions of Others. The focus of this day is on eradicating contemporary forms of slavery, such as human trafficking, child labor, forced marriage, and the forced recruitment of children for use in armed conflict.

Many Americans believe that slavery was in the past. Past slavery depicted involvement of ownership and forced labor of African Americans. However slavery still exists today, just in different forms.

Human trafficking is a billion dollar business. Businesses and their bottom lines are impacted and harmed by human traffickers. Businesses and workplaces should pay attention to possible signs of human trafficking and learn how to respond effectively if you suspect a labor or human trafficking situation.

Businesses that do this are safer and limit risks while demonstrating corporate responsibility. Employees, managers and others in the workplace can be the eyes and ears of the community when it comes to both supporting people who are trafficked and helping the justice system hold traffickers accountable. A business assumes safety, reputation, financial and legal risk if trafficking is ignored. It is in every businesses best interest to take in active role in recognizing and responding to both sex and labor trafficking. Being informed and prepared creates a safer environment with higher employee morale and retention, shows you care for the community as a good corporate citizen, and encourages people to do business with you. Additionally being prepared and educated about human trafficking can help protect your business against liability.

The U.S Equal Employment Opportunity Commission states “Anti-discrimination laws enforced by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), particularly those prohibiting discrimination on the bases of race, national origin, sex, including sexual harassment, and disability, are an integral part of the fight against human trafficking. When force, fraud, or coercion are used to compel labor or exploit workers, traffickers and employers may be violating not only criminal laws but also the anti-discrimination laws enforced by the EEOC. Whether or not a criminal trafficking prosecution is pursued in a particular case, civil enforcement and litigation of anti-discrimination laws can be important to vindicating federally protected rights and obtaining remedies for victims”.

Trafficking cases can often involve discrimination on the basis of race and/or ethnicity, sexual exploitation, and disability discrimination.

At The Self Care Network LLC we provide a full range of Human Resource & Employment Labor Law consulting services for businesses, designed to improve productivity, acquire and retain talent, reduce administrative burden, and minimize risk.

Our Human Resource Consulting services include:

1. Employment discrimination

2. Sexual Harassment

3. Hiring Practices

4. Workplace violence

5. Updating employee handbooks and workplace policies

6. Negligent Training

7. Workplace Accommodations

8. Wage and Hourly Regulations

9. Benefits Eligibility

10. Responding to complaints

11. Responding to investigations

12. Interim HR support

13. Talent acquisition tools and resources

14. HR compliance and audits

15. Benefits management and administration

16. Talent management and organizational development

17. Risk management & Regulatory Compliance