Term of Project：1 January 2025–31 May 2025
Amount：NT.1,600,000
Content of Project
The Registers are intended to chart progress towards the ethical recruitment of migrant workers everywhere. When IHRB began working on this important issue in 2016 only a handful of companies had policies that aligned with the Employer Pays Principle. As at Oct 2024 IHRB has surveyed 1500 companies and over 400 companies with such a policy and featured on the Register. IHRB is aware however that compliance is far from 100%. One aim of the Registers is to add greater public transparency and accountability for companies’ policies. The design of the Register means users will scroll past the entries for other companies. IHRB believe the example of peer and competitor companies being featured encourages more businesses to commit to better practice.
The Register is also used as an advocacy tool in IHRB interactions with suppliers and recruitment agencies demonstrating a growing market demand for responsible recruitment. They also use it as a tool for Government Engagement. Governments can do much to support the establishment of safe and ethical migration pathways and the Register shows a clear demand from business for Governments to ensure clear legislation that is consistently and transparently enforced.
Methods
IHRB will continue to build the existing two registers, surveying company and association policies and undertaking advocacy to see new policies developed and existing ones improved. This is mostly desk research. IHRB will also undertake an advocacy campaign with all the companies we have surveyed explaining the Register and their inclusion or otherwise. In particular they will seek to expand the range of sectors featured to better include those that are currently underrepresented such as shipping and logistics.
IHRB will also develop a third Register that lists Recruitment Agencies prepared to operate to an Employer Pays model. These agencies would take their fee from the end user company and not charge the workers. The Recruitment Agency Register is the vital link between companies who claim that they are unable to find ethical recruitment agencies and ethical agencies who claim they are unable to find a customer base. It is eagerly anticipated by both sets of business actors.
Expected Outcomes
Short Term Outcomes
1. Greater awareness of migrant worker vulnerability through the recruitment process.
2. Example of frontrunner best practices inspires adoption of the Employer Pays model by more businesses, associations and recruitment agencies.
3. Strengthened company policies matched by increased efforts to deliver best practice.
Long Term Outcomes
1. Establishment of safe, ethical labour migration pathways benefitting recruiters, employers and migrant workers.
2. Greater transparency and accountability.
3. Government policies and enforcement activity are strengthened to protect both the rights of migrant workers but law abiding business working to international standards.
4. Incidence of forced labour / trafficking reduced.