Establishing Ethical Recruitment Practices in the Hospitality Industry

This document provides practical guidance for the hospitality industry on how to ethically recruit international migrant workers within business enterprise operations and supply chains. It has been developed by IOM in partnership with the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance.

This guidance aligns with ethical recruitment principles from IOM’s IRIS Ethical Recruitment initiative and the IRIS Standard, which is a global, multi-stakeholder standard that defines and establishes an operational benchmark for ethical recruitment. It is also closely aligned with the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance’s Principles on Forced Labour: (a) every worker should have freedom of movement; (b) no worker should pay for a job; and (c) no worker should be indebted or forced to work.

This guidance is global in nature and designed primarily for hotels. It is applicable to both multinational enterprises and small- and medium-sized enterprises. It can also serve as a resource for other tourism-related industries, as the principles of ethical recruitment are universal.

Guidance Notes and Tools

Guidance Note A: Establishing Ethical Recruitment Practices in the Hospitality Industry
Guidance Note B: Building the knowledge and capacity of hotels to implement ethical recruitment
Guidance Note C: Working with civil society and including migrant worker voice
Tool 1: Working with labour recruiters and employment agencies
Tool 2: Interviewing migrant workers about their recruitment and employment experiences
Tool 3: Incorporating ethical recruitment into procurement practices
Tool 4: Access to remedy and business grievance mechanisms
Tool 5: Frequently asked questions about migrant workers and recruitment

IRIS Handbook for Governments on Ethical Recruitment and Migrant Worker Protection: Chapter 4 – Advancing inter-State cooperation

This resource is the fourth chapter of the IRIS Handbook for Governments on Ethical Recruitment and Migrant Worker Protection. With direct relevance to inter-State labour migration governance mechanisms and processes, it provides governments with practical guidance on how to integrate, mainstream and prioritize ethical recruitment in these cooperative activities.

The chapter covers a broad range of relevant topics including: the value and benefits of inter-State cooperation in international labour recruitment governance; the landscape of relevant labour migration mechanisms and processes (including labour migration agreements and inter-State consultation mechanisms); and specific guidance and examples of how to advance and prioritize ethical recruitment in these endeavours. Guidance is intended for government officials in their capacities as negotiators, regulators, inspectors, labour attachés and consular officials at different levels of administration (national, subnational) and across relevant portfolios (labour and employment, migration, foreign affairs, etc.).

The IRIS Handbook is IOM’s flagship global guidance tool for governments on ethical recruitment and migrant worker protection. It builds directly on the Montreal Recommendations on Recruitment: A Road Map towards Better Regulation with more detailed measures for consideration, and profiles relevant concrete actions that governments around the world have taken.

IRIS Handbook for Governments on Ethical Recruitment and Migrant Worker Protection: Chapter 3 – Strengthening the effectiveness of inspectorates

This resource is the third chapter of the IRIS Handbook for Governments on Ethical Recruitment and Migrant Worker Protection. It provides governments with practical guidance on how to strengthen the effectiveness of inspectorates to ensure that migrant workers are empowered and protected during the inspection process.

The chapter covers a broad range of relevant topics including setting up an effective inspectorate in law and practice (legal framework, monitoring and enforcement strategy, resources, process and decision-making, collaborative approaches) and migrant-sensitive inspection approaches and methods (facilitative conditions for migrant workers, inspection modalities, interview techniques). Guidance is intended for government officials in their capacities as inspectors at various levels of administration (national, subnational) and across relevant portfolios (labour, migration, consumer protection, etc.). It can be applied in countries of origin, transit and destination.

The IRIS Handbook is IOM’s flagship global guidance tool for governments on ethical recruitment and migrant worker protection. It builds directly on the Montreal Recommendations on Recruitment: A Road Map towards Better Regulation with more detailed measures for consideration, and profiles relevant concrete actions that governments around the world have taken.

IRIS Handbook for Governments on Ethical Recruitment and Migrant Worker Protection: Chapter 2 – Implementing and improving licensing frameworks

This resource is the second chapter of the IRIS Handbook for Governments on Ethical Recruitment and Migrant Worker Protection. It provides governments with practical guidance on how to implement and improve the administration of private international labour recruiter frameworks, with an emphasis on ensuring recruiters are competent in and accountable to ethical recruitment principles.

The chapter covers a broad range of relevant topics including: knowledge of ethical recruitment standards (information and educational options); licence application and assessment (screening process, eligibility and requirements); licence features and conditions; and accountability measures (oversight and transparency).  Guidance is intended for government officials in their capacities as regulators and inspectorates of private labour recruiters at various levels of administration (national, subnational) and across relevant portfolios (labour, immigration, consumer protection, etc.). It can be applied in countries of origin, transit and destination.

The IRIS Handbook is IOM’s flagship global guidance tool for governments on ethical recruitment and migrant worker protection. It builds directly on the Montreal Recommendations on Recruitment: A Road Map towards Better Regulation with more detailed measures for consideration, and profiles relevant concrete actions that governments around the world have taken.

IRIS Handbook for Governments on Ethical Recruitment and Migrant Worker Protection: Chapter 1 - Adopting a rights-based regulatory approach to international labour recruitment

This resource is the first chapter of the IRIS Handbook for Governments on Ethical Recruitment and Migrant Worker Protection. It provides governments with practical guidance on how to adopt and strengthen a rights-based framework to regulate private international labour recruiters and uphold migrant worker protection. The chapter covers a comprehensive range of themes including: regulatory measures (key definitions and terms, legal status of labour recruiters, ethical rules of conduct); enforcement and oversight (mandating authorities and sanctions); and access to justice (complaint mechanisms and complementary measures). Guidance is intended for government officials in their capacities as policymakers and regulators at various levels of administration (national, subnational) and across relevant portfolios (immigration, labour, foreign affairs, etc.). It can be applied in countries of origin, transit and destination.

The IRIS Handbook is IOM’s flagship global guidance tool for governments on ethical recruitment and migrant worker protection. It builds directly on the Montreal Recommendations on Recruitment: A Road Map towards Better Regulation with more detailed measures for consideration, and profiles relevant concrete actions that governments around the world have taken.

Migrant Worker Guidelines for Employers

This publication is to provide practical guidance for business enterprises on how to recruit and employ international migrant workers ethically and responsibly. The guidance offers concrete steps employers across various sectors can take to run their businesses in a manner that respects human and labour rights of migrant workers. The guidance is primarily for human resources and personnel engaged with migrant workers and can be integrated in existing company policies, procedures and practices.

The guidance builds on the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGP) and relevant international human rights and labour standards and frameworks on international migration. It has been developed as part of the IOM’s Corporate Responsibility in Eliminating Slavery and Trafficking (CREST) initiative, through an extensive multi-stakeholder consultation process.

The guidance is accompanied by a set of supporting tools including checklists, guidance notes and other useful documents, to help employers develop and implement the system, principles and practices to manage the labour migration process.

Supporting tools

• Summary - Common challenges and Risks Experienced by Migrant Workers at All Stages of Labour Migration
• Checklist - Labour Recruiter Service Agreements
• Guidance Note - Recruitment Fees and Related Costs
• Checklist - Employment Contracts
• Checklist - Migrant Workers' Accommodations

Labour migration from Colombo Process countries Good practices, challenges and ways forward

Labour Migration from Colombo Process Countries: Good Practices, Challenges and Way Forward is the official background paper prepared by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to inform the Fourth Colombo Process Ministerial Meeting held in Dhaka, Bangladesh in 2011. The report takes stock of current labour migration trends in the region, offers an analysis of good practices and identifies the challenges Colombo Process (CP) Member Countries face and their policy options in the immediate and long-term.

Since 2005, CP Member Countries have taken concrete, pro-active steps to manage labour migration through amending existing regulations or adopting new legislation, creating new government structures dedicated to managing labour outflow, and signing bilateral agreements (BAs) and memoranda of understanding (MOUs) with key destination countries. CP Member Countries have also launched innovative programmes and activities at different levels of government aimed at protecting labour migrants at home and abroad. 

Despite success in key areas, however, difficult challenges remain, especially in implementation. There is often a gap between the aims of programmes as laid out on paper and how they are ultimately applied on the ground particularly on four key areas: disseminating of information, managing of the recruitment process, providing welfare support to migrants at both ends of the migration cycle and maximizing the benefits of labour migration. Success in any of these four areas requires serious investments in capacity building centered on a three-pronged strategy aimed at generating critical information, knowledge and policy-relevant research, formalizing practical dialogues and forging meaningful partnerships.

IOM-MPI Issue in Brief No. 1 - Labour Migration from Colombo Process Countries: Good practices, challenges and ways forward

International migration has occurred throughout history and regions of the world. Human mobility to, from and within Asia, however, has certain distinctive features, and Asia represents arguably the most dynamic region, with significant intra- and extra-regional migration and some countries being simultaneously origins of and destinations for migrants. 

The Migration Policy Institute (MPI) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific today launched an issue briefs series focusing in particular on labour migration in the region. The eight-part series also will examine diaspora engagement in Asia and climate-induced migration.

The first issue brief, Labour Migration from the Colombo Process Countries, examines labour migration from the 11 Colombo Process countries (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Viet Nam). In 2010, an estimated 4.2 million workers migrated from these countries through official channels, many leaving on a temporary basis to work in the Middle East. 

The Philippines sent the largest number (nearly 1.5 million), followed by India (641,000) and Indonesia (576,000). Overall, an estimated 44.7 million migrants from the region are living outside their country of origin. 

Since 2005, the Colombo Process countries have taken concrete, proactive steps to manage the migration flows and protect their citizens working abroad, strengthening their legislative and administrative frameworks addressing recruitment regulation and welfare protection, as well as signing new accords with key destination countries. Despite the progress, however, the brief details a number of remaining challenges and highlights 10 possible areas of focus for governments.

“Governments in Colombo Process countries face a formidable task: creating efficient and equitable migration systems that benefit labour migrants and their families while contributing to long-term economic growth and development in countries of origin and destination,” said Andy Bruce, IOM regional director for Asia and the Pacific.

In June, IOM and MPI will publish the second issue brief, this one focusing on migrant health issues in the Asia-Pacific region. Subsequent briefs will be published every month through December, and will be available at IOM Online Bookstore and Migration Policy Institute.

Protecting Migrant Workers: The Case for a Core Rights Approach

This paper is part of the IOM Migration Research Leaders Syndicate’s contribution toward the Global Compact for Migration. It is one of 26 papers that make up a consolidated Syndicate publication, which focuses on proposing ways to address complex and pressing issues in contemporary international migration. The Migration Research Leaders Syndicate, convened as part of IOM’s efforts to extend policy and technical expertise in support of the Global Compact for Migration, comprises senior researchers from diverse geographic, disciplinary and thematic backgrounds. The Syndicate provides a channel for leading experts in migration to propose ideas to meet the ambitious goals outlined in the New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants of September 2016.

In technical papers such as this one, Syndicate members were invited to identify and propose ways to resolve key conundrums currently posing challenges to international migration governance. To hone their proposals, they benefited from the input of advisors with experience in bridging policy and research, whether as senior non-migration scholars, former policy makers or prominent practitioners. The papers are short and crisp contributions that provide evidence-based, innovative ideas to improve international cooperation on fostering safe, orderly and regular migration.

For Their Own Good? Addressing Exploitation of Women Migrant Workers

This paper is part of the IOM Migration Research Leaders Syndicate’s contribution toward the Global Compact for Migration. It is one of 26 papers that make up a consolidated Syndicate publication, which focuses on proposing ways to address complex and pressing issues in contemporary international migration. The Migration Research Leaders Syndicate, convened as part of IOM’s efforts to extend policy and technical expertise in support of the Global Compact for Migration, comprises senior researchers from diverse geographic, disciplinary and thematic backgrounds. The Syndicate provides a channel for leading experts in migration to propose ideas to meet the ambitious goals outlined in the New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants of September 2016.

In technical papers such as this one, Syndicate members were invited to identify and propose ways to resolve key conundrums currently posing challenges to international migration governance. To hone their proposals, they benefited from the input of advisors with experience in bridging policy and research, whether as senior non-migration scholars, former policy makers or prominent practitioners. The papers are short and crisp contributions that provide evidence-based, innovative ideas to improve international cooperation on fostering safe, orderly and regular migration.