Improving Your Summer Hiring: Embrace Responsible Recruitment Practices from the Start
With summer here, many factories are ramping up their workforce to meet the demands of the peak season. This period also presents an opportunity for young workers to gain valuable experience through internships. However, it is crucial to address potential risks and ensure responsible recruitment practices. The Centre has compiled a concise guide outlining key legislation, potential risks, and measures you can take to mitigate them.
Why is this important?
During the summer vacation, many children, particularly students who are below the minimum working age, actively seek job opportunities. Some of them resort to using fake or borrowed ID cards or find ways to bypass formal recruitment procedures through connections with other factory workers. There are also cases where children who are above the minimum working age but under 18 use fake ID cards to work as adult employees in factories that refuse to hire individuals under 18. In situations where parents work in factories, especially in the case of left-behind children, they may bring their children to the workplace when suitable childcare options are unavailable during the summer break.
The risk of child labour or the employment of undocumented juvenile workers increases when labour agencies hire large numbers of temporary or dispatched workers without implementing proper controls. Additionally, subcontracting poses an additional risk, especially in roles such as canteen work, security staff, and cleaning staff, which require careful attention to ensure compliance with relevant legislation.
Lastly, there is a risk associated with employing student workers, primarily related to non-compliance with local legislation regarding their employment. It is important to note that each country has its own set of regulations governing student workers.
Understanding Local and International Labour Laws
It is important for businesses to be aware of the definition of juvenile (young) workers within the context of both local and international labour laws*. In most cases, individuals under the age of 18 are considered minors and are entitled to special protections in the workplace. These protections include safeguards such as restrictions on hazardous work**, no overtime or night shifts, and mandatory health check-ups.
Actions to take
*The Labour Law prohibits an employer from recruiting minors under the age of 14 in Bangladesh & Myanmar, under the age of 15 in Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand and Laos, and under the age of 16 in China.
**According to the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Article 199 (No.190), the worst forms of child labour involve:
a) work which exposes children to physical, psychological or sexual abuse;
(b) work underground, under water, at dangerous heights or in confined spaces;
(c) work with dangerous machinery, equipment and tools, or which involves the manual handling or transport of heavy loads;
(d) work in an unhealthy environment which may, for example, expose children to hazardous substances, agents or processes, or to temperatures, noise levels, or vibrations damaging to their health;
(e) work under particularly difficult conditions such as work for long hours or during the night or work where the child is unreasonably confined to the premises of the employer.
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