CRITERIA

Employment is Freely Chosen

Freedom of Association & Collective Bargaining

Safe & Hygienic Working Environment

Child Labour

Living Wages To Be Paid

Working Hours Are Not Excessive

No Discrimination

Regular Employment

No Harsh Or Inhumane Treatment

Use of Agency Labour

Continual Improvement

General

Code

Law

Assess

Action Plan

Employment is Freely Chosen - UK Law

• The law prohibits trafficking in persons for the purposes of prostitiution or forced labour.
• Workers should not be required to lodge their identity papers with employers.
• Wages should be paid at regular intervals and not withheld until the end of a contract.

This means that:

• No workers should be forced to work.
• There should be no bonded workers.
• Workers should be free to leave, after giving reasonable notice, without losing any pay or benefits to which they are entitled.
• If the employer makes loans to workers, the workers should be aware of the terms of the loan. Workers should not be tied to the employer for the duration of the loan, procedures for re-assigning the loan to a new employer or early repayment can help to reduce this problem. Any system for repaying the loan should be transparent and well documented.
• Employers should not hold workers' original ID cards or take deposits from workers.
• Workers should have a written contract setting out their terms and conditions of employment including pay (standard and overtime), hours of work, benefits and the notice period for terminating the contract.
• Workers should have a choice whether or not they wish to work overtime.

For countries outside the UK: 1. Go to the ILO database of national laws (NATLEX) dealing with labour standards. "Browse by subject" (in left hand nav) until you find "Elimination of Forced Labour" Then choose your own country to find laws and regulations. Copy and Paste into a file of your own for future reference. 2. Look at the main ILO Conventions your country has ratified (ILOLEX). This tells you whether your country has ratified the two main ILO Conventions (29 & 105) dealing with Forced Labour.