Labor trafficking can be difficult to identify. One of the most common reasons is that many people, including workers, service providers, and employers, struggle to recognize when unfair labor practices or legal violations cross the line into trafficking. While not all forms of exploitation meet the legal definition of labor trafficking, they can still cause serious harm. Understanding the difference is key to identifying risk, protecting workers, and ensuring accountability.
A working environment that prioritizes the well-being, safety, and rights of workers. These conditions typically include fair wages, reasonable working hours, safe and hygienic workplaces, protection against discrimination, and harassment, access to healthcare and social security, and the right to organize and collectively bargain.
Refer to working environments and practices that exploit or disregard the rights and well-being of workers. This can include inadequate wages, excessively long hours without proper compensation or breaks, unsafe working conditions, discrimination, harassment, lack of access to healthcare or social security, restrictions on freedom of association and collective bargaining, and various forms of exploitation such as forced labor and child labor.
Are actions or practices by employers that violate the rights and protections afforded to workers under labor laws and regulations. These violations can take various forms and may include wage violations, hour violations, unsafe working conditions, discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and child labor. Labor violations harm workers' well-being, violate their rights, and undermine the principles of fairness and justice in the workplace. They may result in legal penalties for employers and can lead to civil lawsuits, labor strikes, or other forms of worker protest or activism.
Individuals are recruited, harbored, transported, or obtained for the purpose of forced labor or services through the use of force, fraud, or coercion. Individuals are working under exploitative conditions, such as debt bondage, forced labor, and exploitative working conditions. Labor trafficking can occur in various industries, including agriculture, construction, manufacturing, domestic work, hospitality, and other sectors. It disproportionately affects vulnerable populations, such as migrants, refugees, undocumented workers, and individuals facing economic hardship or discrimination.
- Bars on the inside of windows (not outside)
- Locks only on the outside of doors and not inside
- Workers appear withdrawn and or afraid to talk
- Workers seem to be deferring to another person before giving information, avoids eye contact, or isn't allowed to speak
- Workers have long-lasting untreated injuries from the job
- Workers seem afraid to talk to law enforcement
- No health insurance
- Workers' movement is restricted or monitored
- Workers live and work in the same place
- Workers have excessively long and or unusual hours or are always available on demand
- Someone else controls the workers' identification documents and finances