Responding to Child Labor and Forced Labor in U.S. Manufacturing
Cases of forced labor and child labor in the U.S. have increased significantly in the last five years, according to the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) and the National Human Trafficking Hotline. While both migrant children and U.S. citizens have been found in child labor, migrant children are at a much higher risk. Increased rates of violence and poverty abroad and global migration, along with shortages in the U.S. labor market, are contributing to this trend.
How can your company respond to these risks?
This e-learning course provides an overview for U.S. manufacturing companies to identify, address, and prevent cases of child labor and forced labor. Throughout the four modules, case studies illustrate how these issues arise and how establishing stronger policies, management systems, and roles and responsibilities can help to address and prevent them. The course also demonstrates how strengthened community relationships can help to provide a protective and safe working environment for everyone. In addition to this training, a guidance document provides further detailed instructions for companies looking to remediate and prevent child labor through management systems approaches.
The course was developed by Verité in partnership with AIM-Progress and with consultation from manufacturers, management systems experts, legal and direct social service providers, and child rights advocates.
What to expect
Four interactive e-learning modules:
- An Introduction to Child Labor and Forced Labor within U.S. Manufacturing Settings
- Identifying and Addressing Child Labor
- Understanding and Addressing Forced Labor
- Preventing Child Labor and Forced Labor
You will also receive a guidance document Verité has developed for suppliers and providers on identifying, addressing, and preventing child labor in U.S. manufacturing.
Who should take this course?
- Manufacturers, co-manufacturers, co-packers, service providers, and labor providers in the U.S.
- Human resources, procurement, compliance, worksite management, responsible sourcing, labor & service provider management staff.
- Civil society organizations interested in learning about how to engage with companies to address forced and child labor.
Learning outcomes
By the end of this course, manufacturers, co-manufacturers, co-packers, suppliers, and labor/service providers will:
- Enhance capacity to ensure respect for workers’ rights through the development and implementation of strengthened risk management systems.
- Gain an understanding of U.S. federal labor laws and how they apply to different workplaces.
- Make evidence-based decisions on how to identify, address, and remediate cases of forced and child labor, prioritize efforts, and engage stakeholders.
Guidance for Suppliers and Providers on Identifying, Addressing, and Preventing Child Labor in U.S. Manufacturing
This Guidance Document serves as a reference for suppliers, co-manufacturers, co-packers, and labor and service providers in U.S. manufacturing after completing the e-learning course. While the e-learning course scope includes both forced labor and child labor, this Guidance Document focuses solely on child labor. The objective of this document is to guide stakeholders to adhere to applicable labor laws, recruit labor responsibly, and minimize risks of child labor in U.S. manufacturing supply chains.
This excerpt from the training tells the story of Eduardo, a migrant worker who experiences forced labor.
This excerpt from the training tells the story of Juana, a young migrant in child labor.
Tracking & Reporting
This publicly available course is free to take. To incorporate this training into your own required employee training with usage tracking and reporting, contact us.
Resources
Verité’s Guidance for Companies on Understanding the Distribution of Child Labor Risk in the United States
For risk assessment in prioritizing sites for child labor monitoring in the U.S.
Responsible Sourcing Tool
Information and tools to support companies, federal contractors, federal procurement professionals, advocates, investors, consumers, and others in their efforts to prevent and address human trafficking, including forced labor, in global supply chains.
Verité’s Help Wanted Toolkit
Guidance and tools for brands and suppliers on ethical recruitment.
Verité’s Recruitment Cost Calculator
Accurate and up-to-date information on recruitment fees and related costs, enabling employers to enact ethical recruitment policies more effectively in their supply chains.
USDOL Young Worker Toolkit
For minor workers and their families, educators, and employers to learn about the specific rights and responsibilities that apply to them on the job.
USDOL Wage and Hour Division Employer Self-Assessment
To help prioritize sites for child labor monitoring.
*Additional resources and links are provided in the training and accompanying guidance document.
Funding
This training was funded as part of the AIM-Progress Child and Forced Labor Initiative to support AIM-Progress members’ co-manufacturers, co-packers, suppliers, labor providers, and service providers to recruit responsibly and help manage potential risks of child and forced labor. AIM-Progress, with additional funding from Walmart and Cargill, generously extended funding to make these resources publicly available.
For more information about the project, please contact training@verite.org