If you are in charge of modern slavery training within your organization, or if you are a trainer for another company, it is important to be aware of the actual slave trade. This article discusses some ways that this kind of slavery can be identified and addressed.
The actual slave trade is alive and well today, with more than 40 million slaves worldwide. Millions more may not know they are being exploited because the conditions of their servitude have been normalized by generations before them. It includes human trafficking, forced labor, debt bondage, and child exploitation among other things. The United Nations defines modern slavery as “the act of exploiting one person’s vulnerability—physical or mental—for personal gain.
Slavery is a hidden subject, not easily identified. However actual slavery training can be beneficial to workers and business owners alike. The more aware people are of the signs of this slave trade, the easier it will be for them to identify and address modern-day slavery when they see it or suspect that it exists in their own workplace.
In this type of modern slavery training, there are some noted elements that might help employees become more observant about what’s going on around them, such as:
How do you know if someone has been trafficked? This includes red flags like being accompanied by another person who seems to control, working excessively long hours with no pay while living at his/her place of employment without any opportunity to leave freely; having few or no personal belongings, being fearful or reluctant to speak, seeming malnourished or injured.
How can you help? There are many ways that you can help if you suspect someone is a victim of modern slavery.
Training employees on this kind of slavery is important in order to identify and address potential cases. By providing education on what modern slavery looks like, employees will be more likely to notice red flags and know how to react if they encounter a situation.
This type of slavery can take many different forms, so it is important to be aware of all of them. Some more of the red flags that employees should be aware of include:
- People who appear to be malnourished or dehydrated.
- People who are living in cramped, unsanitary conditions.
- People who have unexplained injuries or markings on their bodies.
- People who are constantly monitored by others and not allowed to speak for themselves.
We hope this information has been useful to you.
