Research Consultant - Responsible Recruitment Register

ShortTerm Consultancy: Request for Proposals

The Institute for Human Rights and Business (IHRB) seeks expertise from a credible organisation or individual with proven research experience on business and labour migration. This shortterm consultancy will take place over a period of 3 months (ideally February April 2024) and with the following outputs:

1. Undertake a simple review of the recruitment policies of 1000 companies.
2. Collate company information into a database for use in an advocacy campaign.

• Role location: flexible (home based)
• Deadline for applications: 9am BST on 5^th February 2024
• Ideal start date: ASAP
• Duration of consultancy: 60 Days / 3 months approx.
• Reporting to: Neill Wilkins Head of Migrant Worker Programme

THE RESPONSIBLE RECRUITMENT REGISTER

In 2022 IHRB developed and launched the Responsible Recruitment Register. The Register is a list of companies who have publicly available policies that include a prohibition of recruitment fees costs and charges to migrant workers. The Register is intended to increase transparency and accountability. We hope that the example of peer and competitor companies will also encourage more companies to develop appropriate policies. The Register can also be used in advocacy with business and government.

The Register simply records the existence of a policy relating to recruitment fees. IHRB do not undertake any analysis audit or benchmarking of the implementation or effectiveness of those policies.

BACKGROUND

There are approximately 170 million migrant workers in the world 5% of the global workforce and as such migrant workers play a critical role in the global economy. Their skills and labour add significantly to the economic vitality of destination countries. Their remittances sent home frequently help to sustain families and communities in origin countries which may lack other viable income opportunities.

The IHRB Migrant Workers Programme seeks to advance global efforts aimed at ensuring that migrant workers everywhere are treated with dignity and respect. We work with businesses civil society representatives and governments to promote the rights of migrant workers in all sectors and locations.

Despite the global economic benefits of labour migration many migrant workers face particular challenges at all stages of the migration cycle. In 2010 the Institute for Human Rights and Business developed the Dhaka Principles for Migration with Dignity an overarching framework for businesses to understand and address those challenges. Over the last 10 years the Dhaka Principles have been regularly used and referenced by a range of stakeholders from businesses and governments to nongovernmental and academic experts.

The IHRB Migrant Workers Programme has a particular focus on issues of relevance to recruitment and seeks to address flawed recruitment practices to which many workers are routinely subjected. We seek to challenge the common practice of migrant workers being required to pay recruitment fees to secure employment abroad. IHRB works with others to promote a recruitment industry business model based on the Employer Pays Principle which affirms that no worker should pay for a job and that the costs of recruitment should be borne not by the worker but by the employer.

DELIVERABLES

1. Review and collation of company recruitment policies:

Review the recruitment /migrant worker / forced labour / human rights policies and standards of 1000 companies collecting data on their publicly available policies relating to the recruitment of migrant workers in their direct operations or extended supply chains. These policies would generally be found via company websites supplier guidance or codes of conduct. We are particularly interested in whether companies have a prohibition on the payment of recruitment fees costs and charges by migrant workers to secure employment these fees being the responsibility of the employer The Employer Pays Principle. Companies with appropriate public policies will feature in the IHRB Responsible Recruitment Register.

1. Collation of company information for advocacy campaign

Whilst reviewing recruitment policies collate additional information that will be subsequently used in an advocacy campaign based on those policies regarding recruitment. This would include

Company details:

• Name of company
• Company address
• Name of Chief Executive
• Sustainability contact including email address.
• Membership of trade or sustainable business associations

Policies:

• Dedicated Migrant Worker Policy
• Prohibition on recruitment fees to workers
• Reference to Employer Pays Principle
• Reference to fee repayment if workers are found to have paid.
• Reference to Dhaka Principles

All information will be added to a master excel type document to include links to policies as appropriate.

Notes

IHRB will supply a list of all 1000 companies they wish to be reviewed.

IHRB have previously reviewed 520 companies of which 216 had compliant policies and are now featured on the register. These companies will be subject to a further review (to collate additional information not collected previously) and included in the 1000 total. This review will only consist of company data available in English.

The consultant is not expected nor should they contact any company directly. All information should be based on what is publicly available.

REQUIREMENTS EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS

Essential

• Demonstrable expert level understanding of migrant rights and labour migration.
• Experience conducting similar reviews and analysis.
• Excellent communications skills especially writing and editing skills in English.
• Ability to complete the review by 30^th April 2024.

FEE

• A fee of maximum USD $10000

APPLICATION PROCESS

Click on the Apply Now buttonto submit the following:

• A brief proposal summarising your approach work plan and suitability for this work (strictly no more than 2 pages).
• Links to any relevant research previously completed on similar projects or with a similar approach
• Name and contact details for two references.

Deadline for applications:9am BST on 5^th February 2024

Interviews:8^th and 9th February 2024

Expected start date: As soon as possible.

Applications from unsuccessful applicant/s will be held on file for 6 months after the end of the recruitment process.