Ethical recruitment practices and prevention of forced labour in China: guidelines for employers

Around the world, an estimated 21 million people are working in forced labour conditions, and many of them are part of global supply chains (ILO 2016). These guidelines are specific to China as one of the most significant supply chain sourcing countries in the world. As more international regulations specific to modern slavery and forced labour are put in place, businesses have a growing obligation to understand, address and report on forced labour conditions in their supply chains. Awareness of modern slavery risks is also increasing—an ETI survey found that 77% of companies think there is a likelihood of modern slavery in their supply chains, and more companies are taking actions to strengthen their compliance in this area. 

While these guidelines cover potential forced labour risks throughout the employment process, from recruitment through termination, the in-depth focus is on ethical recruitment practices.