Apple launches scheme to help human trafficking victims get jobs

by Ashleigh Webber
by Ashleigh Webber

Apple plans to help human trafficking victims get jobs at its stores, after partnering with NGO the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

The trafficking victims, who will be put forward for non-customer-facing roles such as caretakers, will not be identified as such to the company and its staff.

The staff will not be employed by Apple directly, but it will monitor how many human trafficking victims are placed in roles at its stores by third parties.

According to the BBC, only a “handful” of people have been employed under the scheme so far.

Apple announced the programme after winning the Thomson Reuters Foundation Stop Slavery Award, which recognises organisations that actively look to stop forced labour in their supply chains.

Accepting the award, Apple’s senior vice president for retail Angela Ahrendts said: “Though we have only just started, we see huge opportunity to be a beacon of hope for trafficking survivors integrating them into our retail team.

“These efforts are just a part of a broader set of initiatives to eliminate modern slavery from every part of our company, in every part of the world.”

But Peter Frankental, business and human rights programme director at human rights charity Amnesty UK, said Apple could still go further to tackle slavery in its overseas supply chain.

“While it shouldn’t be necessary to reward companies for taking steps to stop slavery in their business, we should recognise that some companies, such as Apple, are doing more than others to be transparent about how they are tackling slavery in the supply chain,” he said.

“It could go further though. And whilst it’s commendable that Apple is investigating its cobalt supply chain, it’s still failing to disclose all the human rights risks and abuses it finds.”

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Last month the Home Office wrote to 17,000 organisations that had not complied with their legal obligation to publish a modern slavery statement.

Businesses with an annual turnover of £36 million or more are required to publish an annual statement setting out their human trafficking policies, due diligence procedures and the training they offer staff in this area.

Ashleigh is a former editor of OHW+ and former HR and wellbeing editor at Personnel Today. Ashleigh's areas of interest include employee health and wellbeing, equality and inclusion and skills development. She has hosted many webinars for Personnel Today, on topics including employee retention, financial wellbeing and menopause support.