The United Global Compact Principles in Relation To Refugee Hiring Policies and Practices

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The United Global Compact Principles in Relation To Refugee Hiring Policies and Practices

Abstract

The ten United Nations Compact Principles speak to the conduct and ethical behavior of companies. When dealing with immigrants employers should abide by these ten principles as they serve as guidelines that ought to be observed across the world. The ten principles touch on four key sectors including human rights, labor, the environment, and anti-corruption. The first two principles are not efficient in safeguarding refugee rights in the hiring process. Principle three is achievable but there is no confidence in its implementation. Principles four, five, and six have also not proved effective in protecting refugee rights. As regards the environment, refugees are seen to contribute to problems such as urban sprawl, pollution, and congestion which makes them be viewed negatively in society. Moreover, the final policy that prohibits all forms of corruption is also not effective as refugees continue to part with bribes to make it possible to live a life they have always envisioned.

Introduction

If well cultivated, refugees and immigrants can be capitalized on as a viable talent solution amid ongoing great resignations. Employers need to address the hurdles that exist throughout the job process for refugees from job hunting to interviews. When they arrive, refugees are usually not in a position to navigate the labor market of the United States, and know the roles they qualify for and where their skills fit best. For all companies, corporate sustainability begins with its value system and its principle-based approach to conducting business. This means that companies must operate at a minimum in a manner that fulfills their fundamental responsibilities in the sectors of labor, human rights, environment, and anti-corruption. The ten principles of the United States Global compact are based on these four key areas. Responsible countries enact similar principles and values if they have a presence and are aware that good practices in one sector cannot harm another. Companies should incorporate the principles of the UN Global Compact into policies, procedures, and practices and develop a culture of integrity as it upholds the basic responsibilities of the planet and people and also sets the stage for long-lasting success. This text evaluates the efficacy of the ten principles in addressing refugee and immigration hiring policies and practices in the context of the United States.

The Ten Global Compact Principles

The ten principles of the United Nations Global Compact are supporting and respecting the protection of international human rights and making sure they are not complicit in human rights abuses. These first two principles are under the human rights docket. Principles 3, 4, 5, and 6 pertain to labor. Businesses are expected to respect the freedom of association and effectively recognize the right to collective bargaining. Principle 4 dictates that companies should eliminate all forms of compulsory and forced labor (Kingo, 2017). Principle 5 speaks to the effective elimination of child labor and Principle 6 speaks to discrimination elimination in employment and occupation. The next three principles speak to the environment. Principle 7 requires companies to take action to support the approaches to environmental issues. Principle 8 is about undertaking initiatives that promote more environmental sustainability and Principle 9 encourages companies to develop technologies that are environmentally friendly. Principle 10 is the only one that touches on anti-corruption. It insists that companies should work to eliminate all forms of corruption including money and extortion.

Analysis of Principles in Relation to Refugee Hiring

The first principle has not proved to be effective in protecting the immigrant population and refugees. The first principle calls for employers to recognize internal human rights. However, this is not the case. It is not uncommon to come across employers that discriminate against immigrants. Some international human rights include the right to life and liberty, freedom of expression and opinion, right to work and education, and freedom from torture and slavery. Despite these being international rights that should be observed by all, some employers tend to refuse to hire immigrants based on their citizenship status which is wrong. The Immigration and Nationality Act also prohibits national origin and citizenship status as bases for discrimination with respect to termination and hiring. Additionally, it is difficult to affirm that companies do not actively take part in human rights abuses. This is because employers have undoubtedly found themselves at the center of workplace human rights violations and immigrants and refugee populations tend to be at the center of it. Refugees tend to be on the receiving end as they are not paid bonuses, are not paid bonuses, have employee misclassification, miscalculated overtime, and workplace discrimination.

Moreover, principle three touches on freedom of association and collective bargaining have proved somewhat effective in refugee and immigrant hiring practices. In the United States, even undocumented workers that are not employed by the government are protected by the National Labor Relations Act in their right to organize and elect a union and collectively bargain with other employers. Even immigrants can join unions as visa status and citizenship does not matter. However, there is no guarantee in the implementation of this policy. Immigrants and refugees might still be discriminated against and prevented from joining unions. Regarding eliminating all forms of compulsory labor, immigrants tend to suffer this fate often. Majority of victims of forced labor in the United States tend to be immigrants and refugees from other countries. They fall, victim, as they are vulnerable since some do not speak English which makes it hard to understand their rights. The fifth principle to do with child labor has also not been effective in addressing immigrant issues of employment. The United States as a country has stern policies on child labor but this does not stop child labor from taking place (Podrecca, Sartor, & Nassimbeni, 2021). As a matter of fact, labor trafficking cases are more common than sex trafficking cases in the U.S. Child labor continues to be an issue for immigrants and refugees as perpetrators prey on groups that are vulnerable. The principle of eliminating discrimination is also far from helping solve the discrimination issue for immigrants and refugees. More than any other population, refugees, and immigrants tend to be the subject of discrimination in employment. Employers tend to disqualify immigrants during interviews forgetting that interviews will rarely showcase all the capabilities of immigrants. Immigrants will rarely shine in interviews in ways that recruiters expect them to shine and as a result, they end up in survival jobs or what is known as rapid attachment jobs. Moreover, immigrants tend to be exempted from employment because qualifications tend to get lost in the course of translation. Even immigrants and refugees that have the highest skills go unrecognized in new countries leading to unemployment.

As far as the environment is concerned, the three (7, 8, 9) UN Global Compact Principles are those that speak to this docket and have failed to protect refugees’ interests. Migration, both temporary and permanent has always been an important survival strategy in the face of adversity. Population pressures have been directly linked to pollution. Immigrants are seen as directly contributing to the degradation of the local environment through congestion, urban sprawl, waste generation, pollution, land conversion, and water consumption. This is also part of the reason why opponents are against immigrants being granted residency. The final principle speaks to mater of corruption like bribery and extortion. Corruption in all forms is prohibited in the United States. Without a doubt, immigrants tend to face corruption problems when trying to acquire employment. If paying a bribe makes a difference in getting a new life, then most immigrants have no option but to pay to acquire entry-level jobs in the United States.

Conclusion

In closing, the United Nations Global Compact Principles speak to the ethical codes and behavior of companies. The principles are based on key priority sectors including human rights, labor, environment, and anti-corruption. When it comes to immigration and refugee hiring practices and policies, these ten principles are effective in some areas while they are ineffective in others.

References

Kingo, L. (2017). Private sector’s role in implementing SDGs – Interview: Lise Kingo, Executive Director of the United Nations Global Compact at the UN Global Compact Board Meeting in New York, USA. Africa Renewal, 31(2), 18–19. https://doi.org/10.18356/d75904e1-enPodrecca, M., Sartor, M., & Nassimbeni, G. (2021). United Nations Global Compact: Where are we going? Social Responsibility Journal. https://doi.org/10.1108/srj-06-2020-0261