The global spread of COVID-19 has prompted unprecedented measures to contain the virus, including the temporary shutdown of business and widespread restrictions on movement. Around the world, travel plans and workplaces have been disrupted and work habits changed. Yet throughout the pandemic, it has been business as usual for some offshore call center agents in Tunisia and Morocco, who continued handling calls and queries on behalf of multinational companies to serve the needs of clients and customers abroad. This briefing summarizes some of the key human rights risks to workers in this sector, and considers the steps taken by ten call centers operating in and six clients outsourcing services to Tunisia and/or Morocco to protect workers amidst the crisis. We found that the pandemic has exacerbated systemic risks of economic hardship, psychological strain – due to long hours under constant surveillance, verbal abuse and stress – and introduced new risks linked to health hazards amid the virus. Similar concerns have been reported in other parts of the world, including South Korea, the US and Brazil, underscoring the endemic, transnational nature of these risks, which have long been a reality for many call center workers. The briefing also outlines recommendations for companies to address these

Disconnected: The COVID-19 Pandemic and Call Center Workers‘ rights in Tunisia and Morocco - Business and Human Rights Resource Centre, 2020 DOWNLOAD

post

page

attachment

revision

nav_menu_item

custom_css

customize_changeset

oembed_cache

user_request

wp_block

wp_template

wp_template_part

wp_global_styles

wp_navigation

wp_font_family

wp_font_face

acf-taxonomy

acf-post-type

acf-field-group

acf-field

ai1ec_event

exactmetrics_note

COVID-19 and Modern Slavery within the Hospitality Sector
COVID-19 resourcesGuidance

The COVID-19 outbreak has been affecting Asia since January 2020. It is now a global pandemic, with over 5.7 million cases detected in 168 countries and over 352,000 deaths globally as of 27 May 2020. Much of the world has implemented severe quarant...Read More

Sparkling Jewels, Opaque Supply Chains: Jewelry Companies, Changing Sourcing Practices, and Covid-19
COVID-19 resources

The Covid-19 pandemic has demonstrated the fragility of global supply chains and the vulnerability of people working at the bottom of these supply chains. In the mining sector, the pandemic has had devastating effects on workers and communities arou...Read More

Financial Industry: Modern Slavery Awareness Survey
Publications

When asked the importance of the following social and environmental issues at a personal level, over four fifths (87%) of financial services employees rate modern slavery and human trafficking as important. ...Read More

Regional Overview – Sexual Exploitation of Children Middle East and North Africa
GuidancePublications

This Regional Overview on the sexual exploitation of children (SEC) in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), consolidates the relevant existing data to map the context, risk factors, region-specific issues, responses and gaps in the fight against...Read More