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

Financial Institutions Sharing Data Related to Human Trafficking
Publications

Sharing of information between financial institutions related to potential money laundering and human trafficking activities is essential in the fight against modern slavery. However, the laws covering personal data privacy, anti-money laundering, ...Read More

Sexual exploitation of children in prostitution
Publications

ECPAT International is a global network of civil society organisations working together to end the sexual exploitation of children (SEC). ECPAT comprises member organisations in over 100 countries who generate knowledge, raise awareness, and advocat...Read More

TAGS: Global
Disconnected: The COVID-19 Pandemic & Call Center Workers‘ Rights in Tunisia & Morocco
COVID-19 resources

This briefing summarizes some of the key human rights risks to workers in this sector, and considers the steps taken by ten call centers operatingin and six clients outsourcing services to Tunisia and/or Morocco to protect workers amidst the crisis....Read More

TAGS:
Report concerning the implementation of the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings by the Czech Republic
Publications

There is no procedure for the identification of victims of human trafficking which is independent of the criminal investigation. GRETA urges the Czech authorities to disconnect the identification of victims of human trafficking from the initiation o...Read More