Responsible recruitment
Neste is committed to and is promoting the Employer Pays Principle, with implementation in high risk areas by 2030, to ensure that no worker pays for a job and the costs of recruitment are paid for by the employer, not the worker.
Responsible recruitment means ensuring fair, ethical and transparent recruitment processes that protect the rights and well-being of job seekers.
Implementing the Employer Pays Principle
Migrant workers may be subjected to paying exorbitant fees to recruitment agencies or intermediaries in order to secure employment opportunities. This practice can create a financial burden or lead to even more serious issues, including debt bondage and exploitation.
In order to prevent such situations in our operations and supply chains, Neste strictly prohibits the charging of recruitment fees and related costs as defined by the ILO, irrespective of where or how employees are recruited, and has therefore made a commitment to act in accordance with the Employer Pays Principle, which stipulates that no worker should pay for a job and that the costs of recruitment are paid for by the employer, not the worker.
Our suppliers and contractors are similarly required to ensure that recruitment fees and associated costs are not borne by workers. This is one of the minimum requirements in our Supplier Code of Conduct, which is included in the terms of contract with all suppliers, contractors and other business partners.
Driving systemic change through collaboration
As the use of recruitment fees is a deep-rooted, structural issue, Neste is engaged in cross-sectoral collaborative initiatives to drive action in this area.
As a member of the Consumer Goods Forum (CGF) and its Human Rights Coalition, we advocate for strong policy environments that help ensure responsible recruitment and employment practices become a global norm. Together, we provide industry feedback on existing and emerging legislative frameworks. For example, through the People Positive Palm Project we are engaging with governments in Malaysia, and working with the Fair Labor Association (FLA) and International Organization for Migration (IOM) to engage with sending and receiving countries in key migrant labor corridors.
In 2022, the HRC jointly released a Guidance on the Repayment of Worker-Paid Recruitment Fees and Related Costs, to offer step-by-step guidance for employers on how to approach the topic of remediation if recruitment fees are detected in their supply chains.
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