Ethical Migrant Recruitment
Things have changed since this article was published.
Update: Immigration settings regarding migrant recruitment processes and employer obligations have evolved since this article was written. Please contact VisaAide for advice based on the latest immigration requirements.
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Migrant recruitment is far more complex than recruiting within NZ when it comes to following a correct and ethical process.
Penalties for not following the correct processes are harsh, and ignorance is not a valid defense.
This means that employers need to pay close attention to the processes and regulations – made more interesting by the fact that there are regular updates.
Adherence to required standards is termed ethical recruitment. Failing to do so is entering the territory of people trafficking – a topic on the priority list for Immigration NZ Inspectors.
We are leaders in the area of migrant recruitment from the Philippines and are a registered recruiter with the Philippines Overseas Recruitment Agency. We have invested considerable time and effort in ensuring that our processes are correct.
We have become aware that some employers are being misled in this critical area of migrant recruitment, so here is a checklist for employers to be aware of and bear in mind when recruiting from the Philippines:
- It is illegal to require the migrant to pay any part of the cost of gaining employment, visa or travel to New Zealand to start a job.
- Employers are required to provide accommodation and transport to and from the work site for a minimum of 12 weeks – at the cost of the employer.
- Filipinos may not be stood down if the project comes to a halt – they are required to be paid 30 hours minimum per week for the duration of their contract.
- It is not legal to pay Filipinos or any migrants less than the NZ minimum wage – and industry standard wages apply. Migrants should be considered a productive workforce – not a cheap one, as their work output is outstanding.
- There is a standard list of inclusions in the Individual Employment Contract. Failure to list all inclusions will result in more lost time. Ours is an exhaustive and all-encompassing list of the changes and edits roll – which ensures optimum processing. We recommend you do not use your company’s standard Employment Agreement – you will find that doing so may cause unnecessary delays.
So – ethical recruitment is more about the way the process is managed internally by your business than the way in which the migrants are managed after arrival.
If you have any questions at all about migrant recruitment, or you would like a copy of Immigration NZ’s Employer Guide, please contact us!
