Introduction
In Thailand, hiring domestic staff through a reputable Agency, like PNA, not only benefits employers, but also contributes to the upholding of basic human rights.
By engaging with principled Agencies, employers can help to ensure fair treatment, protect workers' rights, and contribute to the overall improvement in working conditions in the domestic sector.
This brief article aims to illuminate the importance of hiring through a reputable Agency, particularly from a human rights perspective.
1. Ensuring fair treatment
a. PNA uses, and champions, fair and ethical recruitment practices to screen and train its domestic staff.
b. PNA adheres to strict regulations regarding fair wages, working hours and living conditions, prioritising the wellbeing of domestic workers and thus ensuring that all parties are satisfied.
c. Hiring through a reputable Agency like PNA promotes equitable treatment, reduces the risk of exploitation and helps to uphold workers' rights.
2. Protecting workers’ rights
a. Domestic staff hired through a reputable Agency like PNA are more likely to have legitimate, signed contracts. This provides legal protection (for both parties) and clearly outlines their job responsibilities and duties.
b. These contracts include provisions related to working hours, rest days, medical care and holiday leave; effectively safeguarding workers' basic human rights.
c. Employers can also refer to these contracts as a useful reference point; to provide clarity of responsibilities and to prevent any potential disagreements or violations.
3. Contributing to the improvement of working conditions
a. By selecting a reputable Agency like PNA, employers are actively supporting initiatives aimed at improving working conditions within the domestic workers’ sector in Thailand.
b. Reputable Agencies often collaborate with organisations and NGOs (see logos below) to advocate fair labour laws, better access to social security, and the prevention of exploitation in a domestic worker’s typical work environment.
c. Hiring staff through an Agency like PNA indirectly contributes to the promotion of progressive policies and fair working conditions for all domestic staff.
4. Reducing the risk of human rights violations
a. The involvement of a reputable and principled Agency like PNA significantly mitigates the risk of human rights violations such as forced labour, human trafficking and financial, physical or psychological abuse.
b. Most reputable Agencies like PNA have rigorous, in-house vetting procedures that verify the background and identities of prospective workers. This helps to eliminate the likelihood of engaging individuals involved in illegal activities.
c. Employers can rely on the expertise of PNA to ensure that the domestic staff they hire are trustworthy, reliable, and legally allowed to work in Thailand.
Conclusion
Sadly, even today, domestic workers continue to confront a variety of problems, such as those listed below:
• low wages
• long working hours
• lack of holidays
• harassment
• sexual, psychological, physical and verbal abuse
• physical torture (some instances are truly horrific)
• poor welfare facilities
• lack of permitted rest time
• chronic fatigue
• lack of freedom
• poor bargaining power
• toxic work-life balance, and
• unacceptable working conditions.
To reinforce our message, we have (in a separate blog) listed some real-life case studies of the difficult and traumatic issues that female domestic workers still face. I hope you’ll agree that this type of employer behaviour is deplorable.
When we see it, we stop it. And, depending on the severity, we will report it.
Hiring domestic staff in Thailand, through reputable agencies like PNA, is of paramount importance from a human rights perspective. Not only does it enable good employers to protect their workers’ rights, but it also allows the Agencies to provide happy staff of the very highest quality.
Over the years, as we have aligned ourselves with the above values, we have been recommended and commissioned by multiple, internationally-recognised organisations.
Indeed, many of them are now our long-standing and much-valued clients.
