Labour Trafficking
Labour trafficking is the control and exploitation of a person for their labour or service, usually through force, threats and deception. It’s also known as forced labour. Labour traffickers use violence, threats, lies and illegal debts like pay deductions to make people work against their will.
Labour trafficking can happen anywhere and anyone can be a victim, but it’s especially common in industries where workers may be isolated, underpaid or vulnerable to exploitation, including:
Agriculture and food production
Seasonal workers, farm workers, factory workers
In-home care
Childcare, elder-care workers, housekeepers
Hospitality
Hotel housekeepers, restaurant workers, kitchen staff
Construction and resource extraction
Miners, loggers, construction workers, manufacturing workers
Personal services
Salon staff, commercial cleaning workers
Commercial sex industry
Sex workers, adult entertainment workers, webcam performers, escorts
Know the signs
Labour trafficking is not always easy to spot, so it helps to know what to look for. One sign on its own might not mean that trafficking is happening. Instead, think about how these behaviours overlap in the life of someone you’re worried about.
- Unhealthy or unsafe living and working conditions
- A job offer that seems too good to be true
- Having ID, immigration papers or work permits held by someone else
- Being coerced to work under threat of deportation or violence
- Being escorted or watched at all times
- Being denied access to health care and medical services
- Working very long or unusual hours
- Always being on-call, but without pay
- Being forced to live on work premises or in housing provided by the employer
- Being made to do work that isn’t included in the work agreement
- Pay cuts that aren’t outlined by the work agreement
- Having pay held back
- Being forced to pay for services — like travel expenses to come to Canada — that employers are legally required to cover
- Showing signs of fear or intimidation
- Showing signs of abuse, including malnutrition
Labour Trafficking Myth vs. Fact
Labour trafficking happens right here in Canada. While anyone can be trafficked for their labour, temporary foreign workers are at especially high risk because of their unique circumstances: they’re often not allowed to change employers, they may not know their legal rights, they can be geographically isolated, they often experience language barriers, and they can’t access most social services.
Poor working conditions and stolen wages are aspects of labour trafficking, but it also involves force, threats, deception and coercion. Trafficked workers often feel they can’t leave or speak up about abuse. They may fear deportation or punishment, or for the safety of their loved ones.
Labour trafficking only happens in ‘under the table’ settings or illegal industries.
Labour trafficking can occur in any industry, including those that are legal and highly regulated. It’s not confined to shadowy, illegal operations; it’s found across various sectors where coercive practices may be used to exploit workers.
Undocumented residents and people with precarious immigration status are at higher risk, but many labour trafficked people in Canada arrived here legally.
Adults and children of all genders can be victims of labour trafficking or forced labour in Canada.
You’re protected — it’s the law
In Canada, the rights of all workers, including migrant workers, are protected by law.
- You have the right to come and go freely and speak with loved ones
- You have the right to keep your passport, ID, work permit and legal documents
- Your employer can’t deport you or change your immigration status. Only the Canada Border Services Agency can do that
- You’re entitled to the pay your employer promised, including overtime pay if it’s part of your work agreement
- You don’t have to pay back any fees your employer paid to recruit or hire you
- You should never have to live or work in unsafe conditions
- Your employer must help you access health care services if you’re injured or get sick at work
- Your employer can’t make you do unsafe work or work that isn’t outlined in your work agreement
- Your employer can’t make you work if you’re sick or injured
- Your employer must do their best to provide a workplace free from abuse, including punishment or unfair treatment
- Your employer can’t punish you for reporting abuse, unsafe work, poor housing or for helping with a
government inspection
Change can begin with just one call
Do you think you’re being exploited for your labour? Do you know someone who is? All workers have rights and deserve fair treatment. Contact the Canadian Human Trafficking Hotline, 24/7. It’s free and confidential.
