Definition of recruitment fees and related costs

The ILO Governing Body approves the publication and dissemination of the Definition of Recruitment Fees and Related Costs, to be read in conjunction with the General Principles & Operational Guidelines for Fair Recruitment

Actualité | 28 mars 2019
The ILO Governing has approved the publication and dissemination of the definition of recruitment fees and related costs, adopted by a Tripartite Meeting of Experts, held in Geneva in November 2018.

This comprehensive definition of recruitment fees, related costs, as well as illegitimate costs, should be read together with the General Principles and Operational Guidelines for Fair Recruitment. The definition reiterated that recruitment fees and related costs should not be borne by workers or jobseekers.

The experts participating at the Tripartite Meeting of Experts also restated the commitment to protect workers from exploitation and abuse, including trafficking and forced labour.

The definitions represent a critical step forward in providing clarity on the nature and characteristics of recruitment fees and related costs, and is intended to support the development, monitoring, implementation and enforcement of laws, policies and measures aimed at the protection of workers’ rights, recognizing the principle that workers must not be required to pay for access to employment. It is also intended to support the development and implementation of effective regulation of recruitment practices, notably of public and private employment agencies, to combat non-compliance, provide transparency of recruitment practices and enhance the functioning of labour markets.

The meeting and the preparation of its background documentation was supported by the generous contribution of the European Union, through the ILO REFRAME project, as well as by the Swiss Development cooperation, through the ILO FAIR project.