Emerging practices to improve access to and working conditions on digital labour platforms for refugees and host communities
Emerging practices to improve access to and working conditions on digital labour platforms for refugees and host communities
Earning a living is one of the most effective ways for forcibly displaced people to provide for their families and rebuild their lives. Refugees, other displaced people and host communities can benefit from the digital labour platforms to access decent work. However, platforms have also received criticism for excluding displaced people, job insecurity and not providing decent work, especially for women, disabled people and others. In Decent and inclusive work for forcibly displaced persons and host community members: A guide to emerging practices on digital labour platforms, the International Labour Organization (ILO), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) show how expanding good practices can help ensure that online platform work is both viable and decent for refugees and host communities, while making good business sense for the platforms themselves. Best practise highlighted in the joint research include inclusive recruitment, providing contracts, setting minimum pay, and offering training - that are helping forcibly displaced and host communities to find viable and decent work. The research also offers guidance to governments on updating national regulations to keep pace with the emergence of platform work. Improvements for displaced people in national legal framework include promoting flexible employment classification, access to affordable global finance services, minimum wage levels, social protection and the right to collective bargaining.