Code of Conduct

The Code of Conduct of the World Employment Confederation is informed by the International Labour Organisation’s Fundamental Rights and Principles at work, international labour standards, and guidance on Business and Human Rights and Corporate Social Responsibility. It establishes 10 principles.

The Constitution of the World Employment Confederation prescribes members to adhere to the Code of Conduct. This entails establishing a code of conduct on the national level, in alignment with the the World Employment Confederation’s Code of Conduct.

For more information about the code of conduct in your country, please consult the respective national federation members of the World Employment Confederation.

Private employment services shall comply with all relevant legislation, statutory and non-statutory requirements and official guidance covering their activities. This principle explicitly covers the prohibition to use forced or bonded labour, human trafficking and child labour[1].

Private employment services shall observe the highest principles of ethics, integrity, professional conduct and fair practice in dealing with jobseekers, workers and user-companies and shall conduct their business in a manner designed to enhance the operation, image and reputation of the industry.

Private employment services shall not charge directly or indirectly, in whole or in part, any fees or costs to jobseekers and workers, for the services directly related to temporary assignment or permanent placement.

Private employment services shall ensure that workers they employ are given details of their working conditions, the nature of the work to be undertaken, rates of pay and pay arrangements and working hours in a language they understand. They should ensure that the worker’s assent is obtained without coercion.

• Private employment services shall act diligently in assessing risks in order to promote the health and safety of workers in their workplace.
• Private employment services shall inform workers whenever they have reason to believe that any particular assignment causes an occupational health or safety risk.

• Private employment services shall treat workers without discrimination on the basis of race, colour, sex, religion, political opinion, national extraction, social origin, or any other form of unlawful and unethical discrimination covered by national law and practice, such as age or disability.
• Equitable, objective and transparent principles for the calculation of workers’ wages shall be promoted, considering national legislation and practices.

• Private employment services shall not in any way deny the right of freedom of association and collective bargaining of their employees[2].
• Private employment services shall not require workers to provide a monetary deposit or other collateral as a condition of employment and shall not withhold workers’ identification cards, passports or other residency papers, or other personal belongings.
• In accordance with national law and practice, private employment agencies shall not make workers available to a user company to replace workers of that company who are legally on strike.

• Private employment services shall ensure confidentiality in all of their dealings.
• Private employment services shall ensure that permission has been given and documented before disclosing, displaying, submitting or seeking confidential or personal information or data obtained in connection with employment and recruitment activities.

• Private employment services shall ensure that their staffs are adequately trained and skilled to undertake their responsibilities and assure a high quality service.
• Private employment services shall assure mutual relations based on fair competition. They shall not discuss together any topic that would fall under anti-competition regulation.

Private employment services shall take all appropriate measures to ensure that workers have access to remedy, as provided by law, and to credible grievance mechanisms, without fear of recrimination or discrimination.

[1] As defined in ILO Fundamental Conventions no. 29, no. 105, no. 138 and no. 182.

[2] As defined in ILO Fundamental Conventions no. 87 and no. 98.

Artificial Intelligence offers many possibilities to facilitate recruitment and employment processes… but its use raises many concerns too.

To ensure a balance that will benefit individuals and companies alike, the World Employment Confederation adopted a set of ethical principles for its members to abide with when deploying AI technology. At the core lies the need to keep the human element centric.