Oregon Hospitality Workers Can Help Prevent Human Trafficking

Human trafficking is a pervasive crime that can often slip under the radar. It is the entrapment and exploitation of people, who may not feel safe leaving their situation. It happens within our communities and is something that can be overlooked if one is not trained to identify the signs. Trafficking occurs in many industries. Traffickers use hotels and restaurants for their schemes and illegal activities. For hospitality workers, it is essential to spot the signs of human trafficking and report it effectively to protect the victim, as well as the hotel or restaurant. Quick and decisive actions are needed to end the further use of the premises for abusive behavior.

Employees are Essential to Prevent Human Trafficking
Employees in hotels and restaurants are often on the front lines of human trafficking activity. Because traffickers frequently use hospitality venues to exploit their victims, staff that are the first to interact with a victim or exploiter need to be able to recognize the signs to respond safely and effectively.  Indicators of the crime include behaviors that reflect someone is experiencing violence, deception, threats, or manipulation. While it is important to recognize these signs, employees should also be prepared to respond safely in the situation and know the appropriate actions to take next. By being able to recognize indicators and respond effectively, employees can protect victims and their own workplace from traffickers.

How BEST Helps Provide Training and Awareness
Businesses Ending Slavery and Trafficking (BEST) is a nonprofit that provides businesses with human trafficking prevention training to equip employees with the knowledge they need to identify potential human trafficking situations and report them well. BEST collaborates with the Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association (ORLA) to provide free human trafficking prevention training for ORLA’s members, to prevent the exploitation of vulnerable people in Oregon. BEST’s Inhospitable to Human Trafficking training is a 30-minute, online video training available in Spanish and English. It can be taken individually on a computer, or in a group setting, and employees can receive a certificate of completion after taking the course. This training can be easily accessed at no cost through the ORLA membership website. 

Clear understanding of the crime is a strong step toward preventing human trafficking in the hospitality industry. This also increases the chance of identifying victims and helping them leave their situation. By completing the Inhospitable to Human Trafficking training, employees are equipped to combat human trafficking in safe and effective ways. 

How Human Trafficking Prevention Training Helps Protect Businesses and Guests
Human trafficking that occurs on hospitality properties is not only dangerous to the victims, but to the employees and guests as well as to the business as a whole. Guests may no longer feel safe, and brand reputation may decline, when traffickers conduct their exploitation at a hospitality venue. ORLA is a strong ally in the fight against human trafficking and is committed to training all hospitality staff in Oregon to end human trafficking on the premises of their restaurants and hotels. When employees are trained, traffickers no longer have the upper hand in committing human abuse—because they are under watchful and knowledgeable eyes. 

Conclusion
Human trafficking must be countered when members of any community are being exploited or harmed. Employees in the hospitality industry are essential to the fight against human trafficking in Oregon restaurants and hotels. By training employees to recognize the signs of this crime, BEST and ORLA are helping build a future where human trafficking is no longer an imminent threat.  Hospitality workers who take the Inhospitable to Trafficking training can feel confident in their ability to contribute to the cause.

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This guest blog was submitted by Businesses Ending Slavery and Trafficking (BEST). See how ORLA members can access this training at no cost. For more information on guest blog opportunities, contact Marla McColly, Business Development Director, Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association.