Marriott trains 500,000 staff to spot signs of human trafficking
Marriott International has trained 500,000 hotel workers to spot the signs of human trafficking in its hotels and how to respond if they do.
Its mandatory human trafficking awareness training programme for on-property staff in both managed and franchised properties was launcged in January 2017.
The hotel brand said it is “committed to raising awareness” among hotel staff of the indicators for forced commercial sexual exploitation and forced labour, and is “proud to join forces” with human rights partners to support the ‘End It Movement’ to combat human trafficking globally.
Arne Sorenson, president and CEO, said: “Human trafficking is a horrific form of modern slavery that entraps millions of people around the world.
“By educating and empowering our global workforce to say something if they see something, we are not just standing up for the most vulnerable in society, we are also protecting our associates and guests as well as living up to a core company value — serving our world.”
Dr David Rodriguez, chief global human resources officer, added: “Hotels can unfortunately be unwilling venues for this unconscionable crime – and as a global hotel company that cares about human rights, we’re proud to be training hotel workers across the Marriott system to spot the signs.
“There is no easy fix, but combating modern-day slavery starts with awareness – and we now have a significant number of people capable of recognising suspicious behaviour and reporting it to management and, in some cases, law enforcement.”
