News

After Teleperformance announced its 2018 earnings last week, UNI Global Union called on the company to take action to address human rights.

Teresa Casertano, Head of UNI Information, Communications, Technology Services (ICTS) said:

"Last week's  results reflect that Teleperformance is a profitable and rapidly expanding company with new exposure in many markets.  Many of these markets are known for weak, if any, compliance with international labour standards, in particular the rights to organize unions. 

"To put it bluntly, respect for workers' rights is far too rare in many of the countries where Teleperformance chooses to operate.  As a result of this, Teleperformance faces a risk that the human rights of its employees will not be respected unless it takes pro-active measures to identify and prevent these risks, exactly what is required under the due diligence rules of France and the OECD. 

"We urge the company to develop a fit-for-purpose due diligence plan with accountability structures in order to prevent these problems from becoming a reality." 

Two-thirds of Teleperformance’s nearly 300,000 employees are in six countries labelled by the International Trade Union Confederation as “the worst countries in the world to work in” because they lack any effective guarantee of labour rights or as systematic violators of labour rights.

The concept of human rights due diligence derives from the UN Guiding Principles for Business and Human Rights, and was integrated within the OECD Guidelines for Multinationals in 2011 and the ILO Declaration on MNEs in 2017.  In 2018, the law took effect which requires many French companies--including Teleperformance--to have and publish a due diligence plan.   As a contractor for global clients, Teleperformance has a heightened responsibility because its clients also have due diligence obligations.

UNI has asserted that Teleperformance’s 2018 due diligence plan fails to map the risks of violations of the human rights of workers and omits prevention measures. Additionally, Teleperformance should engage in consultations with key stakeholders, including such organizations as UNI Global Union and the French trade union affiliates representing Teleperformance workers, while formulating its plan. To date these consultations have not taken place, making it even more likely that the company will fail to identify human rights violations in its workplaces across the globe.