Brief

Summary:

The US Department of Labor, along with the Department of Homeland Security, Department of State, and US Agency for International Development, has released the White House H-2B Worker Protection Taskforce report to strengthen protections for workers in the H-2B program. The report outlines 12 action items aimed at improving the safety and security of H-2B workers, including measures to reduce exploitation, empower workers, and increase transparency. The goal is to ensure that H-2B workers are knowledgeable of their rights and protected from abuse, while also preventing exploitation that may undercut labor standards for domestic workers.

WASHINGTON – Today, in the White House H-2B Worker Protection Taskforce report, the U.S. Department of Labor joined the Department of Homeland Security, Department of State and U.S. Agency for International Development to announce new efforts to strengthen protections for workers in the H-2B program, who are vulnerable to exploitation by their employers. 

Each agency involved in the task force is committed to key actions aimed at improving the safety and security of all workers under the H-2B program and ensuring American workers are not disadvantaged when employers use the visa program. These actions include better protecting workers engaged in labor disputes, addressing exploitation during recruitment, sharing resources with workers to inform them of their rights, enhancing data sharing and participating in a new working group dedicated to H-2 workers’ rights.

The announcement is part of the Biden-Harris administration’s whole-of-government approach to ensuring our most vulnerable workers know their rights, are protected from abuse at the hands of their employers and can advocate for themselves at work. 

“The H-2B program has been plagued by worker exploitation for too long,” said Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su. “The Biden-Harris administration is committed to protecting H2-B workers from abuse and with this report, we’re taking a whole-of-government approach to protecting these vulnerable workers, which will also help ensure they are not used to undercut labor standards for domestic workers. We look forward to working with our sister agencies across the federal government to implement these recommendations and work towards better protecting every worker in America.” 

The White House Taskforce report announces more than a dozen action items to be taken across the federal government to advance protections for H-2B and, in select cases, H-2A workers. Partnering with the White House, Department of Homeland Security, Department of State and U.S. Agency for International Development, the Department of Labor will: 

  • Reduce workers’ vulnerability to exploitation from labor recruiters and employers by using enhanced information collection from other agencies, making it easier to prevent and enforce against exploitation by recruiters. 
  • Empower workers by identifying and developing resources designed to provide workers with information about their rights under H-2 programs and disseminating information widely, including through MigrantWorker.gov and through additional task force agency channels. 
  • Leverage existing data to increase transparency and reduce the vulnerability of H-2 workers through interagency data sharing, which will improve outreach and streamline responses to labor law violations. 
  • Participate in a new interagency H-2 Worker Protection Working Group to guide the implementation of deliverables described in the task force report. 

Read the interagency report and learn more about the H-2B Worker Protection Taskforce.

Highlights content goes here...

Summary:

On [date], the U.S. Department of Labor, joined by the Department of Homeland Security, Department of State, and U.S. Agency for International Development, released a report outlining new efforts to strengthen protections for workers in the H-2B program. The H-2B program has been plagued by worker exploitation, and the Biden-Harris administration is committed to addressing this issue.

The report announces over a dozen action items aimed at improving the safety and security of all workers under the H-2B program. Specifically, the Department of Labor will:

Reduce workers’ vulnerability to exploitation by labor recruiters and employers through enhanced information collection and interagency data sharing.
Empower workers by identifying and developing resources to provide them with information about their rights under H-2 programs and disseminating this information widely.
Leverage existing data to increase transparency and reduce the vulnerability of H-2 workers through interagency data sharing.
Participate in a new interagency H-2 Worker Protection Working Group to guide the implementation of deliverables described in the task force report.

The H-2B program is a temporary visa program that allows U.S. employers to hire foreign workers in industries such as landscaping, hospitality, and restaurants. The program has faced criticism for its lack of protections, leading to worker exploitation and abuse.

The White House Taskforce report is part of the administration’s whole-of-government approach to ensuring that vulnerable workers know their rights, are protected from abuse, and can advocate for themselves at work. The report marks a significant step towards improving the safety and security of all workers in the H-2B program.

Key Findings:

The H-2B program has been plagued by worker exploitation for too long.
The Biden-Harris administration is committed to protecting H-2B workers from abuse.
The report outlines over a dozen action items to improve the safety and security of all workers under the H-2B program.
The Department of Labor will work with other federal agencies to implement the recommendations outlined in the report.

Recommendations:

Reduce workers’ vulnerability to exploitation by labor recruiters and employers.
Empower workers by providing them with information about their rights under H-2 programs.
Increase transparency through interagency data sharing.
Establish a new interagency H-2 Worker Protection Working Group.

Next Steps:

The Department of Labor will work with other federal agencies to implement the recommendations outlined in the report.
The report will serve as a guide for policymakers and stakeholders to improve the H-2B program.
* The Biden-Harris administration will continue to prioritize the protection of vulnerable workers in the H-2B program.

US Department of Labor

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