When Noel walked through the lobby of a downtown luxury hotel, front desk staff knew that she was heading to meet a sex buyer. What they didn’t know was that Noel had been a victim of sex trafficking at age 15 and had continued to be controlled by a series of pimps, men who were often violent. They didn’t know that overlooking trafficking could harm the reputation of their hotel or pose safety and security risks to hotel guests and staff.
 
In May 2016, BEST launched online training for hotel staff and managers to understand and respond appropriately to human trafficking in hotels.

CONTENT BY HOTELS FOR HOTELS

The training content was developed and tested over three years by hoteliers, law enforcement, victim service providers, and an attorney for the lodging industry. The videos are sponsored by the Asian American Hotel Owner's Association (AAHOA) and Red Roof Inns and include the following content:

• What sex trafficking is
• How sex trafficking operates in hotels
• Indicators of sex trafficking
• Recommended actions to take if you or your staff see indicators
• Steps to proactively prevent illegal activity
• Information on legal liabilities
• Legal considerations for responding to a law enforcement request for a warrantless search of a guest registry or room

INDIVIDUAL AND GROUP OPTIONS

The training provides options for individuals to access training online or for managers to provide training to groups of staff or managers. The group training has clear instructions and sample questions to engage staff in dialogue.

BENEFITS

Individuals that complete the training will receive BEST Certification. In addition, they will learn to protect their hotels and the most vulnerable people in their communities from this violent crime. The issue of sex trafficking is receiving increased attention by media and consumers alike. Training staff is a good business decision and a socially responsible choice for the community.

Thank you to our generous sponsors!

Organizations that have joined the BEST Employers Alliance together employ approximately 200,000 employees. As an alliance, these employers are committing to take action to prevent sex trafficking and buying--from adopting new policies to training employees to hiring survivors. We are excited to see the impact of our alliance members continue to grow.

We congratulate our partners--Massachusetts Governor Baker, Attorney General Healey, and Boston Mayor Walsh--for announcing their newly adopted anti-trafficking policies. AG Healey explained, “Trafficking human beings for sex and labor is a growing problem in Massachusetts and has existed underground for far too long. As large employers in this state, we are making clear that we have no tolerance for this kind of exploitation. I thank Governor Baker and Mayor Walsh for their leadership and for bringing this issue to the forefront. We hope other agencies and businesses will take similar measures to fight this problem.” BEST gives special thanks to Demand Abolition for building this partnership and inspiring these key employers to take action.

We also congratulate Jack Bruce for driving forward his vision to organize the first (known) human trafficking education event for the Society of Human Resource Management. SHRM is the world's largest HR professional society, representing over 285,000 members in more than 165 countries. The 2016 Atlanta's Corporate Awakening event was held in April. Read more about themes from the event in this article published by SHRM's online magazine, which features BEST's director, Mar Brettmann.

In the coming months, the BEST Employers Alliance will continue to expand prevention efforts nationally with partners in Boston, Atlanta, and Denver.

Welcome also to our newest Employers Alliance members: React Mobil, The Siren Agency, Uniquely HR and The Bay Area Anti Trafficking Coalition. Learn how to join the alliance by clicking here.

The Society for Human Resource Management published this recent article that features BEST's resources and effectively raises awareness about the role that HR professionals can play to prevent human trafficking. From hiring survivors to creating policies to training employees, HR professionals can play a vital role.

Congratulations BEST Board Member, Sanjay Mahajan, General Manager of the Radisson Hotel Seattle Airport, for being awarded the "Outstanding Property of the Year, Small Property" by the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA).  The Radisson Hotel Seattle Airport has gone above and beyond the definition of hospitality to serve their guests every day. The team truly has immersed themselves in the spirit of service and community. The hotel has supported several charity projects, from addressing sex trafficking and helping victims begin a new life, partnering with the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, and celebrating the lives of children who have been diagnosed with life-threatening or chronic illnesses, to getting involved in Responsible Business to improve the hotel’s ecological footprint. Their impact on the community knows no bounds.  

Congratulations to The Radisson Hotel Seattle Airport. They are an amazing partner and member of the Employers Alliance and we look forward to continuing to work with them to combat sex trafficking.