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.

Check out these great photos from last week's event with WTIA in which attendees and speakers explored the links between sex trafficking and the tech industry. More photos from the event can be found here. The event also receive a lot of great press coverage.

On May 10, the Washington Technology Industry Association (WTIA) partnered with Businesses Ending Slavery & Trafficking (BEST) for a conference addressing the impact of sex trafficking the tech industry. The half-day conference brought together approximately 70 leaders to debate and resolve how tech companies can combat illegal sex in Seattle and across the nation.
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Over the past decade, technology has dramatically impacted almost every facet of our lives, and that impact can be seen in the illegal commercial sex industry as well. King County Senior Deputy Prosecuting Attorney and BEST Advisory Board member, Valiant Richey, shared the shocking statistics and just how big of a role technology plays in virtually every one of today’s sex trafficking and sex buying cases.  Richey noted that within just 2 hours of a detective posting an ad illegally selling sex, they will receive between 200-250 responses. According to Richey, “The internet is the new streets for buyers buying sex.”  Arizona State University concluded that in 2014 there were approximately 6,800 buyers soliciting sex on one website in any given 24-hour period. There are over 100 such websites.

Startling Statistic Shows 63% of Prostituted People Have Visited Company Properties; Washington Technology Industry Association and Businesses Ending Slavery & Trafficking Host Seattle Event to Rally
Technology Community to Lead
 
SEATTLE, Washington — May 10, 2016 — The Washington Technology Industry Association (WTIA), Washington state's unifying voice for the technology community, is hosting a conference today, in partnership with Businesses Ending Slavery & Trafficking (BEST), to discuss, debate, and resolve how technology companies can help combat sex trafficking in Washington. This is not just a problem in other countries – sex trafficking is alive and well in Washington and perpetrated during business hours in many industries.

An alarming amount of sex trafficking – forced prostitution – is happening on company campuses and via company computers. It’s not surprising that 78 percent of child trafficking is conducted using technology. But it is surprising that most people searching for sex online do so at 2pm, in the middle of the workday on company computers. What’s more, an ongoing study by the Organization of Prostitution Survivors (OPS) and BEST (January 2015 to present) found that 63 percent of prostituted people say they have been taken to company properties including parking garages and corporate offices. Those who participate in illegal sex activity during business travel or using company resources are exposing employers to serous risks including employee safety, company reputation damage, civil litigation, and criminal prosection.
 
“We were appalled when we learned of the severity and prevalence of sex trafficking among many industry sectors here in Washington State,” said Michael Schutzler, CEO of WTIA. “As the largest job creator and economic engine in our state, we believe tech companies must take a leadership role in bringing attention to this systemic issue. We’re hosting this event with our colleagues at BEST to mobilize the Washington tech community and use our collective technical expertise to help bring an end to sex trafficking.”