IB2018/15 Blacklisting and Reporting in Seasonal Worker Programs

This In Brief examines the practice of blacklisting in seasonal worker programs such as Australia's Seasonal Worker Program (SWP) and New Zealand's Recognised Seasonal Employer scheme (RSE). Blacklisting occurs when workers are permanently or temporarily excluded from programs. It can vary from two to five years, or be indefinite, depending on the offence. The practice of blacklisting is rarely highlighted and should be discussed as there are implications for all stakeholders. This paper raises these issues in the context of ni-Vanuatu in the RSE scheme. The main impetus for this paper is to highlight what happens when workers are blacklisted, some of the reasons behind this, and how growers are affected when perceived problematic workers are not reported to government labour sending units in future seasons.