The Right to Decent Work

All people who have reached the legal minimum age for work have a right to work— without coercion, in decent conditions, for a fair wage—to ensure their economic well- being and that of their families. Alongside international and national laws relating to human trafficking, there exists a body of legislation that is designed to ensure that labor is regulated and policed so that people’s labor rights are protected. These include, for example, the right to work in safe, nonhazardous conditions; to have set working hours with regulated time off and holiday; access to insurance that covers the worker who is unable to work because of sickness or injury; minimum guarantees including rates of pay, including for work done outside regular hours or at unsocial times; laws governing female workers’ rights; and laws that stipulate a minimum age for work so that children are free to complete their education and gain the skills that will prepare them not only for work but for life. Taken together, these elements are often called “decent work” and are enshrined in labor law.