Department of State and DLA Piper Partner To Prevent Abuses in Domestic Work Globally

Since 2013, the U.S. Department of State’s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons (TIP Office) and New Perimeter, DLA Piper’s nonprofit affiliate that provides long-term pro bono legal assistance in under-served regions around the world, have maintained a public-private partnership to increase the availability of pro-bono legal resources and tools to combat human trafficking.

The public-private partnership, announced on April 9, 2013, reflects the partners’ shared interest in seeking opportunities for collaboration that fit within each organization’s respective vision, mission, and program focus, and is dedicated to increasing the availability of pro bono resources and training for legal professionals to ensure they have the tools to address this crime and support survivors. This partnership brings together the anti-trafficking expertise and knowledge of the TIP Office with the breadth of legal skills and resources of DLA Piper. The TIP Office is well positioned to identify countries, issues, or regions that could benefit from pro bono legal services and engage interested governments and nongovernmental organizations to promote partnership initiatives. While New Perimeter is able to provide pro bono legal assistance primarily in the developing and post-conflict world, drawing on the skills and talents of more than 4,200 DLA Piper lawyers globally. To maximize impact, New Perimeter is able to draw upon the skills of teams of lawyers in the field and work alongside its partners. The key outcomes and products developed from this partnership will serve the global anti-trafficking community – from NGOs to foreign governments – to help combat human trafficking internationally.

On June 30, 2016, the partners announced the creation of a package of model documents to help prevent the global problem of abuses in domestic work. Grounded in international law, the documents set forth clear standards for the protection of domestic workers whose employment in private homes increases their vulnerability and isolation. The first pair of documents is a model contract and addendum for domestic workers to use with their employers. The third is a memorandum of understanding between countries sending and receiving migrant domestic workers.

Relevant Documents and Links

• Model Contract of Employment [Word.doc format]
• Model Addendum to Contract of Employment [Word.doc format]
• Model Memorandum of Understanding Regarding Best Practices in the Employment of Domestic Workers [Word.doc format]
• Employers of A-3 and G-5 domestic workers in the United States are encouraged to use the employment contract template developed by the Department of State and available here.