Dr. Tarnima Warda Andalib and Dauwood Ibrahim Hassan
Modern-day slavery, often associated with the past, remains a serious problem today, with tangible manifestations in workplaces around the world. In 2012, ILO stated that it is extremely distressing when in various organizations, employees are forced to work facing direct or indirect threats, intimidation, coercion, or manipulation at the workplace, often without proper payment, freedom of speech, or even basic employee rights mentioned in the International Labour Organization. In 1948, the United Nations focused on whether all employees deserve to work in a decent workplace as per Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) Article no. 23, where, significantly it is stated that in any organization, employees always should feel valued at first by receiving a space to focus on self-growth and development. Article 23 of the UDHR states that the choices and wishes of any worker are of utmost importance because workers are human beings with emotions and feelings. Furthermore, the article further emphasizes that employees' innovative skills must be supported, respected, and fairly recognized. In 1984, Beer and some of his colleagues discussed this whole human aspect in their Harvard HRM model.
In 2012, ILO highlighted that any respectable and decent consortium always possesses certain principles and systems where fair remuneration, reasonable working hours, work-life flexibility, choice of scheduling, decision-making space, workplace safety, health orientation, respecting each employee’s personal space, and a secure environment ensuring employees’ dignity are observed. Once, the poet Robert Southey, in his poem ‘Poems on the Slave Trade - Sonnet V’, expressed the true situation of a servant who was considered only as a slave and nothing more, where the lines were,
“His wrongs and wretchedness, when hope can goNo consolation, time can bring no cure?
But justice for himself he yet could take,
And life is then well given for vengeance sake.” (Southey, 1799)
At the same time, a good workplace encourages employees to speak up and express all ideas, concerns, and comments without fear of retaliation. In 1984, Beer and his colleagues noted that opportunities for skill development, career advancement, and a healthy work-life balance increase employee satisfaction and motivation. Organizations that aim to create a friendly work environment do not focus on control and monitoring but rather emphasize the mental health and livelihood of employees; As a result, employees automatically remain productive and committed to their work, increasing their creativity and promoting a work culture with pride. In 2021, the ILO notified that a healthy workplace also deals with the latent frustrations and sadness of employees, where persistent stress, frustration and deep anger are not only discussed but also addressed through transparent action.
On the other hand, employees can feel seriously unsafe where protocols and rules are used against the real problems of employees, and employee burnout can also lead to physical and mental disruption of employees. Workplace frustration has been described as employees feeling exploited, ignored, or forced into silence, and is considered akin to modern slavery. Frustration is mainly caused by inadequate work or staffing. Beer and his colleagues argued that the same applies to organizational micromanagement practices and unrealistic performance measures, or expectations placed on employees that create a stressful and dissatisfied environment. Often, for-profit organizations turn themselves into miserable work environments where, over time, employees not only feel exhausted but also deeply hurt and angry inside. In 1948, the United Nations noted that this situation simply reveals that where a proper work culture is lacking, the happiness, health, well-being as well as satisfaction of employees are not taken so seriously.
Generally, society says that wherever there are blue-collar workers, extremely degrading and unsatisfactory practices such as forced labor, human trafficking, and bonded labor are observed. The ILO reported in 2021 that it is seen in more traditional sectors such as agriculture, construction and domestic work, but that social evils of people are also associated with companies. Moreover, white-collar employees in the company may face similar fears and various types of threats that can eventually lead to depression. In 1948, the United Nations noted that economic deprivation, lack of rights, freedom of speech, oppressive treaties, and other factors led to depression. About a decade ago, at Foxconn, a Taiwanese company, multiple employees committed suicide due to extreme work conditions, lack of empathy, non-payment of overtime pay, long working hours, and intense depression caused by mistreatment by management. SACOM (the Students & Scholars Against Corporate Misbehaviour) group held a protest in the lobby of Foxconn's Hong Kong headquarters in May 2010 due to the past consecutive suicides, mentioning that “Foxconn lacks conscience” and “Suicide is no accident,” when Foxconn management tried to defend the suicides as general accidents in any work premise. The continuous efforts of the workers were ignored; as a result, very few workers gave up their lives in extreme despair, unable to tolerate modern slavery any longer and also able to highlight that a decent working environment is a basic human right.
To further enrich this thoughtful inquiry, future research or discussions could examine in depth how Bangladesh, with its growing apparel and service sectors, can serve as both a cautionary tale and a promising model for decent work reforms. For example, the tragic collapse of Rana Plaza in 2013 was a heartbreaking reminder of how profit-driven negligence can lead to humanitarian catastrophe, yet it also sparked international dialogue and policy reform – showing that change is possible when voices unite. This article would be more interesting if it included direct experiences or case studies of Bangladeshi workers who have overcome workplace exploitation through union support, legal assistance, or NGO intervention - which brings the human side of the issue to life. Furthermore, integrating the role of digital platforms, as some local startups are now advocating for fair pay and remote work flexibility, could provide a forward-looking vision of what ethical employment could look like in Bangladesh’s developing economy. In conclusion, we would suggest this : “The true measure of a nation’s progress lies not in its profits, but in how gently it holds the hands of those who build its dreams.”
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