Policy Statement

PSU is committed to upholding the good welfare of human beings and against modern slavery, forced labor, human trafficking, and child labor.

Background & Justification

The United Nations statement known as the Palermo Protocol defines human trafficking as: “Trafficking in persons” shall mean the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation. Exploitation shall include, at a minimum, the exploitation of the prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labor or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude, or the removal of organs.

Scope and Purpose

• Conflict of interest can be reported, when a member uses his position to influence university decisions to gain personal benefits from a deal or transaction related to PSU.
• Purchasing of goods ordered by the university from companies and organizations in which the member has some direct or indirect interest (shareholder or ownership).
• Conflicts of interest arise when university members' involvements in outside activities substantially interfere with their primary commitments to the university: to teach, to conduct research and to meet related obligations to students, colleagues and the university.

Responsibilities:

1. The policy applies to all PSU’s internal and external stakeholders. The HRD ensures that there are NO modern slavery, forced labor, human trafficking, and child labor all throughout the PSU community.
2. This policy applies to all activities, including teaching and learning, research, training, and commercial or other activities.
3. This policy may be read together with the other University’s policies:
   • Compliance Investigation Policy: https://psu.edu.sa/en/cop004-compliance-investigation-policy
   • Compliance Reporting Policy: https://psu.edu.sa/en/cop003-compliance-reporting-policy
   • Disciplinary Policy: https://psu.edu.sa/en/cop005-disciplinary-policy

Principles of the Policy

1. No modern slavery in the form of human trafficking should be tolerated
2. No forced labor will be given to PSU employees
3. Ensure the working age of PSU employees satisfy the Saudi law

Definitions

Modern Slavery, Human Trafficking, and Child Labor
The term ‘modern slavery’ is an umbrella term covering many ill-defined practices. Generally included are human trafficking for sex, labor, or organs, forced labor, bonded labor, descent-based labor, domestic servitude, child labor, early (child), and forced marriage. This list is not exhaustive, and other forms of modern slavery and human trafficking include the taking of babies and children for sale for adoption, the entrapment of people in religious ritual roles as well as those taken for religious rites that involve forms of human sacrifice. People who are victims of modern slavery and human trafficking are often among the most vulnerable in societies. They include all ages, genders, ethnicities, and creeds. The most vulnerable groups include refugees and migrants, minority groups, women, children, and people experiencing extreme poverty”.

Forced Labor
According to the ILO Forced Labor Convention, 1930 (No. 29), forced or compulsory labor is: "all work or service which is exacted from any person under the threat of a penalty and for which the person has not offered himself or herself voluntarily."

Responsibilities

For the implementation of this policy, the following shall be observed:

• Communicate this policy to all the university members.
• Conduct regularly a risk assessment of these issues, which the university may face.
• Hold responsible all those working for the University or under the university’s control to prevent, detect and report these cases and all other forms of slavery.
• Handle all the reporting cases sensitively and confidentially. The University is committed to ensuring that no member of staff who reports related issues concern in good faith suffers any detrimental effect for doing so.

Procedures for Handling Policy Violations

Modes of initiation of complaints on violations: (Any one of the following modes will be accepted)

1. Report to the line managers Line managers are responsible for ensuring the implementation of this policy:
   • to record the complaint received from his employees
   • to investigate the complaint and verify the accuracy of the report and evidence
   • to submit the complaint to the disciplinary board through the Compliance Office
2. Report to the Compliance Office The report can be verbal or written.
3. Report through Google Form The form is available online at: https://forms.gle/AmnUEUgawRH6J4ud8

Procedures of the Office of Compliance and Legal Officer Upon receiving the report of violation from any mode either (1) or (2) or (3) above the Senior Compliance and Legal Officer shall analyze the report and identify the type of cases either it is no basis (no prima facie) or disciplinary or a grievance.

On the other hand, if the report received from the complainant is not complete, the Senior Compliance and Legal Officer may request further evidence from the complainant (if necessary) upon which the complainant shall response within 7 days. Otherwise, the report shall be considered as not valid and consequently it will be closed.

In a situation where the Senior Compliance and Legal Officer is satisfied there is a case (prima facie), it shall be presented either before the Grievance Board or Disciplinary Board, as the case maybe.

The respective Board shall conduct the hearing and gives initial recommendations. Such recommendations shall be forwarded to the Senior Compliance and Legal Officer to finalize the decision.

Within 7 days after the final decision is issued by the Senior Compliance and Legal Officer, the affected party/ies may file an appeal. Such an appeal shall be presented before the Higher Disciplinary & Grievance Board (HDGB). The Senior Compliance & Legal Officer will update the decision/verdict of the HDGB who shall then release the said decision/verdict to the Office of President.

On the other hand, if no appeal is filed, the Senior Compliance & Legal Officer shall release the decision/verdict directly to the Office of the President.

References

https://www.psu.edu.sa/en/compliance-policies