News

Florida restaurant non-profit provides free industry course on human trafficking

September 18, 2018

Representatives from the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association announced the launch of an online training course on human trafficking specifically designed to help restaurateurs and their employees. The free course, created with experts in the subject, is designed to:
•    Teach restaurant staff to recognize the signs of human trafficking.
•    Understand best practices to protect victims and promote anti-trafficking awareness. 

"FRLA believes we have a moral obligation to do all we can to prevent this atrocious crime, and offering this course at no charge is one way we can help fight human trafficking," FRLA President and CEO Carol Dover, said in a news release about the program. "We are committed to educating our members and others within the hospitality industry about the dangers of human trafficking, and this course underscores that commitment."

Florida is the nation's third-highest trafficking destination, with 604 cases reported just last year there, according to the National Human Trafficking Hotline. The problem is often misunderstood by the general public, according to FRLA Vice President of Education and Training Geoff Luebkemann, which only lends itself to trafficking growth. 

"Most people think trafficking is sex trafficking that occurs in seedy motels in a bad part of town, but the facts are contrary to popular belief," Luebkemann said, in the release. "The reality is that trafficking is also forced labor, which happens in broad daylight and can be found at diverse venues ranging from agricultural operations to golf resorts and upscale restaurants. Sex trafficking happens at properties across the price, service and luxury spectrum."

The free online course features research and resources from Polaris, the U.S. Department of Labor, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children as well as the International Labor Organization. To help learners fully engage with the subject matter, the course is divided into two parts and includes interactive elements. 

Each section of the course contains information relevant to restaurants, as well as hotels where the problem also flourishes, according to the release. FRLA in Florida's non-profit trade association for restaurateurs, with more than 10,000 members.