Outsourcing must be ethical

When a firm outsources, what should the role of HR professionals be in regard to the following two practices at South Asian firms?

* Discrimination in hiring and promotion is widespread at South Asian service providers, particularly in regard to age, gender, family background, caste and religion. Does this violate American firms' corporate policies? It should.

* Nonpayment or late payment of employees and contractors is not uncommon at South Asian firms, including the most profitable ones and those providing outsourcing services. This can be hard to detect from offices in North America, but not in the homes of the people who have experienced it.

Outsourcing, if done ethically, can have positive impacts in the economies where U.S. firms do business. As clients and managers of offshore operations, it is our responsibility to help ensure that ethical HR practices are adopted, implemented and monitored. We can do nothing less.

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Anthony Mitchell

Seattle

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