By Amit Acco, Partner |
Israeli government, has recently approved regulations governing the recruitment of foreign workers in the agricultural sector, without a need for a bilateral agreement with the recruited foreign national country. These regulations empower certain Israeli employers to engage in the recruitment process, subject to a capped fee of approximately NIS 3,000 per employee.
However, concerns have been raised regarding the potential exploitation of workers due to the absence of a framework for regulating and supervising interstate agreements.
Prior to the recent Iron Swords War, foreign workers entered the agricultural sector through bilateral agreements with countries like Thailand and, more recently, Sri Lanka. These agreements outlined recruitment procedures and enforced working condition standards, with a specific emphasis on prohibiting exorbitant brokerage fees. The departure of tens of thousands of Thai workers during the conflict led to a severe labor shortage in the agricultural sector, prompting the government to temporarily permit the entry of foreign workers through agricultural designated and licensed HR companies , bypassing the state recruitment and selection mechanism outlined in bilateral agreements.
The recently approved regulations set a defined payment limit that Israeli private bureaus can charge foreign workers for their employment in Israel, with the maximum amount capped at NIS 2,963.02. This figure supplements the maximum contractual payment of NIS 4,012.19 that foreign offices are authorized to collect. The temporary order applies to foreign workers arriving in Israel from the government’s decision date (November 5) until February 4.
Human Rights organizations expressed apprehension about potential negative impacts on workers, highlighting that a significant portion of the prohibited fees is often paid to entities abroad.
Notably, Relo 360 of KTA Group provides services for the recruiting of such employees utilizing the new regulations, through the ethical recruitment of foreign employees of Joblio Inc., an International Ethical Recruitment company.
