Study: To Keep Seafarers in the Industry, Stop Shipboard Harassment

 

The shipping industry faces its worst shortage  of crewmembers in nearly two decades, and could be 90,000 people short by next year. The Global Maritime Forum's "All Aboard" consortium has conducted extensive research on methods to improve life at sea and boost retention, and it has just released a report on real-world changes that could make the difference. 

Seafaring can be a hard life, and there have always been aspects that shoreside workers would find challenging, like fatigue, months-long work schedules, and (on some vessels) abusive work environments. Shipping has always had a certain amount of hazing and harassment under way, out of sight of the home office; the All Aboard Alliance found that this cultural phenomenon is a modern-day retention issue. 25 percent of study participants had experienced harassment and bullying in their careers, rising to more than 50 percent among female seafarers. 

Working with 12 shipowners, the alliance came up with guidance to improve the crew experience, especially in abuse reduction. A positive work environment starts with setting clear policies and guidelines, then requires "zero-tolerance" enforcement for unacceptable behavior, the alliance advises.  

The coalition also recommends clear guidelines for training and performance evaluations; avoiding discriminatory hiring practices; providing female-appropriate PPE and facilities on board; setting up a family leave policy; improving shore leave, a common point of friction since the COVID era; building onboard community; and providing timely relief at the end of a seafarer's contract, without involuntary extensions. The alliance advises a target of offboarding at least 85 percent of the crew on schedule at contract end, allowing them predictable time off for their personal lives. 

"These guidelines serve as a roadmap for shipping companies striving to improve employee well-being, and will also help seafarers and other stakeholders identify companies that take sustainability and social responsibility seriously. They strike a strong balance between aspiration and realism, and we’re confident that they will improve outcomes for all workers in the maritime industry, ensuring that success is accessible to everyone — regardless of gender, race, sexuality, or background," said Mikael Skov, Chief Executive Officer at Hafnia and All Aboard Alliance Co-chair.

These inclusive, diversity-friendly HR policies may not be easy everywhere. Some overseas companies openly discriminate against female seafarers in hiring, or only hire personnel of certain nationalities, according to the study - and even for well-resourced Western companies, it can be hard to uphold "zero-tolerance" deterrence policies. Maersk, the number-two ocean carrier, has had to rehire at least one officer who was previously dismissed for sexual harassment, and has noted that sexual offenders can return to work in its U.S. market. It will not provide numbers on the extent of any onboard abuse in its fleet, according to Danish business paper Berlingske.