Public Consultation: Guidance for the Repayment of Recruitment Fees and Related Costs

We are pleased to inform you that the public consultation for the draft Guidance for the Repayment of Recruitment Fees and Related Costs will commence on 16 March 2026. The draft guidance was developed by the Labour Subgroup and approved by the Human Rights Working Group (HRWG). Following notification to the Standards Standing Committee, the draft is now ready for public consultation and field trials.

This guidance supports the implementation of Indicator 6.8.3 (C) of the 2024 RSPO Principles and Criteria for the Production of Sustainable Palm Oil (P&C). Indicator 6.8.3 states:

“The UoC shall repay active workers (as of, and from, the adoption date of the RSPO Principles and Criteria 2024) who have paid recruitment fees or related costs.”

The guidance was prepared to provide Members with principles for the repayment of recruitment fees applicable to all types of growers. For companies that have already implemented repayment of recruitment fees and related costs, it serves as an informative resource. Where methodologies differ, it should be viewed as a supportive reference.

Your feedback is crucial to ensure that the guidance is clear, practical, and implementable across different operational contexts. We welcome your comments and inputs before the end of the consultation process on 16 May 2026.

Note: The public consultation period will run from 16 March 2026 to 16 May 2026.

You can access the consultation materials and submit your comments via the public commenting platform here:

Public Commenting Platform

We will also be organising webinars on the proposed guidance document and how to use the public consultation platform on 16 March 2026 (Monday). Stakeholders who wish to attend are kindly requested to register using the links below.

Upon registration, you will receive a confirmation email with webinar access details:

Session 1

16 March 2026

4:30 – 5:30PM (GMT+8)

Register here

Session 2

16 March 2026

9:00 – 10:00PM (GMT+8)

Register here

The draft guidance is available for comment in the following languages: English, Bahasa Indonesia, Spanish, French, Thai, Portuguese, and Bahasa Malaysia.

If you have any questions or require clarification during your review, please feel free to contact us at [email protected].

We look forward to your participation and valuable feedback during the public consultation process.