New guidelines aim to improve seafarer well-being and address labour shortage

In a first-of-a-kind move to improve seafarer well-being and tackle worsening labour shortages in the shipping industry, the Global Maritime Forum has launched new Sustainable Crewing Guidelines, nine concrete recommendations to improve life at sea.

The guidelines aim to boost working conditions and alleviate the forecasted shortfall of 90,000 trained seafarers by 2026 – a major risk to global supply chains and safety at sea.1

The guidelines were co-developed by the Global Maritime Forum’s All Aboard Alliance with a consortium of 12 major shipping companies based on feedback from over 400 seafarers. They are the culmination of years of research to identify critical improvements needed in areas such as abuse and harassment, work-life balance, and onboard facilities to boost workforce well-being and safety, as well as protect the future of global trade.

Despite the world’s 1.9 million seafarers keeping $14 trillion worth of global trade moving, the maritime sector continues to fall short in worker protection and treatment, making a career at sea less safe and appealing, contributing to high attrition rates. Preliminary research carried out to inform the guidelines showed that 25% of seafarers experience harassment and bullying (rising to >50% for female seafarers), 90% report having no weekly day off, and many are isolated with limited or no access to internet services at sea.

Struggling with inexperience, fatigue, and insufficient resources, workers face an increased risk of accidents, endangering both crew members and ships. It is estimated that 75-96% of accidents and incidents at sea involve human error (Allianz) and that 15-20% of all fatalities are linked to fatigue (Science Direct).

The impact extends beyond worker well-being, with major knock-on effects for global supply chains. Seafarer labour shortages have reached a 17-year high (contributing to an issue with safe minimum crewing levels on vessels) and some major banks have indicated they could curb lending for shipowners who put seafarers’ welfare at risk.

Mikael Skov, Chief Executive Officer at Hafnia and All Aboard Alliance Co-chair, said: “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.”

Susanne Justesen, Director of Human Sustainability at the Global Maritime Forum, said: “We need a complete re-think of what good looks like when it comes to seafarer well-being. While existing measures like the Maritime Labour Convention provide minimum standards for working conditions at sea, we hope the Sustainable Crewing Guidelines can serve as inspiration to those companies that want to go beyond the bare minimum – and lead the way for the industry to become both safe, attractive and sustainable for seafarers.”

Following 115 interviews with female seafarers from 23 different nationalities, the All Aboard Alliance launched the Diversity@Sea pilot project in October 2023 to address the pain points identified in the conversations. Several co-designed solutions were tested in a ten-month pilot project involving 12 first-mover shipping companies, with some 400 seafarers on the 12 pilot vessels providing daily feedback to assess the impact of these measures.

Pilot leads from each of the involved companies worked closely together to translate the learnings from the seafarers into the nine Sustainable Crewing Guidelines. Each guideline includes key indicators to help seafarers, charterers, cargo owners and shipping companies evaluate how well a shipping company or vessel is aligned with each guideline [see Appendix of the report for all key indicators]:

1.    Establish clear expectations of respectful and professional behaviour: Fostering respect and inclusion at both the company and crew levels is key to improving seafarer well-being and creating a positive work environment.

2.    Zero tolerance for abuse and harassment: Ensuring psychological safety onboard requires a zero tolerance approach to unacceptable behaviour that is supported by clear consequences and robust reporting systems.

3.    Set rank-specific criteria for tasks, training, and appraisals: Clear and transparent criteria are essential to ensuring fairness and equal opportunities for all seafarers regardless of gender, age, and/or nationality.

4.    Ensure appropriate equipment and facilities for all: Providing all seafarers access to proper equipment and facilities is vital for their safety, well-being, and job performance – this should include personal protective equipment that fits all body sizes, gender-separated facilities, and basic hygiene products that are readily available on board for everybody.

5.    Provide a reliable daily connection to the wider world: Staying connected with the wider world supports seafarers’ mental health, well-being, and job satisfaction. Currently, around 13% of vessels globally offer no internet access at all, while others charge seafarers to access onboard Wi-Fi. Crew members have also reported high dissatisfaction with their amount of shore leave.

6.    Reduce isolation by building supportive communities: Support networks and mentorship opportunities help seafarers feel less isolated and stressed.

7.    Offer flexible contract lengths and respect contract terms: Companies must honour work agreements, avoid short-notice contract extensions/terminations, and alleviate the pressure seafarers feel to work excessive hours and/or spend too long at sea.

8.    Provide paid parental leave: Over 90% of seafarers state that good parental benefits are important to them. Being pregnant or having family responsibilities at home should not prevent seafarers from making a living at sea.

9.    Continuously collect feedback and take action: Actively listening to seafarers and demonstrating a commitment to change builds trust and creates a more inclusive, supportive working environment.

Launched last week at Singapore Maritime Week, these guidelines set a new model for global regulatory benchmarks and will help the shipping industry move from ‘minimum standards’ to ‘best practice’.

The All Aboard Alliance will meet in April to explore the next steps for the guidelines, which aim to improve life at sea and drive mutual accountability.