Protection of human rights at work: Corporate's responsibility

Workplaces are among the areas where many human rights violations can be faced. Protecting rights in these areas is also a prerequisite for human beings to live a decent life. This study addresses the problem of the protection of human rights in workplaces and examines the steps taken to protect rights. In the 20th century, when human rights began to take concrete ground in the international arena, it was recognized that the policies of companies, whose economic power reached a gigantic size in the capitalist system, also caused the violation of rights. For this reason, the corporate activities carried great risks for human rights of workers. In this context, since the 1970s, the issue of protecting human rights by companies in terms of respect, due diligence, and compensation has been on the agenda. Following the steps taken in the international arena, national governments have also tried to prevent violations of rights arising from corporate activities by enacting laws that impose responsibility on companies. In the first part of this thesis, the background of wage labour and the development of capitalism is examined, the second part issues the basic norms in international law for the protection of human rights, and the third part studies the national legislation that imposes responsibility on companies for the protection of rights. In this framework, the impact of the steps and practices taken and their contribution to protecting human rights are analyzed. Keywords Human rights, work life, protection of rights, corporates' responsibility, due diligence