ISWAN’s Helpline Reveals Increase In Abuse & Harassment of Yacht Crew

New data from ISWAN’s YachtCrewHelp helpline shows that yacht crew are increasingly seeking support with serious issues like abuse, bullying, harassment, discrimination and violence; complex employment issues; and personal struggles.

The International Seafarers’ Welfare and Assistance Network (ISWAN) has published its Welfare of Yacht Crew 2024 Annual Review, providing the yachting industry with insights into the challenges facing yacht crew last year.

The annual review shares headline data from ISWAN’s free, confidential, multilingual helpline for yacht crew and their families, YachtCrewHelp, comparing it with data from ISWAN’s long-established helpline for the maritime sector, SeafarerHelp, and discussing what the industry can learn.

The review also includes guidance for crew and the industry as a whole, and details ISWAN’s ongoing initiatives to address some of the issues raised as part of its broader work for yacht crew welfare.

ISWAN reports that in 2024, the number of calls and messages to YachtCrewHelp relating to abuse, bullying, harassment, discrimination and violence (ABHDV) increased by 21.4% compared to the previous year.

Through its work supporting seafarers across the maritime sector, ISWAN has seen that the harmful impact of abuse can be amplified at sea where crew live in close quarters, away from the usual support networks of family and friends, for weeks or months at a time.

With the yacht being both the crew member’s workplace and home, crew can find themselves feeling trapped in situations that are highly detrimental to their welfare.

In fact, mental health and wellbeing challenges were among the top reasons for contacting YachtCrewHelp, with worry or concern and stress being the most common types.

Many crew members prefer not to provide personal information when they contact YachtCrewHelp, often sharing concerns about the risk to their reputation in the industry, potential reprimand or the implications for any non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) that they have signed.

This can add another layer of anxiety for a crew member who is experiencing a form of abuse or struggling with their mental health but is unsure whether they can safely talk about it or seek support.

Notably, 80% of YachtCrewHelp cases relating to ABHDV were from women. This was despite women making up 50% of those contacting the helpline in 2024, where gender identity was known (the highest proportion of women contacting YachtCrewHelp since its launch in 2020).

In a snapshot of more in-depth data on the forms of abuse reported in the second half of 2024, ISWAN reports that while both men and women contacted the helpline about bullying and harassment, women additionally sought support for experiences of sexual harassment and violence and physical abuse.

The most common reasons for contacting YachtCrewHelp in 2024 were employment terms and contractual issues, making up almost a third of all new cases.

The largest number of enquiries related to wages and unfair dismissal, but crew also contacted ISWAN for support relating to their employment agreement, hours of work and rest, repatriation and annual leave entitlement.

ISWAN reports that crew contacting YachtCrewHelp often do not have sufficient knowledge and information about their employment rights and what to do when they are breached, and as with many of the other issues crew contact ISWAN about, there are also frequently substantial impacts on the individual’s health and wellbeing.

ISWAN’s data highlights the importance of the industry taking a proactive approach to understanding the root causes of the issues facing yacht crew, taking preventative steps to addressing them and ensuring that appropriate support is available to those crew members who need it.

One way that ISWAN is working together with the industry to influence positive change for yacht crew and their families is by chairing the Changing Tack on Yacht Crew Welfare Working Group (CTWG).

Originally founded by The Seafarers’ Charity and the UK Sailing Academy (UKSA), the group’s core members now also include Nautilus International and CHIRP Maritime. The group will soon be announcing an exciting new partnership and inviting stakeholders from across the industry to join forces with them to deliver their priorities with increased pace and reach.

ISWAN’s Projects and Relationships Manager Georgia Allen said: ‘For the 2024 review, we took a deeper dive into the issues reported to us by yacht crew and their families through YachtCrewHelp, so this annual review provides a closer look at the problems to be tackled, how ISWAN is addressing them in partnership with the industry, and what actions both crew and other industry stakeholders can take.

This holistic approach is what also drives our Welfare of Yacht Crew Project – by better understanding the challenges yacht crew and their families are facing, we can ensure they have the support and resources they need to respond, and ISWAN can drive crew-centred change across the yachting industry.

However, lasting impact requires collective effort. We urge those committed to a safer, fairer and more inclusive industry to join forces with us and help turn shared values into meaningful action.’

The Welfare of Yacht Crew 2024 Annual Review can be downloaded here. ISWAN’s YachtCrewHelp and Welfare of Yacht Crew Project rely on financial support from the yachting industry and the broader maritime sector. Those interested in supporting ISWAN’s work to improve crew welfare in the yachting sector should contact ISWAN’s Welfare of Yacht Crew Project Manager Laura Beard.

Press Release

Source: Maritime Shipping News