TOPEKA (KSNT) - State officials are asking Kansas employers to pitch in to help fight human trafficking within the workforce. Becky Shaffer with the Kansas Department of Labor (KDOL) said in a press release on Wednesday, Jan. 8 that employers are being urged to take action against human trafficking within the state's workforce. Human trafficking negatively impacts the operations of legitimate businesses, undermines the labor market's integrity and harms workers. “Human trafficking is not only a violation of basic human rights but also a serious threat to ethical business operations,” said Kansas Secretary of Labor Amber Shultz. “Employers play a pivotal role in identifying and preventing these crimes to ensure safe, fair and lawful working environments.” The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) reports on its website that human trafficking can take many different forms such as sex or labor trafficking. The activity of human trafficking is defined by the FBI as the illegal exploitation of a person. Shaffer said human trafficking can be hard to identify. Employers and managers should keep an eye out for the following signs of human trafficking: Signs of physical abuse. Always having another individual around when talking with others. Limited or no access to personal identification documents. Working and living in isolated conditions and being cut off from interacting with others. Kansas has $600 million in unclaimed property. Are you owed any? KDOL encourages employers and managers to take action against these types of activities by reporting suspicious behavior to the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 888-373-7888 or by contacting local law enforcement. You can find more resources on how to report human trafficking in the workplace by clicking here. For more Kansas news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here. Follow Matthew Self on X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/MatthewLeoSelf