adidas submitted 47,200 worker grievances in 2025 — up 32% — with a 99% resolution rate and 79% satisfaction. Here's why rising complaint volume is the strongest signal of a CSDDD-compliant program, and what six years of WOVO data proves.

Most suppliers have a grievance mechanism. The harder question is whether workers trust it enough to use it — and whether buyers know how to read what they see. Zero grievances rarely means zero problems. It often means workers don't feel safe speaking up. This article breaks down what effective operational grievance mechanisms look like, why utilization is the metric that matters, and how buyers can assess supplier systems with confidence.

Eight years of public WOVO data from adidas proves that CSDDD-compliant worker engagement is a program management problem, not a deployment one. Satisfaction doubled, response times fell 80%, and coverage scaled to 400,000+ workers. Here's what the full record shows.

Most companies reference the UNGPs in their sustainability reports. Few can demonstrate compliance at the worker level. The WELL Survey and WOVO Improve are built to close that gap — mapping every principle to structured, auditable evidence.

Most companies have a grievance mechanism. Few know what workers aren’t reporting. The WELL Survey finds the gaps audits miss. WOVO Improve closes them. WOVO Connect keeps the channel open. That’s what CSDDD compliance actually looks like in practice.

Discover how the WELL Survey aligns worker voice data with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Learn how standardized, experience-based worker surveys generate credible evidence for human rights due diligence, strengthen governance, and support measurable progress across global supply chains.

Labor Solutions is partnering with Open Supply Hub to integrate worker voice data directly into production location profiles. Launching in Q1 2026, this collaboration makes supply chain transparency more actionable by connecting grievance mechanisms and worker feedback to real factory locations—supporting workers, suppliers, and brands alike.

Learn how a free, multilingual HREDD supplier training program helps suppliers translate due diligence standards into practical, day-to-day implementation.

Learn why operational grievance mechanisms are only effective when workers actually use them. This article explains how utilization reveals real risks, builds trust, and strengthens human rights due diligence. Discover practical strategies to boost awareness, accessibility, and responsiveness so grievances become meaningful tools for worker protection and continuous improvement.

Explore how worker voice can be “sector-proof” in agricultural and food supply chains where seasonal, migrant, and informal labor often frustrate traditional audits and surveys. This post explains why human-centred, low-barrier worker voice systems - like tailored surveys and in-person engagement - deliver credible insights that reveal hidden risks and strengthen human rights due diligence beyond compliance.

Discover how Carter’s is transforming human rights due diligence by scaling worker voice across its global supply chain using the WELL Survey. Learn how more than 65,000 workers across 24 suppliers contributed insights that strengthen supplier engagement, surface real-world risks beyond audits, and support continuous improvement in worker wellbeing and responsible workplace practices.

Human rights due diligence in agriculture requires worker voice that fits reality. Learn how Labor Solutions deploys low-literacy surveys that reveal hidden risks.

Supporting HREDD through learning that works in practice.

In 2025, Labor Solutions expanded its reach to 3.8 million workers. What mattered most wasn’t scale, but what worker data revealed — and how quickly companies acted on it.

Across industries, leading brands use Labor Solutions tools to move beyond audits—using worker input to see hidden risks, focus on priority systems, and build supplier-owned solutions that reduce risk over time.

This case study shows how triangulating worker surveys, focus group discussions, and supplier self-assessments reveals whether grievance mechanisms work in practice—and how findings translate into tracked improvement under HRDD and CSDDD.

Across industries, leading brands use Labor Solutions tools to move beyond audits—using worker input to see hidden risks, focus on priority systems, and build supplier-owned solutions that reduce risk over time.

This case study shows how risk-based worker surveys in agriculture surfaced blind spots, systemic labor risks, and zero-tolerance issues—enabling targeted remediation grounded in worker-verified evidence.

This blueprint translates adidas’ real-world deployment of worker engagement into a practical, scalable, step-by-step model companies can use to meet CSDDD requirements across complex global supply chains.

This case study shows how targeted, role-specific chemical safety training strengthened prevention, worker awareness, and access to remedy in electronics supply chains—supporting HRDD and CSDDD requirements in practice.