Knowledge is power. For workers and other vulnerable people in global supply chains, the first step to empowerment is knowing what their rights are and how to exercise them. The lack of awareness about fundamental rights and responsibilities in the workplace has resulted in workers not being able to take necessary steps to safeguard their rights and wellbeing or to respond to risks. Labor Solutions sees eLearning as an integral part of reaching our goals to improve conditions for workers, and to making our other products (surveys and grievance tools) more effective. Workers access our eLearning courses and our partners' courses through our WOVO application and web-based platform, also available through workplace kiosks, tablets and computer labs. From the same platforms they can also access other tools from their employer, like worker surveys , key human resources information and Connect , a grievance and communication platform. The all-in-one platform provides workers with a holistic solution and makes it easier for them to quickly apply their learnings. Labor Solutions takes a worker-centric approach to eLearning, using our team of professional instructional designers, tech experts and UX designers to create an engaging, interactive learning journey in bite-sized pieces that workers can access easily from any device, and can digest quickly and effectively. We have courses for workers on physical + emotional wellbeing, including nutrition and stress management, as well as workplace safety topics such as fire safety, grievance tools, and effective communication. We also have a suite of courses for managers to help ensure, from line managers and supervisors to corporate office leadership, there is a consistent understanding of responsible business practices, proactive safety and risk management, and knowledge of new supplier obligations such as human rights due diligence. Our online courses are developed in partnership with the top experts and international organizations, and represent the best, most effective way to ensure knowledge of rights and responsibilities throughout your supply chains. In 2022 alone, we launched over 24 new eLearning lessons with topics ranging from Responsible Recruitment to Gender Equity and Fair Working Conditions . These lessons are available in at least five languages : Simplified Chinese, Vietnamese, Khmer, and English. Many of our most in-demand lessons are also already translated into Thai, Burmese, Nepalese and Spanish and we are happy to provide additional languages as needed for a minimal fee. We are very proud to have launched a course on Fair Working Conditions, which brings workers an introduction to dos and don’ts around important workplace rights topics such as contracts, recruitment, harassment, social dialogue, and fair pay. All modules of the course consist of core content built on the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, explained clearly and incorporating examples and dialogue to help workers contextualize their rights and how to deal with difficult situations. Our other eLearning collaborations include: Kindling + Arup for Building and Fire Safety Better Work (ILO) eLearning on Worker Rights & Responsibilities FiftyEight's Responsible Recruitment Course ICRW Gender 101 Course ETI’s Course on Access to Remedy IOM on Migrant Worker Rights We are also building a library of content on common workplace issues to support both workers and managers at all levels to be constructive and proactive in their approach to common concerns and complaints. Workers have high levels of completion of our virtual workshops because of our responsive and interactive design, and we look forward to launching more sessions on topics that are important for your compliance needs, and to build better workplace culture, for happier, more productive workers. Collaborate with Us, Reach More Workers + Amplify Your Message At Labor Solutions we are always looking to help digitize and amplify leading industry content from partners around the world. If you have content you'd like digitized please reach out to Jen Green , our Sr. Director of Content and Partnerships, to learn more about how we can collaborate. About Labor Solutions Labor Solutions, an impact-focused business, leverages technology to connect , engage and educate workers to build resilient supply chains. Over a million and a half workers in 25 countries have access to Labor Solutions’ worker engagement platform, WOVO .

Shareholders, governments, and consumers increasingly are holding companies accountable for harm caused in supply chains. These new demands are driving companies and multi-stakeholder initiatives to look for innovative scalable, solutions to identify, prevent, and mitigate human rights risks. As a result, Labor Solutions’ business doubled in 2022, with clients planning on expanding LS services to more suppliers and workers in coming years. Labor Solutions’ design and product development teams are based in Asia and many live next door to large manufacturing facilities. Our team knows our userbase well and strives to create products that meet their needs, while gathering data that can effect global change. Read more about how they think about product design here. In 2022, we continued to update our tools to meet market demands, focusing on ease and flexibility of the design process and increased accessibility for diverse markets to simultaneously and rapidly improve both global and local value in data. To help our clients scale and meet the global mandates, in 2022, Labor Solutions focused on building systems, data sets and tools to help clients scale to thousands of supplier sites and cover millions of workers. Here are some of our 2022 product design achievements; Expanded Access Expanded access by updating design and functionality to support illiterate users (like adding emojis) Added new access points for our grievance mechanism tools. Added security features to support workers in high-risk places like Myanmar. Improved Data + Reporting Simplified the data output to make it easier to track and identify high + low risks sites. Structured data to focus on ensuring suppliers have functioning workplace systems that protect workers, instead of data focused on identifying specific issues. Additional data filters to help users better understand the specific needs and trends in each sourcing country, supplier and worker demographic group. Reporting features that make it easier to track progress over time Easier Deployment Created a more adaptive survey design system to support gathering data from a more diverse population, like more flexibility around mass translations, and simultaneous deployment in multiple locations Added features to streamline recurring survey deployment Easier to do quick deployments and track live results Reach out to our team to get a demo of WOVO platform. About Labor Solutions Labor Solutions, an impact-focused business, leverages technology to connect , engage and educate workers to build resilient supply chains. Over a million and a half workers in 25 countries have access to Labor Solutions’ worker engagement platform, WOVO .

Shareholders, governments, and consumers increasingly are holding companies accountable for the harm caused in the supply chains. These new demands are driving companies and multi-stakeholder initiatives to look for innovative scalable, solutions to identify, prevent, and mitigate human rights risks. Workers are the most likely to see and hear issues first, so many companies have turned to digital worker surveys to gather direct worker feedback. While there are many survey tools on the market, few meet the unique needs of multi-tiered complex supply chains. Labor Solutions’ Vice President of Innovation and Product, Lordiclaire Suriawinata, leads the design of Labor Solutions products. In the following article, she shares how she and her team think about worker surveys. Their framework has resulted in an industry-leading tool and the collection of feedback from millions of workers. [Read more about how Labor Solution conducted a survey of 350,000 workers for adidas] In nearly a decade, Labor Solutions has never closed a survey without reaching the determined sample size, a fact that Ms. Suriawinata, is proud of, “We strive to create tools to be used efficiently and effectively at scale. Our worker survey tool is just that. We never have to go back to a client and say, ‘I’m sorry we couldn’t get enough responses.’ That to me says we’re doing something, well a lot of things, right.” Below, Ms. Suriawinata gives readers insight into the framework that guides her and her team's work. A worker survey is only as good as the responses collected To ensure surveys have quality input—sufficient, accurate, reliable responses — the survey tool must be scalable, accessible, trusted, and valuable to users; Scalable: supply chains are huge and issues to identify can be complex. Tools need to provide enough guidance through content banks, translation and localization support and surveys need to be able to reach millions of workers quickly and affordably around the world to ensure that their efforts are successful, and their results are accurate. Accessible to targeted population: Flexibility to meet them in their preferred channel is a priority, but worker surveys conducted on a global scale need to also account for the diversity of the population and their circumstances. Tools need to provide enough guidance to support multiple languages, varying literacy, and digital connectivity levels, and solutions to prevent response training. Trusted + valuable to the targeted population: Everything humans do is based on trust. A worker survey is no different. Naturally, workers have lots of questions; Why are they spending time taking a survey? Who is collecting the data and what will they do with the data they find? Survey participants need to feel like their voices are valuable and their responses will create demonstrable change for them. This trust is built outside of the technology. It comes from engagement (at all levels), good questions, and follow-up. At Labor Solutions, we first build trust with the employer and work with the employer to build trust with workers. Worker Survey output must be relevant, insightful, and actionable Just as important as the collection of reliable data, is the output of the survey data. Complex supply chains have thousands of suppliers and millions of workers, aggregating, comparing, and presenting meaningful, actionable data is key. Aggregated: Companies want to see how the whole supply chain is performing first and foremost to understand their overall performance. Reports need to pull data from multiple different sources to give this oversight. Surveys created for supply chains conducted at a global scale need a level of standardization that can be shared and implemented with other companies to achieve this automatically. Comparable: Issue identification can happen at any level of the supply chain and breaking down data into specific suppliers, demographics, and time periods is a necessary step of risk management. Reports need to be automated to process and organize large datasets for easy analysis between these groupings to gain more targeted insight. Meaningful and actionable: Are the results of the survey going to help them make effective solutions? Coordinated surveys are a balancing act of what the companies want to look at on a global level and what the individual suppliers need on a local level. These surveys and their reports need to be flexible enough to present the specific information that each party needs so each of them can focus on making directed and meaningful changes. For almost a decade, Labor Solutions has worked closely with complex supply chains to identify and address these complex needs to create an effective and industry-leading survey tool that covers all these bases and more. [Find out How Labor Solutions conducted a survey and leverage those results to make meaningful changes in Myanmar] Labor Solution provides the industry's standard surveys such as Nike's Engagement and Wellbeing Survey and is a Social & Labor Convergence recognized Worker Engagement Tech. We have fine-tuned our methods over a decade to deliver value + actionable insights. Find out more about Labor Solution's Worker Survey here.

This post was written in collaboration with The Mekong Club and originally posted on their website. The Mekong Club carries out regular anonymous surveys of private sector professionals working within retail and manufacturing industries. One of the key questions they ask is ‘Are workers within the supply chain of your company able to easily report concerns about their employment conditions, in their own language?’. In other words, are workers able to easily access appropriate grievance mechanisms? Less than 50% of the respondents surveyed in 2021 answered ‘Yes.’ But over 70% of respondents claim to have a modern slavery policy in place; which by definition should include grievance mechanisms. Lack of access to worker grievances is a glaring example of policy not being supported by tangible action on the ground. Consumers, investors, and shareholders now expect companies to support social sustainability policies with action. A grievance mechanism can help and is understood as a formal complaint process that workers can use when a business’ activities negatively impact them. Grievance reporting enables companies to validate and monitor the policies they construct. Companies with high engagement levels make two and a half times more in revenue than their competitors with low engagement levels. Yet, worldwide, only 13% of employees are engaged. [Read What does a good worker complaint process look like?] Increasingly, grievance mechanisms are being required under mandatory human rights due diligence laws (mHRDD) across in the EU, Canada and the US. The German Supply Chain Due Diligence Act notably mandates all companies with more than 3,000 employees that are either based in Germany or German branches of foreign companies must have a grievance mechanism in place by January 1st, 2023. Grievance is a rare area of the anti-slavery strategy that is measurable and works to scale if done correctly, generating clear ESG-friendly data points and case studies; gold dust in the murky world of sustainability reporting. Scrutiny should be applied to those who claim they have no grievances, as grievances can be found even in the most respectful workplaces. While no grievances may look great, it often means that the feedback collection systems are faulty or workers are fearful of reporting grievances. Both the correct worker feedback collection system and the right response process are essential to deliver returns and impact worker engagement. Effective worker voice systems are composed of an ongoing cycle of decisions and actions that all impact one another. We asked our grievance partner Labor Solutions to define “effective grievance mechanisms” and got a breakdown of what success looks like in practice for all actors involved: FROM THE WORKER’S PERSPECTIVE ANONYMOUS: Our team works with often factories and hears management sing praises about their worker feedback system: “Our workers come into our offices and tell us how they feel every day. We address their issues on the spot. We have a great relationship with them.” This alone is not an effective worker feedback system. While it open dialogue with employees is great for an open door policy, when workers are unable to log their grievances, some will not come forward and serious issues may not be addressed. KNOWN: Workers need to know about the system. It needs to be promoted consistently and openly. It should be discussed as part of the onboarding process, announced during team meetings, and posted in public places. If workers don’t know about the system, they won’t use it. ACCESSIBLE: Whatever system you choose needs to be accessible to your workforce. If workers don’t have email addresses or mobile phone access, an email or mobile phone system would obviously be inaccessible. FROM THE EMPLOYER’S PERSPECTIVE CONFIDENTIAL: Employers are more likely to seek worker feedback if they know the feedback is confidential and not shared with unions, their clients, or others. We have seen that many third-party helplines have low utilization, often around 2%, while those that are run by employers directly are much higher, around 25%. This also means that small misunderstandings can be kept from ballooning into huge complaints because management can address worker concerns quickly and directly. TWO-WAY COMMUNICATION: If an employer has no way to follow up with a worker on a complaint or question, it is unlikely that they will be able to find an effective solution. For example, if a worker drops a message in a grievance box that says, “My manager hit me,” there are a lot of additional questions that need to be asked—like “who is your manager?”, or “when did the incident occur?” If the employer isn’t able to have a two-way, anonymous conversation with the worker, they won’t get the information they need to make change. In addition, if they do solve the problem, they aren’t able to let the worker know how it was solved, leaving workers feeling like their questions went unanswered. EASILY AGGREGATED DATA: A system which collects data, aggregates and organizes it, allows top management to identify and follow trends and decide when executive action is needed. It also helps with investigations. If the same problem is being reported consistently, it helps investigators uncover the root of problems faster. [Read more about how WOVO can help align different stakeholders' interests] INVESTIGATION AND RESPONSE PROCESS EFFICIENT: Efficiency is key to ensuring that a concern is properly addressed, and that both parties stay engaged and committed to resolving the issue at hand. Efficiency in responses is characterized by its directness, timeliness, and clarity. Even if you don’t have a resolution to the issue, or think the feedback is impractical, it is still important to respond directly, emphatically, and promptly. Across all of our clients at Labor Solutions, we see a direct correlation between the speed of response and the utilization rate—the faster the employer works to respond to the worker, the more likely the worker will use the system. A message like this is fine to start: “Thank you, we are investigating and will get back to you as soon as possible.” EXPLAINED: An efficient solution is great, but is lacking if only one party understands it. Management needs to make clear what the proposed resolution, or at least response, is and what it will look like for the worker. If management does not plan to resolve the issue, there should be a response explaining why. This ensures that at the least the worker feels heard and will hopefully continue to use the feedback system. PROMPTS ACTION: A quality resolution is only as good as the action it prompts. Feedback systems that create win-win outcomes are dependent upon the resolution being meaningfully and continuously carried out throughout the workplace. This allows a worker to see that their feedback spurred change, causing them to feel increased engagement and can consequently increase their productivity. It is important to consider if feedback should prompt a review of internal procedures and processes in addition to reviewing the specific issue at hand. For example, if a worker is reporting abuse, in addition to addressing the specific claim, it is also important to determine if the abuse is just a singular event, or if it is systematic and widespread, indicating a need for procedures to be altered to prevent similar events in the future. For a response process to be effective, it is important that the facility is not scared of punitive actions for issues brought to its attention. The facility needs to feel safe admitting there is a problem and asking for support from surrounding resources to solve that problem. Leadership and management should encourage open dialogue and improvement activities. Typically, punitive actions should take place only if the facility does not work to address issues brought to its attention. Technology can be at the core of any good grievance system identifying cases of modern slavery, forced labor, and sexual and gender-based violence and harassment (SGBVH), but it cannot act alone. With a healthy amount of scrutiny towards a lack of grievances and a proper system in place to address and respond to worker feedback, worker trust will naturally grow stronger. Ensuring that the feedback system in your workplace has the above attributes will create a space that allows management and workers to maintain that trust; therefore, fostering a safe and healthy workplace environment that promotes both wellness and productivity. ----- Labor Solutions, a social enterprise, leverages technology to connect, engage and educate workers to build resilient supply chains. Over a million and a half workers in 25 countries have access to Labor Solutions’ worker engagement platform, WOVO. Please reach out to our team to learn more: info@laborsolutions.tech.

Through WOVO, our flagship technology, we provide an ecosystem of tools for factory workers, suppliers, and brands. We provide a mobile application for workers to learn, share feedback, report problems, and get company updates easily. WOVO is currently in the hands of over 1.5 million workers across 36 countries. In this blog post, we will explain how WOVO is making a difference by providing inclusive and accessible technology to factory workers in developing regions. The Reality: The great majority of workers have access to smartphones + the internet One of the concerns we regularly hear is: "Do workers in developing regions have access to the internet and a smartphone?" Here are some facts about Southeast and South Asia, the regions where most of the world's manufacturing units are located; · More than 3 in 4 people [ Source ] in Southeast Asia have access to the Internet and over 88% have access to smartphones [ Source ]. · South Asia has a mobile cellular subscription rate of 85% [ Source ] and is expected to be at 80% smartphone penetration by 2025 [ Source ]. For most manufacturing workers in the region, the real accessibility problems stem from slow internet speed, the affordability of data, and digital literacy. Building Inclusive and Accessible Technology To make our technology more accessible to factory workers, our design team has built a mobile application that requires limited data and phone memory, while our implementation team works with employers to ensure access to Wi-Fi. We prioritize managing the size of data and use data compression techniques to reduce data usage and cost for users. WOVO is also not limited to Android and iOS mobile applications, but also accessible via QR codes and web links. Many functions are also accessible via SMS, Voice messaging, offline, onsite kiosks, and through third-party applications such as WeChat and WhatsApp. This helps reach as many workers as possible and be inclusive. Simplifying the user interface + content We use a minimalist and intuitive design for workers to understand and navigate easily. We design WOVO's interface and contents using icons, images, colors, and animations to convey information and guide users. WOVO also provides audio, video, and interactive options in its engagement so that we can serve illiterate workers and those with accessibility difficulties. Our eLearning content for workers uses simple and clear language avoiding jargon and technical terms. We created culturally ambiguous characters that help users and guide them through their learning journey. Supporting multiple languages for inclusion In countries with high numbers of migrant workers, we have also seen that not all workers are comfortable or proficient in the official language of the country they are in. WOVO and our eLearning lessons are available in over 26 languages, including major languages in Asia such as Tamil, Chinese, Indonesian, and Vietnamese. Users can easily switch language preferences within the app. Providing relevant and personalized information and services Depending on location, gender, age, industry, and skill sets, factories and workers all have unique needs. As regulatory requirements and risks are dependent on these myriads of factors, it is important to provide updated, relevant and targeted information to workers. Labor Solutions couples its technology with an experienced advisory team that helps brands and suppliers customize the eLearning lessons and information that is available on WOVO. Through WOVO, the targeted information and personalized lessons can be sent to the targeted workers based on their profiles - ensuring workers are well engaged. A tool that is in the hands of more workers than any other tool in the industry By making our technology inclusive and accessible, we have been able to reach more workers than any other tool in the industry. We understand that not all workers have access to the internet or smartphones, which is why we also believe in on-the-ground interaction for the ‘last-mile’ users. Our commitment to making technology easy for workers has enabled us to push the number of workers who can access WOVO to improve their lives. This takes us a step further in achieving our mission of improving the lives of workers.

SLCP, the Social and Labor Convergence Program , is an industry initiative to harmonize the collection of data on working conditions and reduce the social audit burden. Leading global brands and factories use SLCP as a credible social audit that helps to alleviate the workload on suppliers through an effective, unified standard and verification process. SLCP’s unique data sharing system also allows facilities to share their data with a number of stakeholders at once. This year, SLCP is adding the capability for worker surveys called WE-Tech, or worker-engagement technology and strongly encourages it to be included in their supplier assessment. Labor Solutions, who successfully participated in the trial of the WE-Tech worker survey in 2022, is now an approved service provider for SLCP WE-Tech. Why has SLCP added a Worker Survey? A worker survey is more inclusive than a traditional worker interview. More workers are able to participate, providing facilities the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of working conditions in the facility. SLCP Worker Engagement Technology (WE Tech) provides a digital platform for workers to directly and anonymously report information. SLCP has adopted this technology as a method for complimenting all three (3) SLCP Validation Methods: Onsite Verification, Virtual + Onsite Verification and Full Virtual Verification. WE-Tech allows a quick, scalable way to discover high-level issues in the workplace. The yes / no answer options allow clear distinctions between adequate and inadequate conditions that verifiers can investigate and that facility management can use to direct action plans and improvements. What does the survey ask? The survey consists of 20 questions related to facility working conditions and the WE Question Set is intended to complement, not duplicate, the CAF Tool questions. This makes the WE Question Set an effective tool for cross referencing with other documentation to ensure an even more accurate interpretation of facility working conditions. The survey covers seven categories of workplace issues: promotion/advancement, discrimination, harassment/abuse, health and safety, grievance, working conditions, and wages and benefits. For example, questions include: "In the past twelve months, have you learned new skills at this facility, that will help you to get a better job in the future? " Factories who participate in the WE-Tech survey will receive a copy of the results and can add their own questions to be deployed at the same time as the WE-Tech survey if they wish. The questionnaires are available in multiple languages and can be augmented with visual or audio to aid workers with literacy issues. Survey data is anonymous, aggregated and compiled into an easily understood and user-friendly summary report. How to Deploy SLCP with Labor Solutions? Labor Solutions’ WOVO Engage is a worker survey tool that enables local facilities and global companies to gather transparent + accurate data directly from the workers throughout the complex supply chains. Worker surveys can be deployed easily and rapidly through multiple channels to reach the maximum number of workers through WeChat, QR code, WhatsApp or even onsite. Labor Solutions can help you deploy using whatever method is best for your facility and workers. WOVO reporting dashboard provides global + local trends to understand the issues within the supply chain. The data throughout the supply chain can be tracked and compared throughout time. The scoring system help brands and facilities to better understand specific issues that need either remediation or improvement plans. The automated plan suggests and provides support to facilities with tools, resources, and development plans. If you are a factory or facility that already uses WOVO you can deploy SLCP ‘s WE-Tech as simply as deploying a survey-- contact your Client Advisor for more information. The tools are designed to be accessible to workers and make collecting worker data simple. Reach out to us to get more information and get started today. What Happens to the Data? The facility owns the survey data and decides with whom they would like to share the survey data but note that the Summary Report of the survey results will be part of the verified assessment data. If you share the FVV verified assessment data, you will share the survey results as well. The Verifier must attach the Summary Report to the final verified assessment with no exceptions. How to use the results? Labor Solutions' Advisory Team is Here to Provide Support Every Step of the Process. The SLCP requires factories to follow up on results and provides a protocol for next steps. But we know doing it alone is hard, especially for the first time. That's why Labor Solutions provides support beyond the tool itself. Our experienced advisory team provides support for both global brands and facilities at every step of the survey process to ensure success. We work directly with facilities to help them understand the opportunities of the survey and support promoting the survey to workers in their language. Is We-Tech Required? Currently WE Tech is only mandatory for Full Virtual Verification as Full Virtual Verification does not permit worker interviews; however, WE Tech benefits all three (3) SLCP Validation Methods, including Onsite Verification, by providing facilities the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of working conditions in the facility. Why Labor Solutions? Labor Solutions is a women-owned, Asia-based tech solutions provider that specializes in engaging with workers to collect reliable data at scale and report it in a way that proves actionable insights. Labor Solutions has over a decade of experience in worker surveys and worker engagement in footwear and apparel manufacturing. WOVO actively engages over 1.8 million workers worldwide in their local language. It has the gold standard for worker surveys and deployments which provide statistically significant results and provide the basis for informed improvements. We are focused on improving outcomes for workers and factory management by leveraging technology and data to inform and improve, not catch and penalize. Contact us at info@laborsolutions.tech for more information and pricing.

Brands and suppliers are increasingly focused on worker well-being and its impact on engagement, productivity, and sustainability. However, many companies struggle to get started, measure success, and implement worker well-being programs throughout their supply chains. Case Study: The Children’s Place Since 2018, Labor Solutions has supported The Children's Place (TCP) , a children's apparel brand, in deploying worker well-being and engagement programs throughout its supply chain as part of TCP’s ESG strategy. The Children's Place relied on in-person training to execute their worker wellbeing program, but recognized they were unsalable and expensive. In search of something more scalable, sustainable, and systematic - TCP landed on WOVO. WOVO's holistic functionalities, met the needs of TCP's worker wellbeing program, supporting the entire cycle from identifying needs and delivering clear data points to facilitating systematic changes and measuring long-term impacts. Listening to Workers’ Voices and Understanding Their Needs The Children's Place started its engagement with Labor Solutions by conducting a baseline survey to understand the needs of its workers. With WOVO, TCP deployed a baseline survey directly to workers from 14 suppliers in 3 countries and was able to quickly gather results to pinpoint workers’ well-being needs. WOVO's worker survey tool is designed for complex supply chains. The tool allows companies to collect feedback from workers in multiple languages, and it provides data that can be used to drive change. The survey found: Workers want to communicate more with management but were concerned about anonymity Workers were interested and willing to use technology to take training. Workers are keen to learn more about worker well-being topics Worker surveys are a great start for companies to collect feedback from their workforce and access where the changes could be made. WOVO also provides data that can be used to identify areas for improvements and track progress over time. Improving Worker Wellbeing through WOVO Platform Based on the survey results, TCP implemented WOVO Connect and WOVO Educate . WOVO Connect is a tool that helps companies to engage with their workers and create positive changes in the workplace. The tool includes a grievance and dialogue system and a third-party whistleblowing line that supports anonymous worker communications. By implementing this tool, TCP supports workers to have a voice in their workplace and to be heard. WOVO Educate is a modular eLearning lesson provider for workers. It can be used to train workers on a variety of topics, including workplace safety, rights + responsibilities, and also well-being topics. These lessons are delivered through the same WOVO platform, helping companies to train their workers in a cost-effective and efficient way. George Hou of TCP said these lessons “provide an interactive learning process and real-life examples for workers to absorb and apply the knowledge learned while minimizing the risk of in-person training during the COVID period. It is also very cost-effective for our suppliers,” The dashboard that is part of the platform helped TCP establish and collect actionable data points to drive change through its dashboards, including the number of workers trained, the types of questions workers are asking, and the workers' perceptions of workplace communications and their wellbeings. Throughout the process, Labor Solutions provided structured implementation and advisory services to help suppliers thoroughly understand not only the technology aspects of the WOVO platform but also how it is integrated with factories’ day-to-day operations and the soft skills required for management. Starting a Successful Worker Wellbeing Program You cannot do this alone to kick off a successful program like this. It is important to get management buy-in from day one, as well as work with suppliers deeply to ensure they are aligned with you on the goals. TCP's Regional Responsible Sourcing Manager, Mr. George Hou discussed with us what he found useful in going through this journey > read more here. Labor Solutions provide companies with customized WOVO package to meet their specific needs and to roll out the platform to their workers. We provide a variety of support services to help companies implement their programs and ensure successful programs.

Businesses around the world are taking a closer look at the "S" in ESG to further human rights due diligence in supply chains. Worker grievance is a key area of ESG that is measurable and effective, if done correctly, generating clear data and insights for companies to track improvements. Gildan , a leading apparel manufacturer, is using WOVO, a grievance mechanism app, to elevate worker voices and improve their lives. Labor Solutions interviewed the Director of Global Social Compliance at Gildan, German Reyes, about the company’s experience using WOVO and the role of leveraging technology to help elevate worker voices in complex supply chains. Read our conversation below: Photo courtesy of Gildan 1. When and why did you start using WOVO? We began using WOVO in 2021 after several employees expressed interest in submitting feedback directly on their smartphones. We then start to evaluate the idea of incorporating an additional grievance mechanism system; we looked into various options and one of our customers expressed the positive experience they had with Labor Solutions and recommended that we use it in our facilities. We rolled out and implemented the WOVO app in two of our facilities located in Honduras and Nicaragua. 2. What did you want to achieve by using employee voice tools like WOVO? We were looking to further elevate the culture of open and safe communication channels with our workers. We already had processes in place for traditional grievance mechanisms, but we wanted to step it up and go digital. We also wanted to ensure that communication with our workers was efficient and that responses were provided in a timely manner. We knew that going digital could certainly help us with that. 3. What has changed for your business since you started using WOVO? Since starting to use WOVO, Gildan has seen a number of positive changes. Employees now have a direct line of communication with management via digital communication channels, which has led to increased trust and engagement. Employees have been more motivated to ask questions as well as provide more suggestions and ideas. The company has also been able to better track and categorize grievances, which has helped them to identify and address recurring issues. Finally, we can better understand our employees’ needs and as a result, we have developed even closer relationships between management and workers. 4. How have you used WOVO to monitor and report on social sustainability + grievance matters internally? Throughout the years, we have monitored the number of suggestions received through our suggestion boxes as well as through the rest of our grievance mechanisms. With WOVO we continue to monitor our grievances, but we are also able to quickly identify recurring trends that could positively be improved. These trends are communicated to our different internal teams so that together, with our workers and other stakeholders, we can identify the best solutions. 5. Can you share a particular experience or insight into how you used WOVO to collect workers’ feedback and make changes in your facilities? At the end of last year, multiple suggestions were received from workers regarding the synchronization of the Electronic Time Record System and the digital clocks located on our production floor. The suggestions were sent to our IT Department who reviewed the problem and confirmed that when power outages occurred, the digital clocks were misconfigured, causing small discrepancies on time reported by workers. Thanks to their feedback our teams were able to quickly fix the issue. The case was successfully closed on the app and the employees were satisfied with our response. 6. In your opinion, what is the key to a successful WOVO implementation? I’m a strong believer that getting everyone on the same page from the get-go is a great way to roll out a new initiative. Specifically, with WOVO, I think the key to a successful implementation is a strong onboarding that includes all levels of management in a facility from day 1. Here is a roll-out structure I believe could help: Pre-Launch : conduct a series of activities and an awareness campaign to generate interest and curiosity amongst employees. The Launch : Gather employees and explain to them how to install and use the app, as well as share the benefits of using the app. Post-Launch: Maintaining employee trust within the app by providing prompt responses as well as effective solutions to their grievances. Also, keep employees engaged by asking them to complete surveys and continue rewarding those who submit their feedback and suggestions through the app. Gildan is one of many companies that are using WOVO to ensure human rights due diligence processes are in place in their supply chains. The platform has helped Gildan to create a more open and transparent communication channel with their employees, and it has also helped them to identify and address recurring human rights issues. If you are looking for a way to kick-start your HRDD journey, Labor Solution is offering HRDD Starter Kit .

What is OECD Guideline for Multinational Enterprises on Responsible Business Conduct The OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises on Responsible Business Conduct (the Guidelines) are guidelines made for multinational companies to promote sustainable development and address the negative impacts of business on people, the planet, and society. The Guidelines offer voluntary principles and standards for responsible business conduct, aligning with applicable laws and internationally recognized standards. While some topics covered by the Guidelines may already be addressed by national laws and international commitments, they provide recommendations that go beyond legal requirements. It's important to note that the government's recommendation for companies to follow the Guidelines is separate from matters of legal liability and enforcement. Since their introduction in 1976, the Guidelines have been periodically updated to address changing societal challenges and the evolving landscape of international business. The 2023 update, which comes after the previous update in 2011, reflects insights gained from experience and responds to pressing social, environmental, and technological priorities that societies and businesses face today. What is being updated? The update process involved the 51 Adherents to the OECD Declaration on International Investment and Multinational Enterprises and multiple key stakeholders from the private and public sectors. The updates involve two public consultations open to stakeholders from all countries, representing the diverse perspectives of businesses, workers, and civil society. The overall key updates are as follows. For more detailed updates, you can visit OECD’s official page . Encouraging enterprises to align with internationally agreed goals on climate change and biodiversity. Introducing recommendations for risk-based due diligence regarding technology, including data collection and utilization, throughout its development, financing, sale, licensing, trade, and use. Providing guidelines on how enterprises should conduct due diligence concerning the impacts and business relationships associated with their products and services. Enhancing protection for vulnerable individuals and groups, including those who voice concerns about business conduct. Updating recommendations on disclosing information related to responsible business conduct. Expanding due diligence recommendations to address all forms of corruption. Recommending that enterprises ensure their lobbying activities align with the Guidelines. Strengthening procedures to ensure the visibility, effectiveness, and functional equivalence of National Contact Points for Responsible Business Conduct. Key Areas that Impact Global Buyers with Complex Supply Chain The updates have a broad impact across various aspects of the original Guideline. The following two areas; General Policies + Employment + Industrial Relations Specific Policies, may have the highest impact on the global buyers with complex supply chain. General Policies: Key Points What it means for Global Buyers Due diligence should be risk-based and proportionate to the severity and likelihood of adverse impacts, recommending enterprises to prioritize actions based on their significance. Specific geographies, commodities or industries have known risks – take immediate actions to educate + prevent on these issues. Conduct thorough and regular risk assessments that help you prioritize improvement and remediation actions based on the potential impact. Expectation for enterprises to engage in meaningful consultation with individuals or groups who may be adversely affected by their activities. Continuous engagement channels with stakeholders; including your suppliers, workers’ representatives and other stakeholders to prevent + remediate risks. Responsibility for adverse impacts should not be shifted from the entity causing them to the enterprise with which it has a business relationship. Buyers can no longer shift responsibility to supplier, meaning that implementing a system with mechanism + tools to educate, prevent, remediate, and improve the supply chain is a key success factor. Responsible engagement, rather than disengagement, should be pursued when there is a realistic prospect of improvement over time, with disengagement only being considered responsibly if necessary. A systematic identification process + improvement plan that encourages ongoing collaboration to drive positive change throughout the supply chain. Prevent reprisals against individuals investigating or raising concerns about their operations, products, or services, and foster a safe environment for voicing concerns. The mechanism + channels that protect individuals who raise concerns or report issues, then address those accordingly. Employment + Industrial Relations Specific Policies: Key Points What it means for Global Buyers Respect for workers' rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining. Educate suppliers, and their line managers to uphold and respect workers' rights to freely associate and engage in collective bargaining. Obligation for enterprises to provide a safe and healthy working environment, aligning with the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work. Ensure that suppliers create and maintain a safe and healthy working environment for their employees by supporting them with tools + education programs. Preventing human trafficking, forced labor, and coercive practices, while promoting transparency in addressing forced labor risks associated with operations, products, and services. Actively educate on and prevent human trafficking, forced labor, and coercive practices through education + prevention methods. The need for training programs that anticipate future changes, such as societal, environmental, and technological shifts, automation, digitalization, just transition, and sustainable development. Training programs that prepare workers for future changes and challenges. Stressing that enterprises should prevent reprisals against individuals investigating or raising concerns about their operations, products, or services, and foster a safe environment for voicing concerns. Mechanisms + tools for confidential reporting, whistleblower protection, and grievance redressal to encourage open communication and ensure that concerns are addressed promptly and effectively. Clarifying that providing reasonable notice to worker representatives and relevant authorities about major operational changes includes automation-related collective or large-scale layoffs or dismissals. Continuous engagement to keep workers informed on significant operational changes, particularly those involving automation that may result in collective or large-scale layoffs or dismissals. As most Human Rights Due Diligence laws and regulations are based on the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, the OECD Guidelines, it is important for global buyers to keep informed and update their processes to meet these guidelines. By incorporating such guidelines into supply chain, global buyers can mitigate legal risks, protect their reputation, and align with global expectations for responsible business conduct. If you are interested in learning more about how to take your first step in making your supply chain sustainable – download our eBook on Strategies for Effective HRDD in Your Supply Chain.

Download our eBook on Strategies for Effective HRDD in Your Supply Chain to learn more about this topic. According to the United Nations, “human rights are rights inherent to all human beings, regardless of race, sex, nationality, ethnicity, language, religion, or any other status.” Human Rights Due Diligence (HRDD) is a general term for the kinds of laws that require companies to undertake proactive measures to ensure business practices and operations do not violate human rights. These laws require companies to regularly assess, identify, remediate, and prevent human rights violations within their business and with varying scopes of application up and down the value chain. This starts with traditional due diligence to confirm the identity, legal status, policies, and practices of potential contractual partners, but adds additional responsibilities once a supply relationship is entered into, including remediation of violations. This limits a company’s ability to remove itself from a problematic supply chain and implies that supply relationships should be entered into with a long-term view—hence, the due diligence stage (pre-contract) is the decision point that will determine the kinds of obligations and potential liabilities you have with respect to this supplier and their associated stakeholders after you sign the contract. In this whitepaper, we will use “due diligence” to refer to all of the obligations that companies have under HRDD laws, not just traditional due diligence. The UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) published by UNHCR in 2011 are the authority on defining human rights in the business context and are the basis for HRDD principles that countries have used as the foundation of their HRDD laws. The UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights has three pillars: 1. The States Duty to Protect Human Rights States set clear expectations that companies domiciled in their territory/jurisdiction respect human rights in every country and context in which they operate. 2. A Company’s Responsibility to Respect Human Rights To meet the responsibility to respect, business enterprises must have the necessary policies and processes in place. The Guiding Principles identify three components of this responsibility. First, companies must institute a policy commitment to meet the responsibility to respect human rights. Second, they must undertake ongoing human rights due diligence to identify, prevent, mitigate, and account for their human rights impacts. Finally, they must have processes in place to enable remediation for any adverse human rights impacts they cause or contribute to. 3. Access to Remedy One of the fundamental principles of the international human rights system is that when a right is violated, victims must have access to an effective remedy. Since the adoption of these principles, a new era of socially responsible and sustainable business has taken shape and continues to build momentum. Many governments and businesses have used these principles to set regulations, policies, and set long-term goals. Recently we have seen several governments enact far-reaching laws and regulations in line with the Guiding Principles to help regulate businesses and their supply chains and ultimately protect workers. By implementing HRDD practices, companies can ensure that their products and services are created without harming the environment or violating human rights. This can help build trust with customers, stakeholders, and investors, while also minimizing legal and reputational risks. Furthermore, HRDD helps companies to promote sustainability and improve the overall well-being of their employees, suppliers, and communities where they operate. Overall, adopting HRDD is a critical step towards building a responsible and ethical supply chain, which is increasingly important for consumers and society as a whole. Globally HRDD regulations are being passed and more to come Several countries and regions have passed laws over the last few years regulating industries and imports into their country. Laws range from issue specific to disclosure reports to national-level mandatory due diligence and reporting that cover all human rights. Here are a few examples (this is far from exhaustive, and laws and regulations are being enacted, passed, and updated in real-time– so please check with legal counsel) Issue Specific Laws The UK , US and Australia Modern Slavery Act , and the Dutch Child Labor Due Diligence Act . Disclosure Laws The California Transparency in Supply Chains Act and the EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (EU CSRD) Mandatory Supply Chain HRDD France , Switzerland , the Netherlands , Norway , Germany , Japan . These are also proposed in Canada , Spain , and the EU . The enforcement mechanisms vary from case to case and could result in hefty fines or customs seizure of goods. Some laws allow for indiscriminate detention of specific types of goods, meaning importers are responsible for proving their supply chains are clear of violations. Buyers will be particularly sensitive about supplier selection and retention based on their ability to comply with human rights requirements. How Do Human Rights Due Diligence Regulations Effect Global Buyers Since January 2023, governments and NGOs have started to enforce and test the limits of the laws through investigations and in court. A complaint was filed in early 2023 against three major retailers alleging that their failure to become signatories to the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh is a violation of their due diligence obligations under the LkSG. In the UK, the Uyghur World Congress has brought a suit in London’s High Court over the government’s failure to ban imports of cotton products made with forced labor. And in the US, an environmental law organization filed suit against a global commodities trader for breaching the OECD guidelines on responsible business conduct for its operations in soya supply chains in Brazil and allegedly causing environmental damage and human rights violations. While these cases are still ongoing, the uncertainty and potential liability evidenced by these complaints and claims put global companies on notice about their human rights and environmental obligations. Having HRDD in your supply chain contracts can help you drive not only positive social impacts but also financial impacts. HRDD can help you avoid legal risks and reputational damage that may result from being associated with human rights abuses. Having good HRDD policies and practices can also enhance your competitiveness and attractiveness to customers, investors, and stakeholders who value ethical and sustainable business practices and see a lack of due diligence as a risk. Furthermore, these practices can also improve your operational efficiency and quality by reducing disruptions, conflicts, and grievances in your supply chains. Technological tools like Labor Solutions’ WOVO can help global companies understand and manage their supply chain risks at scale, and to collect the data they need to make required annual reports under new HRDD laws.