The EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) requires companies to engage individuals or groups whose rights or interests are, or could be, affected by their operations—this clearly includes workers in global supply chains. To meet this challenge, many leading brands are partnering with Labor Solutions to implement scalable, tech-enabled worker engagement tools. These tools not only connect companies directly to workers but also generate actionable data to strengthen human rights due diligence efforts. adidas is leading by example, using WOVO by Labor Solutions to engage workers directly, strengthen due diligence, and drive measurable improvements across its supply chain. In adidas’ 2024 Annual Report , the company outlined their comprehensive and impactful approach to using WOVO to engage workers as part of their due diligence and improvement process. Scalable worker engagement across the supply chain adidas has deployed WOVO across 100% of its strategic Tier 1 supplier facilities, reaching over 400,000 workers in 105 manufacturing sites across 16 countries. WOVO is a key component of adidas’ worker engagement strategy. The annual report explains how adidas leverages WOVO’s grievance mechanism and worker survey features to ensure “workers can voice concerns, complaints, or grievances related to material risks and impacts – as well as the full range of human rights and labor rights risks that workers in the upstream value chain may face.” WOVO also allows workers to access critical digital training on safety and wellbeing. A trusted grievance mechanism adidas has built a robust and reliable grievance system to ensure workers across its supply chain have accessible, trusted channels to guarantee “ access for workers in the upstream value chain to seek remedy.” Central to this system is WOVO’s operational grievance management platform , which is required at all Tier 1 supplier facilities. According to adidas’ 2024 Annual Report, WOVO is "highly effective" and "trusted by workers" throughout the supply chain, evidenced by the “consistent, widespread”, “sustained usage" and "the high volume of cases received through the app.”    adidas closely monitors worker engagement with performance metrics to “evaluate the efficacy of the grievance channels, see major cases in real time, and undertake timely interventions where necessary.” “We are attentive to worker concerns and issues and continuously review and assess the feedback received through the WOVO platform...“It helps us understand the main challenges and labor rights issues... and undertake timely interventions where necessary.”— adidas 2024 Annual Report The annual report highlights several WOVO outcomes used by adidas as key impact and engagement measures: 35,700 worker grievances submitted through WOVO 9% Utlization Rate of the grievance System 99% resolution rate by year-end 76% satisfaction rate , up from 39% in 2019 Response time under 12 hours , down from 49 hours in 2020 Proactively listening to workers: Worker Surveys To complement its grievance channels, adidas conducts Worker Pulse surveys via the WOVO Engage platform —a tool that enables the company to efficiently gather insights into worker sentiment and awareness without needing to launch separate systems or standalone initiatives. These short, digital surveys are conducted twice a year across all strategic supplier factories and focus on critical workplace issues such as communication, harassment and abuse, and the effectiveness of grievance mechanisms. The survey includes six key statements, with workers asked to rate their level of agreement. Topics include, comfort speaking up or raising complaints, confidence in talking to supervisors and willingness to recommend the factory to friends. The results indicate a strong and growing trust in workplace systems and culture. Since 2020, favourable responses across all questions have increased steadily—from 78% in 2020 to nearly 90% in 2024. In 2024, 46,000 workers participated in a Gender Equality Survey to help advance adidas’ understanding of workers’ experiences using a gender lens. By using WOVO to deploy surveys, adidas is able to seemlessly launch worker surveys at a moments notices, ensuring worker voice is not only continuously captured, but easily scalable and repeatable—helping the company monitor progress, track sentiment trends, and strengthen accountability throughout its supply chain. Real-time data for better due diligence adidas uses WOVO not just for engagement, but for strategic decision-making. WOVO data feeds into adidas’ human rights due diligence systems and internal social compliance performance scores. The data allows adidas to identify gaps in supplier practices, policies, and broader human rights due diligence systems. This feedback loop strengthens adidas’ ability to monitor, anticipate, and proactively respond to potential labor risks—making due diligence a living, dynamic process rather than a reactive compliance exercise. Making worker engagement a supplier KPI: Turning engagement into accountability adidas doesn’t stop at collecting worker data—it builds accountability into its supplier relationships. All strategic suppliers are required to implement WOVO, ensuring each has a robust and standardized worker engagement system in place. To measure success, adidas incorporates “measures such as resolution and satisfaction rate of workers’ grievances and participation rate in workers satisfaction surveys” into its supplier key performance indicators. This makes worker engagement not just a value, but a measurable standard of supplier performance. Worker engagement as a strategic asset + a cornerstone of due diligence adidas’ success with WOVO offers a blueprint for brands navigating today’s complex regulatory environment. It shows how digital grievance mechanisms, when fully embedded into compliance frameworks, can: Meet international expectations under laws like CSDDD Improve real-time visibility into factory conditions Build a more responsive and rights-respecting supply chain For adidas, WOVO is more than a worker engagement tool—it’s an accountability system that gives workers a voice, empowers suppliers to improve, and keeps the brand at the forefront of ethical business practices. The result is a more responsive, resilient, and rights-respecting supply chain—where worker insights directly shape better outcomes for people and business alike. As regulatory pressure grows and expectations for responsible sourcing rise, brands like adidas show that investing in worker engagement isn’t just a legal obligation—it’s a strategic advantage.

Addressing a Critical Need in Chemical Safety Training   The electronics industry relies on complex manufacturing processes, many of which involve hazardous chemicals. Without proper training, workers and supervisors may not fully understand the risks, leading to unsafe conditions and long-term health hazards. Recognizing this urgent need, the Clean Electronics Production Network (CEPN) , in collaboration with industry leaders, worker rights organizations, and manufacturers, set out to create a comprehensive, industry-specific chemical safety training program .  As the eLearning development partner, we worked alongside CEPN, Electronics Watch, ICRT, and other stakeholders to transform technical safety content into an engaging, accessible, and practical digital training solution . Our mission is to ensure that this training effectively reaches and empowers workers and supervisors in electronics supply chains worldwide.  A Worker-Centric Approach   Unlike traditional compliance training, this program puts workers at the center, with a dual focus on both frontline employees and their supervisors. Key features include:  Real-World Relevance  – Scenarios and strategies drawn directly from electronics manufacturing.  Role-Based Learning  – Training tailored for both workers and supervisors.  Collaborative Development  – Built with input from multiple stakeholders to ensure credibility and practical application.    How We Built It   We designed the program for flexibility, interactivity, and impact:  Collaborative Content Design  – Developed with subject matter experts, labor groups, and factory managers.  Flexible Delivery  – Offered in three formats:  In-person   Live webinars   SCORM-compliant digital modules  (launching August 2025)  Interactive & Inclusive  – Includes engaging interactions, case studies and multilingual support.    Tested and Refined in the Real World   The training was piloted in Vietnam and Malaysia from November 2024 to January 2025. Feedback from these sessions helped refine the final program. Early outcomes showed:  Greater worker and supervisor confidence  Improved hazard reporting  Seamless training platform integration for better tracking    Now Live: CEPN Chemical Safety Training   The program is now officially available. It covers key topics like hazard identification, emergency response, and worker engagement, and will be available from June 2025 in Chinese, English, Filipino, Malay, Thai and Vietnamese languages with additional languages offered upon request. CEPN is also expanding its trainer network, with Train-the-Trainer sessions planned for August 2025 . Facilities implementing the training may be publicly recognized for their commitment to worker safety.    For companies looking to enhance their worker safety programs, this training represents a powerful and practical tool . We are proud to have played a role in its development and continue to support organizations in integrating it into their LMS platforms and workplace safety strategies .  Want to bring this training to your organization?    Contact us today to learn how we can help.

As new legislation like, CSDDD comes into effect, global companies work to implement new and upcoming human rights due diligence policies and practices, it is essential to place workers at the centre. The intent of the laws is to protect workers and what better way to protect workers than engaging workers.  A Worker-Centric Human Rights Due Diligence (HRDD) approachplaces the well-being of workers at the forefront of supply chain management.   Supporting Suppliers, Protecting Workers   The Worker-Centric HRDD approach represents a paradigm shift in how we conceptualize and implement corporate responsibility within supply chains. At its core, this approach empowers suppliers to take ownership of human resources practices and processes within their own facilities, and prioritizing the rights and well-being of workers.   The scale of the challenge is huge. Without engaging suppliers in the solutions, global companies will be unable to meet the expectations of the new laws.    Key Components  1. Worker-Centric Focus   The cornerstone of this framework is its commitment to listen to the needs and voices of workers. By prioritizing the rights and dignity of workers, companies and suppliers can create a culture of respect and empowerment throughout the supply chain.   The Worker- Centric approaches requires engaging workers throughout the entire process.  This starts with educating workers on their rights and extends to engaging unions and worker representatives in the remediation of grievances. This approach requires companies think about workers needs and perspective first.     2. Supplier Engagement    Unlike traditional top-down approaches to corporate responsibility, this framework requires supplier engagement. It focuses on competencies, rather than issues. This fosters accountability and encourages proactive engagement in addressing human rights issues. Trust is key for both workers and suppliers to be successful. If suppliers think worker feedback will be used against them, they will supress worker voices—making workplaces unsafe. Its key that suppliers are trusted and that trust is passed down to workers.    Every supplier will begin in a different place. This multilevel framework operates as a guide for suppliers to elevate their operations through strategic planning, implementation, and empowering engagement. It focuses suppliers on building competencies and systems with the hope of building trust that cascades throughout the workplace and supply chain. The goal is to ensure suppliers are constantly engaging workers, seeking feedback and acting on that feedback.    3. Collaboration and Transparency   Central to the success of this approach is collaboration and transparency among all stakeholders. By fostering open communication and sharing best practices, companies can collectively work towards more ethical and sustainable ecosystem. Brands should track suppliers’ progress and ensure open dialogue is active and ongoing. When workers stop trusting their employer, brands should be concerned and intervene.    4. Continuous Improvement   The journey towards a truly ethical supply chain is never-ending.  The Worker-Centric HRDD approach emphasizes the importance of continuous improvement, encouraging companies and suppliers to regularly assess and refine their practices to better protect workers' rights.   The Worker-Centric HRDD approach offers a forward-thinking solution to the complex challenges facing modern businesses. By prioritizing the rights and well-being of workers and fostering collaboration among all stakeholders, companies can build more resilient, ethical, and sustainable supply chains for the future. Embracing this framework is not only a moral imperative but also a strategic imperative for businesses seeking to thrive in a rapidly evolving global landscape.   Contact us for more information

Since 2021, Labor Solutions has partnered with Decathlon and over 100 suppliers to deploy the worker engagement and wellbeing survey ( EWB ) first developed by Nike and now deployed across multiple brands. The survey addresses six areas: 🛠️ Skills Development 💬 Communication 😰 Stress at Work 💸 Remuneration 🏥 Health and Safety 🤝 Social Connection Employee engagement is essential to continuously improve working conditions in production. Not only are engaged workers more likely to feel physically and mentally secure, but having an engaged workforce is proven to fundamentally shift overarching business and social issues such as compensation, overtime, and workplace conditions. For Decathlon, worker engagement and wellbeing is part of a program aimed at making partner suppliers autonomous in their human risk management. Worker surveys provide management with the information they need to make effective decisions. Lilian Meyer , Partner Autonomy Programme Leader at Decathlon says, “employee engagement is essential, if we are to continuously improve working conditions in production. Thanks to our suppliers’ self-assessment of their human risks and this new survey tool, we and more importantly our partner suppliers have a 360-degree view of worker well-being on site, thus making it possible to define areas for improvement.” When starting the program Decathlon wanted to ensure partners implemented scalable technology platforms which included other tools besides worker surveys to ensure the longevity and sustainability of the program. Decathlon also placed supplier long term autonomy at the center of their program, requiring functions like, the ability for suppliers to add their own questions to surveys. Labor Solutions’ ethos and fit well with Decathlon’s goals. Once WOVO is implemented at a site, management teams can add additional tools to support other goals, like communication, engagement and education. At the center of Labor Solutions’ success is our approach to collaborating with suppliers. Worker voice and engagement are all about trust and trust starts with how a project is introduced. Labor Solutions adapts to each supplier’s situation to offer individualized assistance (Internet access, smartphones, languages spoken by employees, etc.), guaranteeing confidentiality and easy access for respondents. Following the survey, Labor Solutions works with management teams to understand the results and then to design and manage a one-year improvement plan based on the survey results. Some facilities choose to take additional steps to better understand results and develop regular engagement routines, like working with Labor Solutions to conduct focus group discussions (FGD) or implementing the WOVO Connect feature to get daily feedback from workers. WOVO’s survey tool allows suppliers to own and view their survey process and data – with the freedom to add survey questions, drive deeper into results, deploy using the best method for their facility and address risks as they arise – all while giving brands a birds-eye view of what’s really going on in their supply chain. This project has been interesting to work on, “the results are different per factory and each facility chooses to work on something different, but it is always driven by worker feedback. Management is engaged because they’ve never had this type of data before and are curious to learn more,” said Bijie Li, SVP of Client Services. The program is ongoing, surveys are conducted annually and improvement plans are evaluated and updated based on results. Labor Solutions and Decathlon continue to partner and hope to reach more suppliers by 2025. Beyond Surveys Our work didn't stop with surveys, we worked with Decathlon's suppliers on a host of improvement activities from in-depth surveys, training and creating action plans. Each supplier needs different follow up support and Labor Solutions flexible tool kit and advisors have supported suppliers in their journey to have quality systems that support and engage workers.  Start Empowering Your Partner Facilities Labor Solutions’ tools and services are designed to engage, connect, and educate workers across global supply chains by empowering suppliers to own human rights data and address risks as they arise. Whether you are starting with any scale supplier employment project – we tackle all challenges big or small – get in touch with our team at info@laborsolutions.tech .

Labor Solutions supports Puma’s Human Rights, Women’s Empowerment and Worker Engagement strategies in 6 countries, Vietnam, China, Cambodia, Philippines, Turkey and Indonesia. In 2024, Puma continued its worker engagement programs via WOVO. Now   nearly 65K workers have access to the WOVO platform with access to human resource tools, grievance management platform, worker surveys and eLearning  modules.   Grievance Mechanism Puma uses employs several grievance mechanisms, including WOVO, to connect with workers to reach over half a million workers in 97 factories, 165,101 workers in Tier 1 and core Tier 2 factories. Puma received over 2,500 feedback messages directly from workers.    Worker Survey Puma's worker survey questionnaire includes questions on "fair compensation, stress management, employee- employer relationship, grievance mechanism, dignity and respect, workers' engagement, working hours, health and safety and how friendly the work environment is." The average worker' overall satisfaction rate remained consistent at 4.14/5 in 2024. Worker eLearning Puma also expanded deployment of the Better Work e-learning course on Discrimination and Elimination of Violence and Harassment at Work via Labor Solutions’ mobile app WOVO to support their women's empowerment stragety. The module was deployed to over 14,000 workers in Cambodia and Indonesia and reached 86% of workers in eight core Tier 1 factories. Read more about Puma’s Sustainability initiatives in its 2024 Voluntary Sustainability Report.

As the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD)  comes into force, companies are facing new expectations to demonstrate how they identify, address, and remediate human rights and environmental risks across their value chains. A critical element of this directive is the requirement to establish and report on grievance mechanisms — tools that empower workers to safely raise concerns and ensure those concerns are addressed in a timely, transparent, and accountable way. To meet this challenge, leading global brands are turning to Labor Line , Labor Solutions’ 3rd party grievance mechanism by, designed to meet the needs of complex supply chains and align with international regulatory frameworks like the CSDDD. A Scalable Grievance Mechanism for Modern Supply Chains Labor Line  is not just a tool — it's a comprehensive system built to give workers a safe, anonymous, and accessible  channel to voice their concerns. Whether via QR code, web forms, WhatsApp, WeChat, voice messaging, or local phone lines, Labor Line ensures grievances can be reported 24/7 in local languages, maintaining full anonymity. This accessible, worker-friendly design is essential for CSDDD compliance, which mandates that grievance mechanisms be transparent, legitimate, and accessible to all impacted stakeholders. What’s New: Upgrades That Make Compliance Easier Listening to feedback from global clients, Labor Solutions has enhanced Labor Line  to further support regulatory readiness: ✅ Standardized Protocol for All Clients A unified protocol, managed by human rights and supply chain experts, ensures consistent case handling and quality across supply chains. It allows companies to share responsibility  across client networks while maintaining high standards. ✅ Expert Case Management Labor Solutions now manages the entire case flow : receiving, triaging, and escalating grievances. Suppliers are supported to resolve low-risk issues, while high-risk cases are immediately escalated to brands — enabling faster, more effective responses. ✅ Reporting for Multi-Tier Supply Chains Deploy throughout your entire supply chain, even to second and third tier suppliers. Get reporting that goes beyond tier one. ✅ Easier Onboarding Across the Supply Chain Companies can now cascade the system with ease throughout their entire value chain. The onboarding process is streamlined to ensure rapid implementation at scale. ✅ Expanded Worker Education Awareness is key to utilization. Labor Line now includes more educational content , auto-replies, and eLearning modules  to help workers understand their rights and the grievance process. Training data can be tracked across the supply chain — helping you report on awareness and access metrics as required under CSDDD. Built for CSDDD Reporting Labor Line provides robust data tracking and transparent reporting to help companies meet and exceed CSDDD disclosure requirements : Quarterly case reports  with details on numbers, categories, trends, and resolution times Narrative summaries  outlining remediation actions taken All data in one place  — ready to support your sustainability disclosures and audits By aligning with international due diligence frameworks , Labor Line helps companies demonstrate compliance  with both the spirit and the letter of the CSDDD. Strengthening Supplier Responsibility Labor Line doesn’t just benefit brands — it’s a signal of accountability and trust for suppliers too. The system: Encourages suppliers to improve their own internal grievance handling Provides expert oversight and guidance Supports cultural change and ownership at the local level In turn, this fosters a stronger, more resilient, and more ethical supply chain. Labor Line in Action: A Real Safety Net For companies seeking to future-proof their operations and build trust across their value chains , Labor Line is a proven solution. It offers: 🛡️ Peace of mind for workers 🔍 Visibility and insight for brands 🚀 Scalable, expert-managed compliance infrastructure In the era of CSDDD and beyond, Labor Line offers a vital safety net for workers — and a clear signal to regulators, partners, and consumers  that your business is serious about human rights and sustainability.

Labor Solutions has recently launched a dynamic and searchable digital eLearning catalog to help clients find and choose online lessons and eLearning for workers, managers and practitioners. Clients can now search our digital lessons by topic, target audience, language, content partner (Fifty Eight, BetterWork, IDH, ICRW etc.) and more. Choose the lessons that reflect the risks facing your suppliers, support them to make improvements through online trainings, and help them to stay current and to onboard new employees seamlessly and at scale by rolling out these lessons through WOVO. It is critical that workers know their rights for effective social sustainability and human rights due diligence. Our digitized lessons are fully interactive and created by instructional designers to optimize knowledge transfer so that workers and employers know the fundamentals of workplace rights and responsibilities with tracking of learner engagement and real-time updates on the WOVO dashboard. eLearning is Labor Solutions’ fastest growing social sustainability solutions, as it helps companies meet new human rights due diligence (HRDD) requirements and ensure that stakeholders throughout the supply chain understand their own rights and responsibilities and have the tools they need to uphold human rights. Our lessons include, Responsible Recruitment , Gender Equity and Fair Working Conditions , physical + emotional wellbeing, including nutrition and stress management, as well as workplace safety topics such as fire safety, grievances, and effective communication are also available. We are adding new lessons all the time so please check our lesson catalog frequently! Variety of eLearning lessons developed by subject matter experts Most of our eLearning content is developed with industry leading subject matter experts like Better Work , Fifty Eight and ICRW to ensure the highest standards for information and the most up-to-date knowledge in the industry. We design lessons for three distinct learner groups: workers, line managers, and practitioners. Each lesson type uses different language, interactions and games, and graphics to optimize learner engagement and knowledge transfer. Worker and line manager lessons cover many of the same topics (from different perspectives) and are often paired together to ensure both parties understand their rights and responsibilities in the workplace. Practitioner lessons are designed for professionals in corporate offices, those making internal policies and decisions, those enacting new regulatory and compliance mandates within their company, and human resource managers. This enables companies to ensure 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. Accessible eLearning for workers, line managers and practitioners All worker lessons are available in our five core languages : Simplified Chinese, Vietnamese, Indonesian, Khmer, and English, and many of our most in-demand lessons have already been translated into Hindi, Thai, Burmese, Nepalese and Spanish. Our practitioner lessons are available in English. Additional languages apart from those listed in our catalog are available on request for a nominal fee. Workers can access our eLearning lessons and our partners' lessons through our WOVO application and web-based platform (also available through workplace kiosks, tablets and computer labs). Our other eLearning collaborations include: · Kindling + Arup for Building and Fire Safety · Better Work (ILO) eLearning on Worker Rights & Responsibilities · FiftyEight's Responsible Recruitment · ICRW Gender 101 · ETI’s Access to Remedy · IOM on Migrant Worker Rights Check out our eLearning catalog today and reach out to our team to implement within your workforce or throughout out your supply chain. 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.

Labor Solutions is proud to announce the launch of our newest tool: Improve : A Supplier Self-Assessment + Automatic Action Plan At Labor Solutions, we believe in supplier self-governance and ownership. Assessments, surveys, audits and other data collection isn’t enough and doesn’t create change on its own. Improvement comes from support and action. Traditionally, improvement or corrective actions plans required significant resources and consultants' time, making it hard to scale. That’s why we created Improve – a digital scalable way to drive change. Improve is a completely digital, customizable supplier self-assessment + automated improvement plan. Design the questionnaire you need, deploy with speed and receive results digitally to quickly compare suppliers and act on data. Collect the Data + Documents You Need Labor Solutions supplier self-assessments are customizable, flexible and completely digital allowing for efficient scalability. The questionnaire includes several features to help buyers gather more data: 📝  Customizable Questionnaires : Design and deploy tailored assessments quickly, receiving digital results for immediate action. 📊  Comprehensive Data Collection : Utilize multiple question types (checkbox, multi-select, open answer, etc.), document uploads, and validated signatures. 🌐  Multilingual Support : Automatic translations for seamless global deployment. 🔄  Conditional Questions : Dynamic follow-up questions based on user responses. ⚙️  Automated Action Plans : Immediate, customized follow-up and improvement actions, delivered via the assessment and email. 📈 Reporting : Real-time supplier-level and aggregated results, sortable by country, region, commodity, or supply chain segment.   Set Customized Automated Action Plans Based on Results The self-assessment allows buyers to set automated action plans based on results. Make your own improvement plans or pull from our "Action Bank" aligned with international standards and validated by subject matter experts. Users automatically are provided with follow-up + improvement actions at the end of the assessment + via email.Improvement plans are completely customizable and can include videos, images, documents, check lists and more. As the supplier completes the follow up actions, they can upload evidence and even include verified signatures from leadership to ensure action is being taken. Reach out to the Labor Solutions team to get more information and get started.

As Trump-era tariffs disrupt supply chains, brands must not pull back on worker and supplier engagement. Resilient supply chains weather economic storms better — and recover faster. Loyalty Drives Faster Recovery Suppliers and workers remember the brands that stood by them during COVID. Those brands saw production rebound 75% faster , and their orders were prioritized post-crisis. Loyalty pays off again now: supporting your suppliers and their workers shows long-term thinking and operational excellence, positioning you as a forward-thinking, investable company. Workers Will be the First to Be Hurt Value chain workers will feel the squeeze first. Reports of worker layoffs are already emerging. Jason Judd of Cornell  highlights the stakes: in places like Sri Lanka, wage cuts or job losses mean hungry children and desperate families.  Keeping people central to your strategy is a moral, strategic, and in some places legal, imperative. Risk Management is Non-Negotiable — Especially in Volatile Times Downturns push suppliers to cut corners, increasing risks of labor violations and safety lapses. Brands remain accountable, even as orders slow. Due diligence helps you catch risks early,  avoiding costly legal, financial, and reputational damage when it matters most. Everyone is Watching Consumers, investors, and watchdogs are scrutinizing supply chains. Reputational risks are magnified in crises. Good decisions today will protect your brand and earn trust  tomorrow. Due Diligence continues to be an Investment, Not an Expense While others retreat, proactive supplier due diligence helps you manage risks, maintain resilience, protect your reputation, and seize competitive advantage  — all while preparing for recovery. As Aron Cramer of BSR  recently reminded us, “The volatile economic impacts of the tariffs should remind all of us " people must always be central to the sustainable business agenda. ”   More Reading: Supporting Workers + Suppliers Through Turmoil + Transition: A Collection of Case Studies Labor Solutions has supported suppliers and brands through various supply chain and regional instabilities, where unrest threatens workers' livelihoods. Time and time again, Labor Solutions' tools have proven critical in crises. Labor Solutions helps maintain clear communication, gather real-time worker insights, and support proactive decision-making. It has helped suppliers keep workers engaged and enabling brands to offer timely support when suppliers are stretched. By listening directly to workers, companies can spot risks early, strengthen compliance, and ensure supply chain stability — proving that worker engagement is not just ethical, but essential for long-term resilience. Read more case studies here .

Download our eBook on Strategies for Effective HRDD in Your Supply Chain to learn more about this topic. Human rights due diligence is becoming a prerequisite to doing business globally. With dozens of laws and regulations passed over the past few years, businesses now face steep consequences for not making every effort to ensure human rights are protected throughout their supply chain. Human Rights Due Diligence legislation are increasingly demanding wide-scale implementation across complex supply chains. Bu sinesses, manufacturers, farmers and other suppliers, who hope to continue exporting to global markets, providing components, materials or products, or selling to international clientele should not risk falling behind. Those who fail to meet standards could face seized shipments and or costly fines and legal fees. Key human rights due diligence laws come into effect in January 2023. Are you ready? What is Human Rights Due Diligence (HRDD)? Human rights due diligence are legal requirements facing global companies and their supply chains to ensure no harm is done to people or the environment in the creation of products or services. Most organizations and countries consider the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights , as the authority on defining HRDD principles and have used these principles as the foundation of their laws. The UN Guiding Principles basically say states and businesses must respect and protect human rights and are responsible for finding remedy when human rights are breached. These rights can include everything from the right to food and clean water, to the right to freedom from discrimination and access to justice, as well as freedom of association and freedom from slavery. 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: the UK , US and Australia Modern Slavery Act , and the Dutch Child Labor Due Diligence Act . The California Transparency in Supply Chains Act and the EU Non-Financial Reporting Directive (EU NFRD) . Mandatory supply chain human rights due diligence laws recently passed in France , Switzerland , the Netherlands , Norway , Germany , and proposed in Canada , Japan , 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 ability to comply with human rights requirements. What do the laws require (generally)? While there are many laws and regulations you may have to comply with (we encourage you to consult your legal team), the majority are based in the UN Guiding Principles, and as a result there are several overlapping requirements and principles that can be put into place to ensure broad compliance and help protect businesses when practices are questioned. Businesses are required to design + implement a risk management system + policy for direct business activities + suppliers to; Identify adverse Human Rights Impacts + Risks through regular risk analysis + complaints collection; Prevent human rights violations in direct business and supply chain ; Remediate violations to an end; and Report + Track violations + risks identified + prevention + remediation actions taken throughout the entire supply chain annually It’s a lot, we know. Don’t worry, Labor Solutions is here to support you. To meet the growing need for robust human rights due diligence, Labor Solutions has launched a Human Rights Due Diligence Program . The suite of tools and advisory services include support designing and implementing scalable human rights risk assessment and improvement systems, policies, and programs in line with pending legislation in the EU, US, and Canada. Variations of our program are now functioning at scale. Reach out to our advisory team to help you create a risk management system; Start with a Worker Survey to help you identify your risks; Implement WOVO’s Connect features to ensure you have an effective grievance mechanism and case management system to identify and prevent issues; Implement our rights and responsibilities or responsible recruitment eLearning cours e s to ensure workers and managers know their rights and responsibilities to help prevent risks; Work with our advisory team to design a remediation plan; and Use your WOVO dashboard to report and track trends. Labor Solutions' supplier ownership, empowerment and improvement approach, is not only scalable, but also allows companies to tackle the problem at the source and collect unparalleled data sets. Our solutions are designed to help your business go beyond tick-box solutions and meet the intention of these laws; creating sustainable solutions customized to your business and built around respect and trust between workers, buyers, suppliers, and brands. To find out more about this new law and how it might impact your business, get in touch with Labor Solutions here or at info@laborsolutions.tech .