GOVERNANCE & COLLABORATION - Implementation
1.2.2 Implementation:
Grievance mechanisms
Does the company have a grievance mechanism or a whistleblowing/ethics hotline to enable anyone to report about human rights impacts in operations and/or supply chains?
Scoring options
- 10 = Yes, the company has a formal grievance mechanism open for anyone (employees and members of the local community, including children) to report about human rights impacts in operations, supply chains or surrounding communities.
- 5 = The company has a formal grievance mechanism, but it is unclear if this channel is used for submitting human rights grievances or if this channel is open only to employees.
- 0 = No, the company does not have a formal human rights grievance mechanism, or it is not publicly available.
Why is this important?
If the larger community has the opportunity to lodge grievances with a company, there is a higher probability that misconduct/issues will come to light and be addressed. This opportunity should be available for human rights grievances in operations as well as in supply chains.
About the scoring
A score of 10 is given if the company has a public statement that makes it clear that child labour or other human rights issues can be:
- Reported to a dedicated hotline/grievance mechanism (either in-house or with suppliers that the company has access to through, e.g. audits or a neutral third party providing the service)
- It should also be clear that the mechanism is available to all potential stakeholders (including children) and not only available to employees/suppliers
A score of 5 is given if it is clear from public disclosures that an ethics hotline/grievance mechanism exists, but it is unclear whether the hotline/grievance mechanism:
- Includes human rights issues
- Allows community or environment grievances to be reported
- Allows all members of communities to use the mechanism or whether it is exclusively for employees/suppliers
Indicator reference
Children’s Rights and Business Principles:
- All business should meet their responsibility to respect children’s rights and commit to supporting the human rights of children (Principle 1)
- All business should provide decent work for young workers, parents and caregivers (Principle 3)
The GRI standards:
- Reference 103-2