Grievance Mechanism

Meeting Due Diligence Requirements on Grievance Mechanisms and Fostering a Human-Rights Based Approach to Business

Identify and Address Labour, Health, Safety, and Environmental Grievances Effectively with Our Innovative Solution.

ELEVATE has over 10 years of experience operating the world’s most successful worker grievance mechanisms – including the award winning Amader Kotha and Suara Kami helplines.

Our grievance mechanisms:

Reach over 2 million workers worldwide
Cover over 3,000 sites across over 10 geographies
Handle over 5,000 grievances monthly

Our innovative solution offers a confidential and independent system that enables supply-chain workers to report their concerns without fear of retaliation. Establishing effective and independent grievance mechanism systems is key to ensuring early risk identification, prevention, and remediation. With our trained helpline operators, we provide an effective and efficient approach to remediate grievances, enabling companies to build sustainable supply chains and meet mandatory human rights and environmental due diligence requirements.

We offer a confidential, trusted, independent, and UNGP-aligned grievance solution on a global scale.

Our Global Grievance Mechanism is designed to address the challenges of traditional grievance mechanisms effectively. Our solution provides a confidential and independent reporting system that enables workers across various supply chains to report their concerns safely and anonymously.

Workers and rightsholders can report grievances in their local language, using communication channels they are already familiar with, such as toll-free telephone, SMS, web-based applications such as WhatsApp, WeChat, Zalo, Viber, or Facebook. With our locally based trained operators, we provide an effective and efficient approach to identifying issues early on and providing actionable information to companies for remediation. Our data-driven solution also serves as an important early-warning sign for companies and provide critical information for broader human rights due diligence processes.

Our Global Grievance Mechanism offers the following key features and benefits:

Global coverage: We offer a single, global grievance mechanism solution – accessible in over 15 languages
Simple, flexible scalable solution: Our solution is scaleable from a single factory, to across an entire commodity, supply chain (including sub-tiers) or geography
Unparalleled on-the-ground support: We offer unparalleled on-the-ground support and coverage to deploy grievance solutions, conduct in-person training and awareness raising, remediation, and implement corrective action plans
Live operators: Our grievance mechanism is the only solution that is staffed by live, in-country operators, who speak workers languages, and who can respond in real time to support remediation
Effective remediation: We provide advisory services to help your business identify root causes of grievances and provide comprehensive remediation
Case management system: Our grievance mechanism is underpinned by a digital case management system that helps you monitor, track, and report grievance data in real time.
Regulatory alignment: Our grievance mechanism is fully aligned with international frameworks including the UNGPs and mandatory human rights due diligence legislation.
Multi-channel access: Our grievance mechanism is technology-enabled, not technology dependent. We offer full multi-channel support to allow workers to report cases by telephone, SMS, social media, email, and other services. Our approach allows us to deploy across sectors with low levels of technology penetration or limited internet access.

A Step-by-Step Guide to Using Our Global Grievance Mechanism

Our Simple and User-Friendly Reporting System Enables Clients to Address Grievances Effectively and Empowers Workers and Rightsholders.

Here’s how to use our Global Grievance Mechanism:

Workers and community members report their grievances through one of our helpline communication channels that is convenient and accessible to them (toll-free number, SMS, WhatsApp, WeChat, Facebook, etc.). They can report their concerns safely and anonymously, and in their preferred language.
Our trained operators receive the calls and messages and handle the grievances efficiently and effectively – ensuring that all parties are heard and that the concerns are escalated to the relevant parties.
Companies and suppliers are informed of grievances reported by workers, in line with defined Protocols for issue categorization and severity levels.
We provide regular updates on the status of the grievances and the actions taken to the grievant (worker or rightsholders) to keep them informed on progress. A case is only closed when the grievant is satisfied with the resolution of the case.
We also provide data analytics and reporting to help clients identify trends, recurring issues, and address systemic issues in your supply chain.
We maintain confidentiality throughout the process, protecting workers from retaliation and ensuring that their grievances are handled appropriately.

Meeting Cross-Sectoral Mandatory DD laws and Building Sustainable Supply Chains with Our Third Party Grievance Mechanism

Improve Your Reputation, Stakeholder Relationships, and Transparency in Your Supply Chain with Our Innovative Solution.

Our Third Party Grievance Mechanism offers the following benefits for brands:

Build sustainable and ethical supply chains by identifying issues early on and addressing grievances efficiently and effectively

Meet your sustainability goals and mandatory human rights and environmental regulatory requirements by demonstrating a commitment to social and environmental responsibility

Improve brand reputation and stakeholder relationships by addressing grievances transparently and proactively

Increase transparency and accountability in your supply chain by tracking and reporting on grievances and actions taken

Increase worker productivity, wellbeing and retention by offering workers a safe, trusted avenue to raise issues of concern and seek remedy

Empower Workers, Rightsholders and Communities to Report Grievances Safely and Anonymously with Our Third Party Grievance Mechanism

Ensure Workers’ Rights are Protected and Environmental Concerns Addressed with Our Innovative Solution

Our Third Party Grievance Mechanism offers the following benefits for workers and communities:

Report grievances safely and anonymously, without fear of retaliation from managers or employers
Access support and resources to address grievances effectively, including external referrals to emergency services, NGOs, counselling, and legal services, amongst others
Ensure that their voices are heard and their rights are protected
Empower workers and communities to contribute to building sustainable and ethical supply chains by centering rightsholders at the heart of due diligence process and worker voice programs

Learn More about How Our Third Party Grievance Mechanism Empowers Workers

Answers to Your Frequently Asked Questions

What types of grievances can be reported using your mechanism?

Any type of grievance related to social/labor rights, workplace safety, working conditions, and environmental concerns can be reported through our helplines. In case an issue reported falls outside of the scope of the grievance mechanism (e.g., domestic violence, general queries), the helpline operators will refer callers to appropriate local resources, such as support organizations, government institutions, etc.

How do you maintain confidentiality throughout the reporting process?

Maintaining confidentiality of grievant data is of utmost importance to us. When submitting a grievance, workers or community members will be asked if they wish to remain anonymous when the issue is escalated. No information about the grievant is shared without their explicit consent.
Our top-of-the-line case management system ensures that all case data is stored in secure, encrypted servers that are compliant with both local data privacy laws and international requirements, such as GDPR.
Similarly, all client data is stored in our secured servers and shared only with the clients in their monthly reports. Disclosure of aggregate helpline data in public channels (e.g.: website, blogs, etc) are discussed and agreed upon with clients.

How do your trained operators handle grievances?

Our operators are trained in local law and industry-specific best practices and international standards. Moreover, they are trained to ensure that callers feel comfortable to share the details of a grievance, especially for sensitive issues, such as harassment or abuse. The operators collect detailed information on each grievance and prepare a case report, which is then shared with the local employer for remediation. High risk issues, such as serious safety concerns, are also shared with brands / international clients immediately.

How do you ensure that grievances are addressed effectively and efficiently?

A key driver of the effectiveness and efficiency of our grievance mechanisms is our commitment to solve grievances locally first. Issues are always escalated first with the local suppliers (e.g., site management), and they are given the opportunity to resolve the issue within a time-bound process outlined in the helpline protocol. In our experience, the majority of grievances can be resolved locally when smooth communication is facilitated between workers and the management through the helpline. In cases where the supplier is not cooperative or does not resolve the grievance in the specified time, the issue is escalated to the brand / international client for further investigation.

Ready to learn more about our Grievance Mechanism? Contact us today to schedule a demo or to get more information about our services. Our team is always ready to support you in building sustainable and ethical supply chains.