We have decided to publish a series of 8 press releases, along with blog articles, providing organizations with a non-exhaustive checklist of questions they can ask to easily identify potential improvement areas in the sustainability/CSR management.
This third one will help your company assess the labor practices management, by focusing on 5 main topics:
- Like the others, is the program structured?
- Is there a health and safety management system?
- What are the working conditions?
- How much is career management taken into account?
- Is social dialogue implemented in your company?
The interest of structuring the program is to make sure that the right stakeholders are involved. In this case, employees (or anyone working onsite) and employee representatives/trade unions are the main stakeholders. Structuring a program means also identifying the right topics, prioritizing them and translating them into management targets, followed by dedicated indicators. Communication on progress is also key to report to stakeholders.
One of the most important labor practices topic is health and safety. A sound health and safety management system leads to reduce the number of accidents and occupational diseases, thus a better reputation and better motivation for employees.
Working conditions are also key in terms of labor practices: employees need to be compensated properly, and are entitled to due rest. Practices of companies vary in this sense, but DFGE strongly believes that the happier employees are at work, the more innovative and efficient they are.
Another way to ensure employees wellbeing is to have dedicated career management practices. With regular employee interviews, improvement areas can be identified and worked upon. Employees can also report their wishes, which can then be taken into account by the management. Training can help employees develop skills which are useful for them, but also for the company.
Finally, social dialogue ensures a structured communication between employees and management through the employee representatives. It helps identify problems, leads to negotiations and hopefully results into collective agreements acceptable for both parties.
To read the full checklist, please consult this link.
DFGE strongly believes that healthy labor practices are key to the company’s growth. In this sense, we encourage companies to develop such practices and uphold to international standards like the UNGC or the ILO regulations.
If you also want to read the recent 2 checklists – please see
No 1 – A checklist to easily improve sustainability programs
No 2 – A checklist to easily improve your environmental program
