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Activity SJa2.3
Objective
Equity + Inclusion in the Workplace
Concept
Social Equity + Justice
Activity Type
Impact
Rating System Application
Tier 1 Suppliers must provide fair and respectful treatment of workers
Scope
The Owner shall ensure all Tier 1 Suppliers, which supply services or materials, treat their full-time, part-time, and contract workers well by providing good working conditions, treating everyone with respect, promoting equal opportunities, and preventing any discrimination or harassment to create a respectful and fair workplace.
Requirements
Act to Avoid Harm
- 01.
Tier 1 anti-discrimination policy that contains the following79:
- a.
No worker shall be discriminated against because of race, ethnicity, color, religious beliefs, sex (including pregnancy and related conditions, gender identity, and sexual orientation), national origin, age, disability, genetic information, economic background, or cognitive differences.
- a.
- 02.
Tier 1 anti-harassment policy regarding bullying and harassment which includes80:
- a.
Protection against violence and harassment for workers and other persons in the world of work, including workers as defined by national law and practice, as well as persons working irrespective of their contractual status, persons in training, including interns and apprentices, workers whose employment has been terminated, volunteers, jobseekers and job applicants, and individuals exercising the authority, duties, or responsibilities of an employer.81
- a.
- 03.
Integration of the policies into Tier 1 project operations through the following82:
- a.
Actively communicate policy to workers, and store or post in a manner so that all workers have access to it and provide education and training in accessible formats.
- b.
Reference or incorporate the policy into recruitment and training practices, worker performance evaluations, promotion or advancement decisions, and compensation guidelines.
- c.
Owner shall provide for sanctions and ensure effective means of inspection and investigation.
- d.
Owner shall create a mechanism to document feedback submitted through the grievance mechanism established in HRa3.2 for internal reference, along with the steps taken by the company to investigate and address the issues raised.
- a.
- 04.
Assess the effectiveness of Tier 1 anti-discrimination controls at regular intervals and implement adjustments when necessary.
Benefit Impacted Parties
- 05.
Provide flexible working conditions to Tier 1 workers to help them deal effectively with work-life conflicts, including flexibility in timing and location of work83.
Contribute to Solutions
- 06.
Provide Tier 1 Suppliers access to informational guidance or supporting resources (e.g., counselling services) to help address primary sources of stress at work, such as workload demands, lack of control/empowerment, lack of support from colleagues, inadequate resources, conflict relationships, unclear roles, and change fatigue84.
Indicators
The performance indicator is the percentage of fair and respectful treatment of Tier 1 workers according to the requirements. The first context indicator is the total number of Tier 1 workers working on the project. The second context indicator is the total number of Tier 1 workers for which the progress score is 100% (used to track impact).
The fair and respectful treatment of Tier 1 workers is scored against the requirements as follows:
- 0%: No requirements satisfied, or any worker not covered by anti-discrimination + anti-harassment policies.
- 20%: Adoption of an anti-discrimination + anti-harassment policy is only requirement satisfied.
- 40%: Addition of requirements from #3 is satisfied.
- 60%: Addition of #4 requirements is satisfied.
- 80%: Addition of #5 is satisfied.
- 100%: All requirements are satisfied.
Step 1
To calculate the performance indicator:
- Determine each Tier 1 Supplier’s number of workers working on the project.
- Calculate each Tier 1 Supplier’s progress as the weighted average of Tier 1 Supplier’s fair and respectful treatment of people according to the requirements.
- Determine the overall progress as the average of all Tier 1 Supplier’s progress scores.
Step 1: Calculate for each Tier 1 Supplier
p# = (0(E0%) + 0.2(E20%) + 0.4(E40%) + 0.6(E60%) + 0.8(E80%) + 1(E100%)) / n# x 100
Step 2
Step 2: Average the percentage scores across all Tier 1 Suppliers
P = (p1% + p2% + p3% + p4% + …) / N x 100
Scoring
Outcome threshold
The outcome threshold for this Activity is 60% of fair and respectful treatment of Tier 1 workers. This represents the progress that is socially sustainable by satisfying all four Act to Avoid Harm requirements.
Points assignment
| Points | Percentage of Fair and Respectful Treatment of Tier 1 Workers |
|---|---|
| 1 point | 20% of fair and respectful treatment of Tier 1 workers |
| 3 points | 40% of fair and respectful treatment of Tier 1 workers |
| 5 points | 60% of fair and respectful treatment of Tier 1 workers |
| 7 points | 80% of fair and respectful treatment of Tier 1 workers |
| 9 points | 100% of fair and respectful treatment of Tier 1 workers |
Documentation
- 01.
List of financial, human, and material resources utilized for this activity.
- 02.
Document the specific method(s) used to determine the number of workers working on the project, such as headcount reports or time-tracking systems. Reviewers may use this information to assess the risk that workers were inadvertently omitted from the assessment.
- 03.
Provide a copy of the company’s policies for anti-discrimination and anti-harassment.
- 04.
Record the steps taken to communicate the project’s anti-discrimination and anti-harassment policies to workers, including the ways the policies have been integrated into recruitment, training, or performance evaluation processes or materials. This can help reviewers understand and evaluate the project’s strategy for communicating the policy to workers according to the requirements.
- 05.
Document the feedback procedures or grievance mechanisms in place which facilitate workers’ ability to report cases of discrimination and harassment in the workplace and retain any notes and evidence of actions taken based on worker submissions. Reviewers may evaluate the concern-reporting mechanism’s design in terms of its appropriateness in identifying and resolving discrimination concerns.
- 06.
Documentation that the project’s anti-discrimination and anti-harassment controls are working as intended. Reviewers may check these controls to determine whether the project is able to identify and address any problems with the concern-reporting mechanism within a reasonable timeframe. If not, there is a risk that instances of discrimination could go undetected by the company.
- 07.
Documentation outlining the flexible working conditions provided to workers, including how flexibility in timing and location of work is accommodated.
- 08.
Evidence of the availability of informational guidance or supporting resources for addressing workplace stress, such as brochures, website links, or service contracts with external support providers like counseling services.
Guidance
Additional Resources
- Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) Base Code - founded on the conventions of the ILO and is an internationally recognized code of labor practice.
- OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises - provide recommendations covering responsible business conduct, including employment and industrial relations.
Referenced Source
- International Labor Organization, Violence and harassment in the world of work, Convention 190, June 2019