Creating a Confidential Channel for Grievance Reporting

Case Study

Client Background

The client is a multinational toy and children’s products company headquartered in the United States.

Challenge

The client approached QIMA in 2019 to support their worker hotline program, which they had been carrying out with another provider but weren’t satisfied with. The client sought a program with greater reactivity and methodology innovation, as well as clear dashboards for data analysis and support for every language a worker may speak in each country of their supply network.

Implementation

We established a Callback and Hotline Service program for the client. First, we created cards that would be distributed to factory workers every time an audit was carried out. The cards are written in the worker’s language and contain details of a hotline that they can proactively call or text to leave a message and have a QIMA representative call them back.

Secondly, we established a system where the auditor collects the phone numbers of the workers they interviewed, as well as the most suitable date, time and language for a QIMA representative to call them back. Five days after the audit is completed, all interviewed workers are called and asked a series of questions to understand if there have been any instances of retaliation or punishment for their involvement in the audit, or if they have any grievances that they weren’t comfortable sharing during the audit on-site.

Impact

The Callback and Hotline Service has provided the client with the ability to accurately capture the voice of their workers and achieve much greater visibility over potential issues in their supply chain. At the same time, it has giving workers a safe and confidential channel to report complaints.

33,760 callbacks were made in 2020 to workers from 552 audited factories. In total, 244 grievances were reported, including 44 violations which resulted in action being taken by the client towards the factory. The callback service has led to the client ceasing work with two particular suppliers after the callbacks revealed 14 complaints of underage labor in their factories.