The Ethical Supply Chain Program’s (ESCP) Worker Helpline has passed a significant milestone as it celebrates its 15-year anniversary – with more than 10 million supply chain workers having had access to the service since its launch.

The first of its kind, the Helpline is a confidential, person-to-person service and an effective grievance mechanism. It has resolved more than 23,000 individuals cases and provided counselling and advice across a broad range of personal and work-related issues. These services are becoming even more significant due to regulations such as CSDDD (Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive).

ESCP has worked with thousands of companies since 2010 to implement the Helpline and continues its commitment to offering a people-led service. Implementing the Helpline is mandatory for all ESCP Certified Supplier members and is offered to non-ESCP member companies as a tailored standalone service. This includes the set-up of a dedicated phone line, on the ground support to launch the service and introduce workers to those manning it to build trust, and the provision of supporting communication materials explaining to workers how the Helpline can be accessed and how it operates.

‘‘Grievance mechanisms can be hugely effective in helping to identify and address issues before they escalate,’’ explains Christina Liu, Product Integrity Manager, Responsible Sourcing at Hallmark Cards. ‘‘Workers can be afraid to raise grievances due to the fear of retaliation or perceived consequences. Working with a third-party provider is a great way to build trust in grievance channels and build better workplaces. This often results in lower turnover rates and increased worker satisfaction as workers feel listened to and cared for.’’

ESCP has continued to develop the service to meet the needs of a wide range of organizations. Most recently, this has included implementing Helplines in the construction sector and investing in the ability to share additional insights and data to help inform. Helpline data is used to design and deploy training to address emerging and repeat issues and to build supplier capability. Client teams can view the number of calls made by workers, understand their nature, view the number of calls escalated, and export Helpline data for internal analysis.

Carmel Giblin, CEO and President of the Ethical Supply Chain Program, said: “Providing workers with a trusted mechanism to raise their concerns is vital in maintaining a healthy and happy workplace. Over the past 15 years, we’ve seen the Helpline used in a variety of ways. From people accessing it to get more information about factory policies and regulations to more serious complaints about management attitudes, withheld wages and to report the use of child labor. We’ve even had people suffering from loneliness use it as a source of human interaction. It’s these stories that make me incredibly proud of this latest milestone and the number of people the service has impacted. I look forward expanding access to our Helplines, increasing protection for workers and delivering insights for their employers that can achieve needed improvement in labor standards”.

ESCP recently hosted its inaugural Worker Well-Being Conference in Shenzhen, China. The event brought together workers, employers, funders, and implementation partners to explore the impacts of initiatives aimed at enhancing worker well-being.

To find out more about ESCP Worker Helpline get in touch at info@ethicalsupplychain.org

About the Ethical Supply Chain Progra
The Ethical Supply Chain Program was founded by the International Council of Toy Industries (ICTI), and now champions integrity and sustainability across all sectors. We facilitate communication, certification and cooperation between manufacturers, suppliers, licensors and retailers worldwide to build a network with transparency at its core. But we’re much more than an ethical rubber stamp, our program is a commitment to respect, fairness, and inclusivity. Together, we can create a better life for workers worldwide.