6.2 Monitoring Disclosure
About the data
KnowTheChain benchmarks current corporate practices, develops insights, and provides practical resources that inform investor decisions and enable companies to comply with growing legal obligations while operating more transparently and responsibly.
The KnowTheChain benchmarks aim to help companies protect the wellbeing of workers by incentivizing companies and identifying gaps in each sector evaluated.
The KnowTheChain methodology is based on the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and covers policy commitments, due diligence, and remedy. The methodology uses the ILO core labor standards (which cover the human rights that the ILO has declared to be fundamental rights at work: freedom of association, the right to collective bargaining, and the elimination of forced labor, child labor, and discrimination) as a baseline standard. The methodology has been developed through consultation with a wide range of stakeholders and a review of other benchmarks, frameworks, and guidelines such as the OECD Due Diligence Guidance on Responsible Business Conduct.
Methodology
The company publicly discloses the following information on the results of its monitoring efforts: the percentage of suppliers monitored annually, the percentage of unannounced monitoring visits, the number or percentage of workers interviewed, information on the qualification of the monitoring organization used, and a summary of findings, including details regarding any violations revealed. The company may want to use worker-driven monitoring (i.e., monitoring undertaken by independent organizations, such as local worker-led organizations, unions, or local civil society partners) to ensure full identification of labor rights violations by those who are on the ground, all year round. The company discloses:
(1) the percentage of suppliers monitored annually;
(2) the percentage of unannounced monitoring visits;
(3) the number or percentage of workers interviewed; and
(4) information on the qualification of the monitoring organization used and/or the use of worker-driven monitoring (i.e., monitoring undertaken by independent organizations that includes worker participation and is guided by workers’ rights and priorities); and
(5) a summary of findings, including details regarding any violations revealed.