World Benchmarking Alliance+CHRB C.1.S2 Grievance mechanism(s) for workers+About
This metric is from the Corporate Human Rights Benchmark (CHRB), part of the World Benchmarking Alliance (WBA), which has been assessing the human rights disclosures of some of the largest global companies since 2017. By ranking these companies on their policies, processes and practices, as well as how they respond to serious allegations, the CHRB aims to create a race to the top through which companies strive to fulfil their responsibility to respect the human rights of the individuals and communities that they impact.
Remedies and grievance mechanisms
What do the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights expect?
• Where a company identifies that it has caused or contributed to negative human rights impacts, it should provide for or cooperate in their remediation through legitimate processes.
• Companies should establish or participate in effective operational-level grievance mechanisms for stakeholders who may be negatively impacted by their activities.
• Remediation processes provided by the state or third-party institutions can provide alternative channels for affected stakeholders to raise complaints or concerns. Complainants should be free to choose which available channels they wish to use.
Why is this important?
• Access to effective remedy is a human right in itself and therefore a core part of respecting human rights. Unless a company actively engages in the remediation of impacts it has caused or contributed to, it cannot fully meet its responsibility to respect human rights.
• Negative impacts may occur despite a company’s best efforts, given the complexity of activities and business relationships involved. Companies need to be prepared for this situation so they can respond quickly and effectively.
• Strong remediation processes can help prevent impacts or conflicts from increasing or escalating.
Remedies and grievance mechanisms
What do the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights expect?
• Where a company identifies that it has caused or contributed to negative human rights impacts, it should provide for or cooperate in their remediation through legitimate processes.
• Companies should establish or participate in effective operational-level grievance mechanisms for stakeholders who may be negatively impacted by their activities.
• Remediation processes provided by the state or third-party institutions can provide alternative channels for affected stakeholders to raise complaints or concerns. Complainants should be free to choose which available channels they wish to use.
Why is this important?
• Access to effective remedy is a human right in itself and therefore a core part of respecting human rights. Unless a company actively engages in the remediation of impacts it has caused or contributed to, it cannot fully meet its responsibility to respect human rights.
• Negative impacts may occur despite a company’s best efforts, given the complexity of activities and business relationships involved. Companies need to be prepared for this situation so they can respond quickly and effectively.
• Strong remediation processes can help prevent impacts or conflicts from increasing or escalating.