Grievance Mechanism

Workers, including those employed by suppliers, and nearby communities often have no easy way to tell a company that something has gone wrong. A grievance mechanism gives them one. It usually has a clear way to submit a complaint, a stated timeline for response, a fair review by people not involved in the issue, and an agreed range of remedies, from an apology to compensation or a change in practice. Some are run by the company, some by industry groups, some by a third party. The UN Guiding Principles set effectiveness tests for these channels, among them legitimacy, accessibility and predictability. It differs from a whistleblower line, which is mostly for staff reporting wrongdoing inside the firm. Complaints with no route in tend to resurface later as a strike, a lawsuit or a press investigation.

Workers at a garment brand's supplier factory in another country complain that overtime is unpaid. The brand runs a hotline in the local language and a worker committee at each site. A complaint is logged, a neutral reviewer visits within two weeks, and the supplier is told to repay the wages. The brand then checks with the workers that payment was received.