Key Topic: What to Include in Public Reporting

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Photo Credit: Hobi Industri_Unsplash

Companies should include the following in public reporting:

  • Description of all elements of the social compliance system, from the code of conduct to community and multi-stakeholder involvement, risk assessment, training, auditing, remediation, independent verification, and efforts to address root causes.  

  • Discussion of the environments in which the company’s social compliance system is implemented and operates, and the challenges in those environments. Highlight the various individuals and organizations partnering with the company to help achieve the program’s goals.

  • Written in straightforward language that diverse audiences can understand and that can be translated into relevant languages.  

  • Present the aspects of the system that are working well and elements that have been less successful, including lessons learned and plans for improvement.  

  • Contrast both quantitative metrics and qualitative reporting to address consumer concerns. 

  • Sustaining efforts to engage consumers on human rights issues and promote wider impact depends on the ability to tie those efforts and that impact to a company’s core competency.