Designed with and for workers brings together six years of lessons from AIM-Progress, the Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) and Oxfam Business Advisory Service on building grievance mechanisms that workers trust and use. Drawing on nine projects, 14 brands engaged directly and 29 suppliers supported with hands-on advice, the paper shows that most suppliers already have channels in place, but workers rarely use them. The reason is usually not a lack of problems, but a lack of trust, awareness and access.
The report introduces a worker-led approach, built on one core finding: how a mechanism is set up matters as much as the mechanism itself. It explains how involving workers and their representatives in design, implementation and review can build trust, and it sets out practical actions for companies, from tailoring support to local realities to monitoring what matters beyond complaint numbers. It is a practical read for brands, suppliers and anyone looking to move grievance mechanisms from compliance to accountability.”