Grievance Mechanism Toolkit for Companies

A guide to implementation, best practices, and how to measure effectiveness through audits and other tools

The Grievance Mechanism Toolkit for Companies is designed to support companies in creating and operating an effective grievance system that promotes worker voice and provides remedy for labor violations.

A grievance mechanism is a formalized, internal dispute resolution process that individuals and CSOs, including unions, can use. For factories, grievance mechanisms are an important tool to identify, prevent, and remediate workers’ issues and concerns, and ensure workers voices are heard in the workplace.

Effective and functioning grievance mechanisms demonstrate to workers that their perspectives are valued, and that management will listen to and address their concerns. They strengthen worker voice, providing workers a platform to raise issues, confirm management’s knowledge of their experiences and feelings, and seek remedy. When workers see their grievances resolved, morale and job satisfaction increase, and more workers remain in their jobs. When grievance mechanisms are not functioning, workers are unable to share their concerns with management and job dissatisfaction increases.

This toolkit is a detailed, actionable, step-by-step guide to assist with the development, implementation, and measurement of functioning, effective grievance mechanisms. It provides additional support through an Excel audit tool and troubleshooting checklist. The toolkit highlights key focus areas, common challenges, best practices, and the business case for effective grievance mechanisms. Case studies, examples from the field, and direct quotes are included to provide tangible examples for those applying the content.

The toolkit is divided into two sections: 1) Informational and 2) Operational toolkit items. Since companies are in different stages of their grievance mechanisms development and implementation, the informational toolkit items are available to address the unique needs of each company. For companies that are ready to begin grievance mechanism implementation, we recommend that you begin with the operational toolkit items.