What Do Workers Want? Ask Them

I've heard some interesting speakers this week at Ethical Corporation's "Responsible Business Summit" in London. One speaker particularly struck me with his message. An executive from a Spanish telecom, notable for his background in theology, spoke about the importance of values. Speaking on the need for businesses to articulate their corporate strategy, he mentioned his travels in Africa. "When I am in Africa, I tell myself I do not have time to cry. But then I ask myself, what is the real responsibility in front of the child who cannot eat? Or the workplace where 40% of workers have HIV?"

He went on to say that companies must be aware of the impacts of their decisions in other people's lives. Organizations must listen to their employees to understand their needs. He then made one simple statement: Family is the single most important issue to employees from all walks of life. Concerns related to work hours, salary, and education all tie back into this concern for family.

This reminded me of a survey conducted several years ago in a village of homeworkers in India. Via the Ethical Trading Initiative, a number of brands and buyers were trying to identify the primary needs of the homeworkers in order to effect positive change for this vulnerable class of workers. The homeworkers were presented with a list describing some of their potential challenges, including low piece rates, irregular work, safety issues, and child workers. The homeworkers then reviewed these issues and indicated the relative level of importance of each issue with its corresponding solution as developed by the brands.

Interestingly, the homeworkers were most interested in having educational opportunities made available to their children. Second came access to social insurance. Third, record keeping training that would help ensure payment of minimum wage and overtime. Safety and productivity training were at the bottom of the list, with the latter being classified as "not very beneficial" according to these workers.

This worker dialogue was an eye-opening exercise for the brands involved. It certainly makes the case for engaging workers as part of any responsible sourcing or ethical trading program. As the telecom theologist noted, this level of communication is vital for driving change. Understanding the needs and wants of workers will help fuel collaborative problem-solving rather than the hit-and-miss approaches typical of top-down efforts.