While face-to-face engagement is the most powerful means to connect with workers, FLA believes that effective use of technology can strengthen worker engagement and scale outreach efforts to expand systems and obtain worker feedback about supply chains worldwide.
To that end, FLA developed the WISE (Worker Insights, Smart Engagement) mobile application. The tool, created in partnership with Ulula, a global social enterprise software designer, combines technology and an integrated approach to give workers access to essential information and a means to submit feedback, ask questions, and, when necessary, file grievances. Workers can use WISE live/online or offline (IVR).
The WISE app is currently being piloted in the apparel sector in Turkey and the agriculture sector in Guatemala.
WISE Functionality
The WISE mobile application includes features for sharing information, helping workers contact the company, and obtaining information from workers.
Information Sharing
Workers may access details about labor rights (e.g., annual leave in Turkey – in Turkish), referral services, news on labor standards and emergency numbers. FLA and companies relay information about workers’ rights and can use workers’ feedback to understand and respond to workers’ experiences and needs.
Communication Channel
Workers can contact a company directly with their suggestions, concerns, or grievances. FLA supports this process, helping establish a grievance process and a network of in-country experts who can be leveraged for hard-to-resolve matters, if needed, and providing oversight on grievance resolution.
Feedback Mechanism (Survey)
Questions on demographics or other issues (e.g., remediation progress, worker satisfaction) can be created and sent as a survey to WISE users. Standard questions, developed by FLA, are available. Surveys may be sent during a workers’ employment cycle or throughout the year to collect information from workers.
Learn more
WISE is a flexible system designed to identify high-risk facilities, monitor relevant developments, and measure the impact of interventions – and can be used at any point (e.g., workers and/or facility management) in a company’s supply chain management system. Of course, this is in addition to traditional face-to-face conversations that would occur as part of an effective communication channel.Â
For more information, contact Michiko Shima.