Digital grievance mechanism bridges gaps in traditional systems, giving on-the-ground workers a trusted way to raise concerns and helping organizations resolve issues early

EcoVadis, the leading sustainability intelligence platform for global supply chains, has launched EcoVadis Worker Voice Connect, a digital grievance mechanism designed to help organizations and procurement teams more effectively address worker concerns in global supply chains, anywhere and at anytime. The new solution expands on EcoVadis’ existing Worker Voice solutions developed with Ulula, which give direct, real-time access to workplace conditions.

“Grievance and whistleblower channels have been around for decades, but often only for direct employees,” said Pierre-Francois Thaler, Co-CEO and Co-founder of EcoVadis. “They rarely reach workers in the supply chain, leaving organizations blind to potential risks and limiting workers’ access to remedy.”

Grievance mechanisms are a core requirement of human rights due diligence and historically were designed for corporate environments focused primarily on issues like corruption or compliance rather than working conditions or human rights. As a result, the people most at risk in global supply chains – on-the-ground workers – remain often excluded, unaware of these channels or are hesitant to use them. Concerns go unheard, and small issues can escalate into serious risks for people and businesses alike.

EcoVadis Worker Voice Connect bridges that gap by giving workers a simple, anonymous way to speak up at any time. Unlike traditional grievance mechanisms, it enables open, ongoing dialogue between workers, suppliers and companies, helping to spot and address human rights risks early, meet due diligence requirements, protect brand reputation, and build stronger, more trusted supply chains.

Key features include:

• Anonymity
  
  Anonymous two-way communication protects workers from retaliation while providing an effective dialogue mechanism.

• Inclusivity by Design
  
  EcoVadis Worker Voice Connect is accessible through channels workers already use – WhatsApp, QR codes or the web – without requiring corporate apps or smartphones. The platform supports 20 languages ensuring every worker can raise concerns no matter where they are.

• Ownership and Accountability
  
  EcoVadis Worker Voice Connect gives both suppliers and buyers access to detailed dashboards to track cases raised at supplier sites, remediation progress, and overall program performance.

• Collaboration for Impact
  
  EcoVadis Worker Voice Connect is simple for buyers and suppliers to set up, reducing the time and cost of building an effective grievance mechanism. As due diligence requirements evolve, Connect also supports data sharing across networks, which encourages collaboration and strengthens the platform’s impact to deliver meaningful remedies for workers and stronger risk management for companies.

“We’re experiencing increased global demand for labor and human rights solutions as new due diligence regulations and international labor standards increase scrutiny on global enterprises,” added Thaler. “Worker rights is an urgent ethical, financial and regulatory matter, and companies that fail to act will face real financial, reputational and legal consequences.”

Worker Voice Connect is built on years of Ulula’s direct worker engagement experience, aligned with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.

The technology helps companies identify and address risks before they escalate, accessing premium, regulated markets, while improving worker well-being and ensuring regulatory compliance. The solution will be available to 1500 buyers in the EcoVadis network, representing €2.3 trillion in global spend.

To learn more about the power of Worker Voice and Worker Voice Connect in addressing global supply chain human rights concerns, visit ecovadis.com/lp/2025-10-ecovadis-worker-voice-connect.

ABOUT ECOVADIS

EcoVadis is a purpose-driven company dedicated to embedding sustainability intelligence into every business decision worldwide. In 2024, EcoVadis acquired Ulula, a leading worker voice platform that strengthens its capabilities in supporting human rights due diligence. With global, trusted and actionable ratings, businesses of all sizes rely on EcoVadis’ detailed insights to comply with ESG regulations, reduce GHG emissions, and improve the sustainability performance of their business and value chain across 220 industries in 185 countries. Leaders like Johnson & Johnson, L’Oréal, Unilever, Bridgestone, BASF and JPMorgan are among 150,000+ businesses that use EcoVadis ratings, risk, and carbon management tools and e-learning platform to accelerate their journey toward resilience, sustainable growth and positive impact worldwide.

Learn more on: ecovadis.com, X or LinkedIn.

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