Fair Labor Association

A lot has changed in the business and human rights space since we were founded in 1999—from increasing supply chain transparency to the passage of mandatory human rights due diligence laws—but there’s still work to do. For our 25th anniversary this fall, we hope you’ll join us in not just looking back, but looking forward. Learn how we’re building a #FairLaborFuture at fairlabor.org.

Wondering what it’s like to have an internship at the Fair Labor Association? One of our summer interns, Ishwar Surendran, recently spoke with the University of Michigan - Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy about his experience this past summer working with our fair compensation team. ? One of his biggest takeaways was the importance of flexility when working with an international team. Read the whole interview for more: https://lnkd.in/ei-jEzFg #SupplyChains #HumanRights #FairCompensation #LivingWages #FairLabor

On November 15, representatives from FLA and #FairLaborMember adidas met with Mrs. Syeda Kulsum Hai, Director General of the Labor and Human Resources Department, at the Punjab Ministry of Labor office. The meeting provided an opportunity to discuss global labor rights trends, including mandatory human rights due diligence legislation and its implications for global supply chains. The conversation also addressed labor and health and safety challenges in Pakistan, with a specific focus on the textile and garment industries in the Punjab region. The parties explored potential areas for collaboration to enhance labor inspection capacity in Punjab. A key proposal was a joint training initiative for labor inspectors, to be organized by adidas and FLA in 2025, spanning four cities to ensure accessibility for inspectors from various provinces. The Ministry of Labor representatives also requested that adidas and FLA assist in developing an audit tool and methodology to help inspectors conduct their assessments more effectively. The meeting concluded with a shared commitment to the successful implementation of local legislation and alignment with international labor standards across workplaces in the region. A tentative agreement was reached to pursue collaborative efforts, with plans to formalize this partnership through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) involving the Punjab Ministry of Labor, FLA, and adidas. #mHRDD #HRDD #SupplyChain

Voicevale is a proud partner of?Fair Labor Association?for 3 years.??? ????We were honoured to participate in their 25th?anniversary?#celebration?and a special?#panel, with our Sustainability Manager,??mer Oktay. As a global non-profit organisation,?Fair Labor Association?(FLA)?aims to raise standards of working conditions across various supply chains.????Our?#partnership?with FLA started when we began to sought solutions for the challenging working conditions in our?#Brazilnut?supply chain?in?#Bolivia.????? ???Brazil nuts are unique products in our upstream?#supplychain:??????they are harvested by community members that work in forests, rather than on designated properties like traditional farms. ???Given the increasing global demand for Brazil nuts, this?#harvest?method calls for strategically managed practices to ensure a supply that is both?#fair?and?#sustainable.??? With our partnership with FLA, we are committed to enhancing working conditions throughout our Brazil nut supply chain as part of our?#sustainability?strategy. Together, we aim to set a higher standard for?#ethical?practices that sustainably benefit both people and the environment. ???Thank you, again, to FLA for making us part of this special celebration and for their invaluable support in Bolivia.??? ???Cheers to many milestones ahead, and we look forward to seeing the positive impact of our collaborative efforts in the?#nuts?industry!??? ?? Watch the full panel discussion here: https://lnkd.in/ejjZYDjU ?????Moderator: -?Dr. Dorothee Baumann-Pauly, Director, Geneva Center for Business and Human Rights, University of Geneva ????Panelists: - ?mer Oktay, Sustainability Director, Voicevale Group - Sue Butterworth, Head of Technical, Compliance and Sustainability, Lucy & Yak - Mackenzie Mock, Graduate Student, University of Michigan - Gopinath Parakuni, Director – Strategy, Cividep India

?? Companies gearing up for the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive and other reporting requirements need tools to engage with their suppliers on human rights and environmental due diligence. That’s why we’re excited to announce the launch of the Converged Human Rights and Environmental Due Diligence Assessment tool, which was developed through a collaboration with AIM-Progress, The Consumer Goods Forum, FLA, and Proforest. Originally developed by the Fair Labor Association and further adapted and revised by Proforest, the open-source tool empowers companies to self-assess their HREDD systems and identify improvement areas within their own operations and extended supply chains. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/eMnj_Qdc #ConvergedHREDDtool #SustainableSupplyChains #mHRDD #CSDDD

We're looking forward to connecting with all the #FairLaborMember(s), partners, and others in attendance at next week's UN Forum on Business and Human Rights in Geneva! Join our President and CEO Jeff Vockrodt, Chief Innovation Officer Richa Mittal, and Director of Civil Society Organization Engagement Andrea Ackerman at the following events: ?? On Monday, November 25 at 9:00 a.m. CET, both Jeff and our Board Chair Michael Posner will be speaking at a meeting hosted by the Geneva Center for Business and Human Rights, and they’ll be in excellent company —?UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk is providing the introductory remarks. More details: https://lnkd.in/gtbT2NAA ?? On Tuesday, November 26 at 5:35 p.m. CET, FLA will be joining AIM-Progress, The Consumer Goods Forum, and Proforest to launch the new Converged HREDD assessment tool and guidance framework. Designed to be flexible across industries, this tool aims to support businesses in standardizing HREDD practices, streamlining assessments, and reducing supplier fatigue through a converged, open-source approach. More details: https://lnkd.in/dbZdBxm8 #UNForumBHR #BizHumanRights #HREDD #HRDD

A sobering reminder on #WorldChildrensDay: the International Labour Organization estimates 160 million children aged five to 17 are in child labor around the world. ? That’s roughly 1 in 10 children worldwide. ? While governments are responsible for creating and enforcing laws that protect children, companies of all sizes and in all countries are responsible for ensuring that they know the risks of child labor in their own operations and in all tiers of their supply chains. ? Learn more about the steps companies can take to protect children from exploitation and harm in both manufacturing and agricultural operations: https://lnkd.in/eMGTYSNU #ForcedLabor #ChildLabor #SupplyChains

Good news out of the Council of the European Union today: they have adopted a regulation prohibiting products in the EU market that are made using forced labor. ? FLA welcomes this step in the fight to eradicate forced labor worldwide. ? Read the full press release: https://lnkd.in/e5jbUXxg

Congratulations to the 24 members of this year’s FLA Student Committee! ?? The committee is made up of undergraduate and graduate students from #FairLaborMember colleges and universities in North America who are dedicated to studying labor rights in global supply chains.? ? Over the coming school year, we’ll be providing them with opportunities for real-world learning, professional development, and networking with peers, subject matter experts, and FLA staff. This year's class is Suparna Agrawal, Laura Blanton, Abby Burke, Bridget Fahey, Athena Garcia, Gabriella Gooden, Constance Holder, Vasty Jean-Fran?ois, Rachel Labi, Jocelyn Leon, Kendall Ludwig, Paul Macharia, Ianna Madden, Aditya Madupur, Ellory Overcast, Noel Seo, Simran Shenoy, Vevina Shipanga, Loren Steinberg, Carsyn Stipp, Brad Turner, Grace Utter, Nabila Wilson, and Matthew Zavelson. ? Learn more: https://lnkd.in/ehd3_c-d

We'll be at the UN Forum on Business Human Rights?in Geneva on Tuesday, November 26 to launch a new Converged HREDD assessment tool and guidance framework, developed through a collaboration between?AIM-Progress,?The Consumer Goods Forum,?Fair Labor Association, and?Proforest. Here are the session details: https://lnkd.in/e9UWvJ6q Designed to be flexible across industries, this tool aims to support businesses in standardizing HREDD practices, streamlining assessments, and reducing supplier fatigue through a converged, open-source approach. ? This initiative reflects a three-year journey of development, testing, and valuable input from major Fast Moving Consumer Goods companies and suppliers. The tool will be available on our respective websites from Friday, November 22 and we hope it will support setting the groundwork for consistent, best-practice due diligence globally. ? Watch this space for the link on Friday. Together, let’s make sustainable, responsible business the norm! #ConvergedHREDDtool?#SustainableSupplyChains?#UNForumBHR?