Grievance mechanisms for global supply chains

A grievance mechanism is a structured process that allows workers and other rightsholders to safely raise concerns about issues such as working conditions, labour rights, health and safety, environmental impacts, or community impacts within a supply chain.

For global supply chains, grievance mechanisms play a critical role in identifying risks that may not be visible through audits or assessments alone. They provide organisations with ongoing insight into issues as they arise, supporting early intervention, remediation, and continuous improvement across complex, multi-country operations.

LRQA’s grievance mechanisms are designed to capture a wide range of concerns, reflecting the evolving scope of human rights and environmental due diligence.

Issues that can be raised include, but are not limited to:

• Labour rights and working conditions
• Health and safety concerns
• Forced labour indicators and migrant worker rights
• Discrimination, harassment, and gender-based violence and harassment
• Environmental issues
• Community-related grievances

The scope of issues is supported by a unified global grievance protocol, ensuring concerns are categorised consistently while remaining grounded in local context.

Ensuring trust, safety, and confidentiality is central to the effectiveness of any grievance mechanism.

LRQA’s grievance mechanisms are delivered through trusted local channels and accessible in local languages, using familiar and appropriate communication methods. Grievances can be raised confidentially, and where appropriate, anonymously, helping to reduce barriers to reporting and protect individuals from retaliation.

Trained operators who understand local contexts support the intake and handling of grievances, ensuring concerns are managed sensitively and in line with international standards and best practice.

The Grievance Mechanism Interactive Data Dashboard is a digital reporting tool that provides organisations with near real-time visibility of grievance data across their supply chains.

Aligned with LRQA’s global grievance mechanism and unified protocol, the dashboard brings grievance information together in one place. It enables users to explore data across different levels, from individual worksites and suppliers to country and regional views, supporting clearer understanding of where risks are emerging.

The dashboard allows organisations to move beyond static reporting and engage directly with their grievance data.

Through interactive views and customisable filters, users can:

• Identify trends and patterns over time
• Compare grievance data across geographies and supply chain tiers
• Explore specific grievance categories
• Highlight areas of higher risk that may require prioritised action

By transforming grievance data into clear, accessible insight, the dashboard supports more informed decision-making, targeted remediation, and improved transparency.

Effective grievance mechanisms are a core component of human rights and environmental due diligence, as outlined in international frameworks such as the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.

They provide a direct channel for workers and communities to raise concerns, enable organisations to identify and assess actual and potential impacts, and support timely remediation where issues occur. When supported by consistent data and ongoing monitoring, grievance mechanisms also help organisations track trends, evaluate the effectiveness of their actions, and strengthen their overall due diligence approach.

LRQA’s global grievance mechanism and interactive reporting capabilities support organisations in meeting evolving due diligence expectations by providing ongoing visibility of risk across global supply chains.