Grievance mechanisms provide a safe and easily accessible way for people to raise concerns about the impact an organisation is having on them and can accompany internal policies and processes that enable concerns to be identified and addressed.
These processes may include whistle-blower hotlines, ‘speak up’ policies, supply chain hotlines, contract clauses with dispute resolution provisions and engagement with key stakeholders, such as at-risk communities or specific workers.
Building on the Property Council’s Modern Slavery Working Group’s focus on its supplier engagement platform, grievance mechanisms were identified as a priority area of members and their suppliers requiring a collaborative effort.
Research showed that resources were needed to help understand and communicate how listening to staff and suppliers and encouraging them to speak up about human rights and modern slavery concerns can benefit everyone involved.
The Property Council then appointed KPMG Banarra to develop a guide now available as a collaborative project, forming an important step towards the continuous improvement needed across Australian supply chains to assess and address modern slavery risks.
The guide can help organisations listen and respond to staff and suppliers in a manner which is equitable, accessible and trustworthy and:
- explains the role of property and construction firms in addressing modern slavery
- clarifies what grievance mechanisms are, how they work, and who uses them
- describes how best to listen to workers and suppliers about modern slavery risks
- outlines how to set up effective modern slavery grievance mechanisms
- summarises some of the common misconceptions about grievance mechanisms
- provides a framework to overcome challenges, improve mechanisms and listen to staff and suppliers.
The guide is available to download here.
The Property Council supplier platform homepage: https://campaign.propertycouncil.com.au/supplierplatform
The Property Council Supplier platform reporting portal: https://propertycouncil.informed365.com/