Labor Link: Voice to the Global Workforce
Example: Walk us through a specific example(s) of how this solution makes a difference; include its primary activities.
Impact: What is the impact of the work to date? Also describe the projected future impact for the coming years.
Financial Sustainability Plan: What is this solution’s plan to ensure financial sustainability?
Marketplace: Who else is addressing the problem outlined here? How does the proposed project differ from these approaches?
Founding Story
Heather
Franzese
Good World Solutions
, CA, Oakland
, Dhaka
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Vodafone and Accenture recently released a report called “Connected Worker: How mobile technology can improve working life in emerging economies." The report specifically cites Labor Link as a model for a new type of mobile-enabled worker engagement. They estimate that by 2020, this type of mobile worker communication has the potential to benefit 18 million workers globally and boost livelihoods by $2.1 billion.
One challenge of scaling Labor Link is the lack of mobile integration across countries. Unlike the internet, which is universal globally, mobile networks are dependent upon country infrastructure and regulation. Labor Link uses a combination of international and in-country IVR solutions to scale effectively despite varying mobile integration in different countries. This allows us to achieve cost savings through in-country solutions where possible, and to reach other countries through an international calling approach that. In either case, respondents pay nothing to engage with Labor Link.
Our network of company and NGOs partners represents 5 million workers and farmers globally. Our supply chain partners include leading companies like Disney, Cisco, Patagonia and Marks & Spencer. Our government and NGO partners include USAID DIV, Fair Trade USA, Social Accountability International, VisionSpring, and MIX in microfinance. Each wants to leverage technology to listen to vulnerable populations they're trying to reach.
Help funders, governments, and other organizations to listen to and act on feedback.
Our mission is to leverage technology to give voice to vulnerable populations - such as farmers, workers and artisans in global supply chains - and then close the loop with decision-makers by delivering actionable data that drives strategic decision-making. That could mean development agencies, NGOs and social entrepreneurs using our real-time data to refine program strategies to be tailored to local needs. It could mean consumer products companies aligning sourcing strategies to the needs of the workers making their products.
English.
The workers that make our clothing and electronics around the world every day face deplorable conditions. There's little incentive for change because those workers are invisible. Labor Link makes workers visible, giving them a voice and a seat at the table through simple mobile surveys and info push. We deliver real-time worker feedback directly to decision-makers at apparel and electronics companies so they can align sourcing and program strategies with worker needs. On one end of the spectrum, we help identify and address labor exploitation like child labor, sexual harassment, and non-payment of wages. On the other end of the spectrum, we also drive positive social change by assessing needs for programs on financial inclusion, environmental sustainability, and health and nutrition.
Accountability to external partners
SMS, Phone or voice.
Workers dial a local phone number and place a missed call. That triggers an automatic call-back from our system, which is free for the worker to receive. They listen to and answer short, multiple-choice surveys (typically 10-12 questions) with their touch-tone keypad, recorded in local language (so it doesn't require literacy and can run in multiple languages). They receive a voice-recorded message or SMS to thank them for participating, plus educational messages about their rights and local services.
Option to provide feedback anonymously
Monetary incentives
Specific targeted outreach efforts
They understand that feedback is necessary
Reports on collected information
Written report
Women's clothing brand Eileen Fisher is committed to upholding human rights in its supply chain. Deploying our Labor Link mobile surveys in several factories in India, they discovered that migrant workers in North India are living in temporary, cramped housing, and workers identified housing as their highest priority need. The company is now partnering with us, Social Accountability International, the factory, and workers themselves to co-create a solution to the housing issue that can potentially be replicated by other companies and supply chains facing a similar issue.
It's still early days, but we just signed a partnership with the Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety to roll out an anonymous Worker Helpline in 200 factories over the next 18-24 months, giving voice for the first time to over half a million garment workers in Bangladesh. Helpline feedback will be reported to local employers, the Alliance and its member companies to inform training on fire and building safety, drive investments that improve workplace safety, and reduce risk of workers being trapped in a deadly fire or building collapse.
Articulate and quantify the business case for buyers and suppliers of more worker-centric policies, e.g. measure enhancements to productivity and product quality that can result from better working conditions and stronger job satisfaction. This would boost the incentive for companies to follow our recommendations, based on worker feedback, to improve specific aspects of working conditions or address workers' individual and community needs.
Lack of incentives to use the feedback collected
No, but I can see myself using it as a resource
In countries where we're not able to set up our voice-based IVR platform for technical barriers, we could use other apps/platforms listed on the Feedback Store to capture information.
The UX of the website is confusing, as well as the multiple entry process and knowing what to submit when. There should be some kind of reference guide or help for entrants.
We close the loop with respondents in several ways, first through our initial outreach giving workers a sense of what to expect in the process, second by sending phone messages (voice or SMS, depending on literacy) to share findings, and third by encouraging local employers to post complete findings in the workplace.
Comments
This is a smart idea. Is there a commercial application whereby you use this same technology and infrastructure to enable companies to conduct market research to better understand how their brands are perceived and/or what market gaps/opportunities exist?
I think it is an excellent approach. I would also suggest that if the organizations can use it also to crowd source innovative ideas to improve workplace like a competition run every quarter and the best idea gets a prize. (but that will need enablement of voice responses, not sure if the platform already does that.)
I think this is impressive in the way it allows people with the most basic access to report what are or are not getting from their direct employers, allowing global brands to gain visibility deeper into their supply chains. What's not clear to me is exactly how the business model of LaborLink is configured. You mention 30% cost recovery, which is great, but do the fees you get paid by the global brands put LaborLink in a more passive position of surveyor or does it empower you to actually get more an more coverage across the global labor force? Also some more nitty gritty questions, like how are financial incentives given to workers to provide feedback (how does that financial incentive get passed on to the worker, especially if they choose to remain anonymous)? Would love to understand better how LaborLink's incentives work, and whether you see scope for making the aggregate data more visible to outsiders.
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Great invention, and a great way to prevent a problem from happening! Its like a scaled down 911 voluntary service, and very well thought about.
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I think is a real good invention ! Finally people of the shadow can speak, and according to me we are again going to have surprises...
labor link provides companies with real-time data from their supply chain or field operations, while empowering workers and farmers
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Nice facility for the workers to complain about their any issues.
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