The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) announced today the launch of a new review of all of its labor-related standards, aimed at enabling companies to report on their impacts on workers, and improving transparency on workplace labor and human rights.

GRI Sustainability Reporting Standards are one of the most commonly accepted global standards for sustainability reporting by companies, developed to enable consistent reporting across companies and industries, providing clearer communication regarding sustainability matters to a broad range of stakeholders, including investors. The GRI’s standards are developed by the Global Sustainability Standards Board (GSSB).

The GRI’s review is kicking off with a consultation on redrafted versions of three standards, including “GRI 402: Labor/Management Relations,” “GRI 401: Employment,” and “GRI 202: Market Presence.” The proposed new and revised disclosures relate to “employment” factors including non-standard forms of employment, personal data protection and privacy, and hiring and turnover metrics, “remuneration and working time” issues such as policies and metrics of cost-of-living estimates, basic gender pay gap, and social protection coverage, as well as “significant changes for workers,” covering consultation and notice periods to workers’ representatives, redeployment and up-skilling and re-skilling and termination of employment.

The GRI said that the process to develop the redrafted version of the standards was guided by an expert group with workers represented through the International Trade Union Confederation and Global Unions Federations, employers through the International Organization of Employers, and the International Labour Organization (ILO). The organization added that the process will ensure that the GRI Labor Standards are fully aligned with key intergovernmental instruments for business and human rights, including those set by the ILO, the UN and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

The GRI added two further consultations will take place over the next 12 months for reporting on working life and career development, and workers’ rights and protections, with updates to 11 GRI standards to be made in total.

GSSB Chair Carol Adams said:

“Revising labor-related disclosures is a high priority for the GSSB, given widespread recognition of the need for organizations to do more to protect human and labor rights and ensure decent conditions and treatment of workers. Better information and disclosure are key to achieving the SDGs and improving decision-making. I encourage all stakeholders to review the changes and provide feedback.”

Click here to access the GRI draft labor standard feedback form.