As a third party auditors / assessors ASK T&L Business & Human Rights domain has been conducting social & legal audits & assessments since 1998 in a wide variety of manufacturing & service sectors. We have developed our own tools and techniques for engaging with suppliers and workers. We also take up objective & independent investigations of specific allegations of violation of labour rights. We have been able to identify and resolve some of the sensitive labour rights issues related to harassment and abuse, forced labour, unethical recruitment practices, excessive working hours and unpaid wages & benefits.During the post-Covid situation in 2020, ASK T & L has also been engaged “remote audit and assessment” in collaboration with its long term partner Verification of Trade & Ethics (Verite), USA, and developed its capacity to take up, lead and conduct such remote assessments.

We provide hands on facilitation support to supplier units on developing policies, procedures & systems and their implementation towards effective functioning. The focus is on sustainable systems development through hands on training and support to the management teams, rather than quick fix solutions.

For resolving complex workplace issues, we have worked with willing and proactive management teams on capacity building programs for streamlining and strengthening “management systems” which ensures effective workforce management as well as decent work conditions. Some of the critical themes on which ASK T&L has developed management systems are for Fair Labour Fair Hiring (FLFH), Contract Labour, and migrant worker’s management.

The Business and Human Rights domain at ASK T & L has been conducting risk assessments in supply chains at workplace and community level depending on the product and the scope of the root cause analysis. The core focus of these assessments is to identify the existing gaps in the context of local laws, international labour standards and flag risks to businesses to help them develop their strategies to address the same. We design both short and long terms interventions for companies to address the risks in their supply chains.

We conduct training on various issues in corporate companies and factories from management staff to supervisors to workers. Training themes often revolve around worker issues, supervisory training, training on management systems etc. The trainings are participatory in nature, facilitative and we believe in engaging everyone in a non-threatening manner.

This is a specialized technique that the Business & Human Rights domain in ASK T & L has developed for gathering accurate information regarding the working conditions from the workers in the supplier units by engaging with them in an informal and relaxed manner in their environment which includes their work place, home, community etc.

ASK T&L facilitates formation of Works Committee and grievance redressal committees, in factories, in a democratic manner as prescribed by law through first sensitizing the management and workers on the need and role of such platforms. ASK T&L facilitates a democratic process of election of such committees under its supervision and in the presence of a third-party observer from the Labour Department. The representation of women workers and various departments is ensured in these Committees. Upon formation, ASK T&L provides capacity building inputs to the Committees to make them more effective and functional. ASK T&L team also monitors the functioning of this committee over a period of time to ensure institutionalization and sustenance of the same.

In order to enhance sense of value and engagement of workers, ASK T&L undertakes ‘Workforce engagement surveys’ amongst workers and provides solutions to the management to enhance the same. This has been a highly effective strategy to assess the concerns of workers which can be linked to their productivity at the workplace. These surveys also focus on understanding the working conditions, treatment and behaviour, wage structure, grievance, communication and training aspects so as to identify the key factors responsible for a high or low sense of value and engagement amongst workers. Based on the findings of these surveys, an action plan for identified gaps, if any, is designed to create a better working environment and culture in the factory and enhance overall sense of value and engagement.