Promoting equal treatment of workers

ETI members have developed a groundbreaking supervisor training programme aimed at tackling discrimination in the workplace and promoting equal treatment of workers, while building suppliers' capacity to provide decent working conditions.

Why have we done this?

Our members' experience shows that worksite supervisors — the people who manage workers on a day-to-day basis — play a major part in determining whether workers are treated fairly and equally. They have found that supervisors are often inadequately trained to manage people, and lack the skills to handle sensitive issues like harassment. Most do not see themselves as managers.

Building local capacity to address workers' issues

Most companies use workplace audits to assess how workers are treated and to tackle problems around discrimination and harassment. But audits often fail to pick up these kinds of problems and, even where they do, they do not help solve them.

This led ETI members to investigate how they could help build the capacity of their suppliers to manage their workers fairly and effectively, and so potentially drive major improvements in several areas of the ETI Base Code.

The resulting supervisor training programme was developed in consultation with ETI member companies, trade unions and non-governmental organisations (NGOs), with expert input from specialists in the field.

As well as a two-day course for supervisors, the programme includes a half-day course for managers aimed at providing them with the skills to help supervisors handle issues such as discrimination and sexual harassment, and a joint action-planning session to bring about change.

Although the training focuses on helping staff recognise and deal with discrimination and harassment, it is likely to have a much wider impact. A culture of discrimination and harassment can compound a range of poor working practices, leading to breaches of labour standards such as unfair dismissal, excessive overtime and lack of freedom of association. Click to download a brochure about the supervisor training programme.

What impact is the training having?

The supervisor training programme was piloted on six workplaces in Kenya and three sites in the UK. Supervisors and managers taking part in pilot training praised its high quality and innovation. 

Post-course visits to the participating workplaces showed that a number of positive changes have already taken place, including:

• Development of new policies and procedures and/or revision of existing ones.
• Improved implementation of existing policies and procedures.
• Better communication of policies and procedures to workers.
• Improved communication between workers, supervisors and managers.
• Increased confidence and ability of supervisors to manage difficult situations, and consequent reduction in management time spent resolving these issues.
• Increased confidence of female supervisors to take on responsibilities.
• Reduction in summary dismissal and disciplinary cases.
• Fairer allocation of work tasks.
• Better understanding of cultural diversity, discrimination and harassment.
• Clearer understanding of ‘acceptable' standards of behaviour.
• Increased reporting of issues by workers due to improved understanding of rights and procedures.

The success of the courses in engaging supervisors and managers in Kenya and from a variety of European countries and cultures, has demonstrated the flexibility of the programme and the suitability of the materials for sites in different countries and contexts.

Rolling out the training

The training programme is now being rolled out more widely.

Click here to learn more about the supervisor training programme and how to run the training at your site.