Shop Floor Level Sustainability Compliance. Once upon a time, not so very long ago, it was common practice for organisations to uphold little to no ongoing Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) compliance checks.

But times are changing, and quickly. Whistleblowing is on the rise and is ushering in a new age of accountability. Consumers and employees are now on high alert, on the lookout for corporate wrongdoings and are quick to report of such, whether through social media, whistleblowing hotlines, or, worse yet, directly to the press or law enforcement.

Yet intricate global supply chains remain riddled with ethical atrocities, whilst countries the world over increase legislation holding companies responsible for their supply chains; brand risk is at an all-time high—bringing with it a sudden increased need for corporate-driven sustainability.

To point out just how real these atrocities are, in It’,s Time—Actionable Visibility for Resilient, Sustainable Supply Chains, we highlight a quote from Sedex, one of the world’s leading ethical trade membership organisations,

“Human rights groups, FCA media and whistleblowers frequently highlight social issues in the apparel manufacturing industry such as excessive overtime, low wages, poor access to social security provisions, verbal and sexual harassment, and forced labour.”

The 2013 Rana Plaza collapse in Bangladesh, which killed more than 1,100 garment factory workers and injured thousands more, stands as yet further proof of the human collateral that lay at stake. The need for improvement in corporate social governance is clear and pressing.

So, how can companies do better?