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Results and Recommendations
The concluding LARRGE recommendations contain desk research findings and practical stakeholder expertise from CSR tool developers, companies, academics, trade unions and NGOs. They suggest how Decent Work and human rights standards can be better embedded in CSR practices, instruments and future policies.
Summarized in a key results section, they highlight practical challenges and lessons learned, and articulate concrete recommendations for companies, tool developers and policy makers.
The LARRGE recommendations cover the following issues:
- Awareness and cognition of CSR
- CSR policies, CSR implementation
- Monitoring and follow-up
- CSR tool development
- Specific challenges for SMEs, and
- CSR and the economic crisis
Awareness and cognition of CSR
Generally, the consciousness of, and the approach to, CSR in Europe vary regionally. While in some countries (e.g. Nordic states) the engagement is open and systematic, in others it seems more fragmented (e.g. France, where many framework agreements exist), or is seen predominantly as a mere add-on (e.g. Italy). Developing countries pose specific CSR challenges, in particular those that demonstrate complete indifference to environmental, labour and social standards.
The reason for the resistance to a human rights based approach to CSR is that human rights terminology has often negative connotations for business. Companies tend to associate human rights with problems "elsewhere" that seem irrelevant to them (e.g. torture, the death penalty, child labour). They may even feel offended when confronted with such issues, or may become concerned that the responsibilities ascribed to them might go too far. Practical experience has shown that labour rights terminology does not carry such connotations, and may therefore provide a more adequate framework for addressing certain problems.
In respect of knowledge about human rights obligations, the LARRGE research has revealed that companies are often well aware of specific human rights aspects related to problems they have been facing, but may not have a full picture of other potential human rights challenges.
In its interviews and surveys with tool developers and companies, the LARRGE team in particular assessed awareness of the Decent Work concept, which combines labour rights and human rights under one umbrella. Overall, it turned out to be not very well known. This low level of awareness is also reflected in the work related CSR tools that have been identified in this project. One of the key findings of this project is therefore that the general impact of CSR tools on mainstreaming and implementing the Decent Work Agenda remains still rather limited.
The overall LARRGE finding on the awareness of Decent Work is therefore that labour rights in general are key for the business context, and are also consistently included in the analysed CSR tools. The Decent Work Agenda, on the other hand, cannot yet be regarded as a leading concept in CSR practice.
LARRGE recommendations for companies
Companies may gather basic information and learn more about why Decent Work based on human and labour rights is relevant to their activities, and how they can benefit from complying with these standards. Positive impacts include, for instance, the attraction of better qualified workers, the retention of workers, increased reliability, and improved risk management. Sector initiatives may be a good starting point for learning about particular challenges in the respective business fields.
Many tools contained in the LARRGE Guide offer general guidance and start-up information that explain human and labour rights obligations for business actors. Companies may also get in touch with relevant expert organisations or business consultants, such as the tool developers named in the LARRGE Guide.
Read more... (browse subsequent pages or download PDF):
EN - Research Results and Concluding Recommendations
FR - Résultats de recherche et recommandations finales
