GRI 401 Employment

Policies or practices covering the relationships under which work is performed for an organization can include recognized employment relationships, the use of employees of other organizations (such as workers supplied by agencies), and the extent to which work is performed on a temporary or part-time basis. A description of policies and practices can include policies and practices with respect to discrimination, compensation, promotion, privacy, human resource development and industrial relations.

Work taking place within an appropriate institutional and legal framework usually entails a recognized employment relationship with an identifiable and legally recognized employer.

Conditions of work can include compensation, working time, rest periods, holidays, disciplinary and dismissal practices, maternity protection, the workplace environment, and occupational health and safety. They can also include the quality of living accommodations where provided, and welfare matters, such as safe drinking water, canteens and access to medical services. Adequately remunerated work is work where wages and compensation for a standard working week, excluding overtime, meet legal and industry minimum standards, and are sufficient to meet the basic needs of workers and their families, and to provide them with some discretionary income. Actions taken to address situations where work is inadequately remunerated can include:

• dialogue with suppliers regarding the relationship of the prices paid to suppliers and the wages paid to workers;

• changes to an organization’s procurement practices;

• support for collective bargaining to determine wages;

• determining the extent that overtime is used, whether it is mandatory, and whether it is compensated at a premium rate.

The number, age, gender, and region of an organization’s new employee hires can indicate its strategy and ability to attract diverse, qualified employees. This information can signify the organization’s efforts to implement inclusive recruitment practices based on age and gender. It can also signify the optimal use of available labor and talent in different regions.

A high rate of employee turnover can indicate levels of uncertainty and dissatisfaction among employees. It can also signal a fundamental change in the structure of an organization’s core operations. An uneven pattern of turnover by age or gender can indicate incompatibility or potential inequity in the workplace.

Turnover results in changes to the human and intellectual capital of the organization and can impact productivity. Turnover has direct cost implications either in terms of reduced payroll or greater expenses for the recruitment of employees

Employees entitled to parental leave means those employees that are covered by organizational policies, agreements or contracts that contain parental leave entitlements. To determine who returned to work after parental leave ended and were still employed 12 months later, an organization can consult records from the prior reporting periods.