Worker welfare assessments
Worker welfare assessments help businesses understand and improve the treatment, safety and wellbeing of workers at operational sites or within value chains.
At GoodCorporation we provide independent evidence-based assessments that identify labour risks, review working conditions and support the development of corrective action plans, drawing on over 25 years of experience.
The GoodCorporation worker welfare assessment process
Our approach is evidence-based and stakeholder-focused. We provide end-to-end support from initial assessment to final remediation and regularly operate in high-risk or complex sites.
In line with international best practice, confidential stakeholder interviewing is central to our assessment method. Assessments typically include:
Defining scope and objectives based on risk and operational context
Reviewing policies, procedures and management systems
Conducting extensive confidential interviews with employees, subcontractors, unions and management
Observing site conditions and welfare facilities
Analysing findings and prioritising risks
Producing actionable recommendations and follow-up review plans
We also offer high-level risk assessments and remote evaluations via our digital compliance platform, GCAP. These focus on governance and systems, with fewer workers consulted and no physical inspection of the working environment.
The GoodCorporation Labour Rights Framework
Our Labour Rights Framework is an independent UNGP and ILO aligned methodology for assessing and improving working conditions across operations and supply chains. It evaluates wages, hours, representation and worker safety ensuring ethical, fair and compliant labour practices globally.
Managing key labour rights issues
We focus on the labour rights and welfare issues that matter most at site level:
- Health, safety and working environment
- Wages, hours and employment terms
- Worker representation and grievance mechanisms
- Recruitment and migrant labour practices
- Prevention of child and forced labour
- Welfare facilities and on-site living conditions
Assessments can be tailored to high-risk, remote or large-scale operational sites and specific sectors from manufacturing to construction, energy and services.
Worker Welfare programmes to meet international standards
With over 25 years of experience GoodCorporation combines international expertise with practical sector-focused solutions.
All our human rights assessments align with international standards including:
- UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs)
- ILO Core Labour Standards
- OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises
- Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) labour indicators
We also integrate sector-specific principles or certification schemes where relevant such as Building Responsibly or IRMA.
Ensure your worker welfare practices meet global standardsWhy conduct a worker welfare assessment
Worker welfare assessments help businesses to:
Support compliance with labour and HSE regulatory requirements
Provide evidence for ESG and human rights due diligence reporting, including CSDDD, Modern Slavery Acts and voluntary principles
Enhance visibility of site-level working and living conditions, including accommodation and welfare facilities
Strengthen engagement with workers, contractors and unions
Aid early identification of workforce risks such as fatigue, safety culture gaps or excessive working hours
Help maintain the licence to operate by building trust with host communities and protecting the company’s reputation in international markets
By conducting an independent specialist worker welfare assessment, organisations gain greater confidence that key risks have been identified. The findings also support meaningful system‑level improvements, strengthening ESG and human rights reporting, enhancing supplier accountability and building trust with investors and other stakeholders.
Integrating findings into human rights due diligence
Worker welfare assessments feed directly into enterprise risk frameworks, supplier monitoring and ESG reporting. They help businesses:
- Identify gaps in labour rights compliance
- Track supplier or site performance
- Implement corrective actions and remediation plans
- Demonstrate due diligence to regulators and stakeholders
These outputs enable organisations to take informed, proportionate action on labour risks as part of their wider human rights due diligence.
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Frequently asked questions
What is a worker welfare assessment?
A worker welfare assessment focuses on labour rights and worker wellbeing at a specific site. Unlike standard social audits, it goes beyond compliance checks to provide in-depth, site-level insights through confidential worker engagement, management interviews, and on-site observations. This approach enables practical improvements and fosters stronger ownership of findings by management.
It examines management practices related to labour rights and evaluates workers’ conditions, including health and safety, access to grievance mechanisms, and other key labour-related issues. These assessments are designed to identify risks, improve compliance and support responsible labour practices. They are particularly suitable for organisations looking to assess impacts at a single site without deploying a full human rights impact assessment.
What are the core areas assessed in a worker welfare assessment?
Worker welfare assessments typically cover key labour rights and welfare issues at site level, including health and safety, wages and working hours, worker representation and grievance mechanisms, recruitment practices, and welfare facilities. The scope can be tailored to reflect site-specific risks and operational context.
How are worker welfare assessments conducted?
Assessments are typically carried out over around five days on site and include policy and systems reviews, site observations, and confidential interviews with workers and management. Remote or high-level assessments are also available where an on-site review is not required.
How is a worker welfare assessment different to a social audit?
Worker welfare assessments differ from standard social audits, which are often shorter and more compliance-focused. Our assessments involve extended on-site engagement, typically over five days, combining policy review, observations and confidential stakeholder interviews. This allows for a deeper understanding of worker conditions, more meaningful engagement with staff and management, and stronger ownership of findings and corrective actions.
How is a worker welfare assessment different from a human rights impact assessment (HRIA)?
Worker welfare assessments focus on site-level working and living conditions, management practices and immediate workforce risks. They are a practical way to identify issues affecting workers and contractors and to define clear, actionable improvements at a specific site or operation.
A human rights impact assessment (HRIA) is a broader form of assessment that may be more appropriate where:
- A more detailed understanding is needed of risks affecting multiple or diverse rights-holders and complex impact pathways
- Human rights risks are systemic, extending beyond site-level practices to root causes within the wider operating environment or supply chain
- The assessment needs to cover multiple sites, regions or commodities, rather than a single location
- There is a need to engage external stakeholders or local partners to support sustainable mitigation and remediation
HRIAs allow organisations to explore specific human rights issues in greater depth and consider a wider range of actors and stakeholders. For more detail, see our page on human rights impact assessments.
Contact Us
Get in touch to see how GoodCorporation can help assess and strengthen worker welfare standards across your business.
