This document summarizes a report on labor and human rights standards and policies among ASX200 companies in Australia. It finds that while policies prohibiting discrimination and ensuring occupational health and safety are common, policies addressing broader labor rights are rare. Over half of the ASX200 index is weighted in high-risk sectors for labor issues. Australian companies also lag global peers and regional counterparts in disclosing supply chain labor policies and implementing protections, particularly regarding forced labor. The document encourages readers to access the full report online for more information and details on labor policy gaps.
2. Policy & disclosure across the ASX200
β’ Do ASX200 companies disclose their policies on
labour and human rights standards?
β’ Does this include child labour? Freedom from
discrimination? Or the right to collective bargaining?
β’ Do you want to know?
3. Impacts of labour and human rights
breaches and conflicts are varied and wide
ranging...
4. Globally, 6 out of 10 GICS sectors have a
high frequency/severity of recorded labour
and human rights controversies....
INCIDENCE/SEVERITY OF LABOUR & HUMAN RIGHTS CONTROVERSIES BY
GLOBAL SECTOR
5. 55% of the ASX200 index is weighted in sectors with high
frequency/severity of labour and human rights
controversies. Roughly a further 20% in sectors with
moderately high frequency/severity of labour and human
rights controversies...
SECTOR COMPOSITION OF THE ASX200 ( EX-
TRUSTS) Information Telecommunicatio Consumer Staples
Technology n Services 4%
2% 2%
Utilities
4%
Health Care
5%
Materials
28%
Energy
11%
Consumer
Industrials Discretionary
16% 14%
Financials
14%
6. Prohibition of discrimination and OH&S is a widely
protected right among ASX200 companies. However
policies on broader labour and human rights standards,
such as the prohibition of forced labour, freedom of
association & the right to collective bargaining, are rare...
EXISTENCE OF PUBLICLY DISCLOSED
POLICY COMMITMENTS BY ASX200
COMPANIES.
7. Even where there are disclosed policies, the
application of these policies to those in
precarious employment, joint venture
partners or suppliers is not widely cited...
EXISTENCE OF PUBLICLY DISCLOSED
POLICY COMMITMENTS BY ASX200
COMPANIES.
9. The ASX200 & Global Company
Policies
β’ What do ASX200 companies disclose about their
global supply-chain policies?
β’ Do they offer the same protections as their global
peers on human rights? Forced labour?
β’ How do they compare?
10. ASX200 companies also do not measure up
to global counterparts when it comes to
disclosing labour and human rights policies
across their supply-chains...
SUPPLY-CHAIN LABOUR AND HUMAN RIGHTS
POLICIES β ASX200 VERSUS A GLOBAL
SAMPLE OF 2,508 OF LARGE PUBLICLY LISTED
COMPANIES.
11. ASX200 companies also perform poorly
when it comes to IMPLEMENTATION of
labour and human rights policies across
their supply-chains...
IMPLEMENTATION OF SUPPLY-CHAIN LABOUR
AND HUMAN RIGHTS POLICIES β ASX200
VERSUS A GLOBAL SAMPLE OF 2,508 OF
LARGE PUBLICLY LISTED COMPANIES.
12. Australia lags regional counterparts in
disclosing supply-chain labour and human
rights policies for a number of areas...
SUPPLY-CHAIN LABOUR AND HUMAN RIGHTS
POLICIES β AUSTRALIA VERSUS REGIONAL
COUNTERPARTS IN EUROPE, US AND ASIA
PACIFIC.
13. Regional counterparts also perform better
than Australia in IMPLEMENTATION of
supply-chain labour and human rights
policies...
IMPLEMENTATION OF SUPPLY-CHAIN LABOUR
AND HUMAN RIGHTS POLICIES β AUSTRALIA
VERSUS REGIONAL COUNTERPARTS IN
EUROPE, US AND ASIA PACIFIC.
14. Want to find out more?
For further information or to
download the report go to:
www.lucrf.com.au or www.acsi.org.au
