Whistleblowing and Worker Wellbeing: Evidence from Bangladesh’s Garments Sector (Reporting Escrow)

Project Name: Whistleblowing and Worker Wellbeing: Evidence from Bangladesh’s Garments Sector (Reporting Escrow)

Project Duration: August 2022 to December 2024

Funding Organization(s): Columbia Business School, “Amader Kotha Helpline” (Phulki)

Monitoring Partner(s) (if applicable): PRIMARK

Development Organization(s): “Amader Kotha Helpline” (Phulki)

Project Goal:

The project team is conducting a cluster-randomized control trial to study an innovation in an independent grievance reporting and resolution system (the Helpline). The innovation involves the incorporation of a reporting escrow, which allows individuals to report misbehavior through a trusted intermediary.

Project Purpose:

The team is evaluating the effects of the escrow on the reporting of labor issues, including sexual harassment, and on workers’ mental well-being. They are also assessing the impact on factories’ internal capacity to resolve issues and on worker absenteeism. Additionally, the team will explore whether the reporting escrow changes perceived social norms and the acceptability of different behaviors among workers. In the long term, they aim to determine whether it reduces the actual incidence of labor issues.

Project Output:

The researchers will examine two sets of primary outcomes. For workers, they will test the effects on reports made to the Helpline, reports through internal channels, and mental well-being. For factories, they will test the effects on HR management capacity and worker absenteeism. As secondary outcomes, they will assess changes in perceived social norms and the acceptability of different behaviors for workers, as well as the actual incidence of labor issues in factories over time.

Project Working Areas:

Mohammadpur, Uttara, Savar, Savar EPZ, Ashulia, Hemayetpur, Manikganj, Tongi, Joydebpur, Gazipur, Kaliakoir, Sreepur, Pubail, Narayanganj, Adamjee EPZ, Kumilla EPZ, Chittagong EPZ, Karnaphuli EPZ, Chittagong (Sholoshohor I/A, Baizid Bostami I/A).

Short Description:

Workers who call to report labor-related issues can either make a standard report to the Helpline or report using the Safer Together system, where the Helpline will withhold the issue until a predetermined number of workers report the same issue. Once enough workers have reported, the Helpline escalates the issue (i.e., the reporting escrow is “triggered”).

After three months, if no other workers or too few workers have reported the same issue, the Helpline contacts the worker to ask whether they want to:

Have the Helpline handle their issue as a standard report, or continue to wait until the predetermined number of workers have reported the same issue (triggering the escrow).

The Safer Together reporting escrow applies to factory management and supervisors. Issues reported through Safer Together are not raised to factory management or supervisors until a sufficient number of calls on the same issue are received. However, a worker can always request that the Helpline pursue the investigation immediately.

Major Achievements:

Workers who received training from Amader Kotha Helpline became familiar with the helpline number and believe that the Helpline is always available to address workplace problems. They learned about the helpline’s services and memorized the number for emergencies. Over time, factory management no longer viewed the Helpline team as an external entity but as a trusted partner in resolving workplace issues.