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Insights Hub: Social Baseline Metric Definitions

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Table of Contents

Analysis Views

 

Inputs Definitions

To calculate the social risk KPIs, we use data points from the Facility Social & Labor Module (FSLM). These are grouped into categories aligned with FSLM methodology. See Cascale Scoring Methodology, Higg Index Communications Guidelines, and the Higg FSLM CAF v1.7 webinar for more information.

For the full list of SLCP datapoints that populate each category, download the Data Dictionary below.

 

Zero Tolerance

Zero Tolerance violations represent the most severe infractions, where any instance of non-compliance leads to serious human rights violations or imminent threats to worker health and safety. These violations are classified as critical under the Better Work Zero Tolerance Protocol and ILO Core Conventions, necessitating immediate intervention.

Examples
  • cl_youngest_worker – Minimum working age not respected
  • fl_forced_overtime – Forced overtime reported
  • hs_emergency_drills – Emergency drills not conducted
  • Use – Facilities flagged here should be escalated for immediate remediation

 

High Risk

High Risk violations, while not as severe as Zero Tolerance, still constitute serious breaches of fundamental labor rights and workplace safety regulations. These violations fall under the ILO Core Labor Standards and require urgent corrective measures to prevent escalation.

Examples
  • cl_healthchecks – No health checks for workers
  • rh_cl_legal_noncompliance – Recruitment process non-compliance
  • hs_accident_rootcause – Workplace accidents not investigated
  • Use – Highlights systemic risks that may escalate into Zero Tolerance if left unaddressed

 

Medium Risk

Medium Risk violations do not pose an immediate danger, but still represent compliance gaps that should be addressed to maintain a safe and ethical workplace. While these infractions are less severe, they require attention to prevent deterioration into High Risk or Zero Tolerance issues.

Examples
  • hs_inventory_hazardous_subs – Hazardous substances not inventoried
  • wb_cambodia_transport_home – Benefits not provided as required
  • wi_grievance_retaliation – Grievance retaliation reported
  • Use – Useful for spotting patterns of non-compliance early

 

Legal Compliance

Questions are designated as Legal Compliance if they are related to legal requirements as stated in the CAF questions. A question can be tagged as both legal compliance and risk-rated as zero tolerance, medium risk, or high risk. See here for more detail.

Examples
  • cl_age_verification – Worker age verification not conducted
  • hs_fire_detection_legal – Missing fire detection systems
  • wb_pay_workers_correctly – Wages not paid according to law
  • Use – Tracks regulatory exposure across facilities

 

Health & Safety

The purpose of this section is to understand the facility's social and labor practices with respect to Health and Safety in the facility's operations. Facilities include those involved in production of goods, and also those involved in operations related to the product, e.g. distribution. The term "production" should not be seen as limiting to production of goods only, but rather general operations of the facility. 

Overall International Labor Standard Compliance Guidance: Improvements in occupational safety and health enhance productivity by reducing the number of interruptions in the manufacturing process, by reducing absences, by decreasing the number of accidents and by improving work efficiency. Safety is preventative. The cooperation of workers and employers is essential. While the government has obligations outlined in the ILO Conventions, Protocols, and Recommendations, employers and workers also have responsibilities and rights to ensure occupational safety and health. 

Social and Labor topics within this section include:      

  • General Work Environment
  • Building Safety 
  • Risk Assessment
  • HS Policy
  • HS Committee
  • HS Worker Engagement
  • Emergency Preparedness 
  • Flammable/Combustible Materials
  • Chemicals/Hazardous Substances
  • Worker Protection 
  • Materials Handling and Storage
  • Electrical Safety
  • First Aid/Medical
  • Contractor Safety 
  • Dormitories
  • Canteens
  • Childcare
  • Children
  • Facilities
  • Facility Comments
Examples
  • hs_provides_drinking_water – Safe drinking water not available
  • hs_sufficient_emergency – Emergency exits inadequate
  • Use – Critical for monitoring facility-level worker safety

 

Recruitment & Hiring

The purpose of the Recruitment and Hiring section is to understand the facility's social and labor practices in the initial stages of employment. The "recruitment" process is designed to select the most appropriate candidates for employment. The "hiring" process is how new workers are brought into the organization. Social and Labor topics within this section include:  

  • Child Labor
  • Apprenticeship / Trainee / Internship Programs
  • Forced Labor
  • Recruitment Practices
  • Discrimination
  • Employment Practices
  • Homeworkers
  • Facility Comments
Examples
  • rh_forced_labor_underage – Forced or underage labor reported
  • rh_signed_copies_of_contracts – Missing signed contracts
  • Use – Flags risks at worker entry points

 

Termination

The purpose of the Termination section is to understand the facility's social and labor practices in the final stages of employment. Termination is the voluntary or involuntary ending of the employment relationship. Termination is typically voluntary in cases of resignation or retirement and involuntary in cases of dismissal or layoffs. Social and Labor topics within this section include:  

  • Forced Labor
  • Employment Practices
  • Discrimination 
  • Facility Comments
Examples
  • ter_severance_not_paid – Severance not paid
  • ter_invalid_termination_reason – Invalid termination reasons recorded
  • Use – Ensures compliance with fair exit practices

 

Wages & Benefits

The purpose of this section is to understand the facility's social and labor practices with respect to Wages and Benefits. Wages and Benefits refer to the compensation a worker should receive as a result of their work in the facility. Wages refer specifically to the monetary (cash) wages received. And benefits cover any other form of compensation the worker receives other than monetary (cash) wages. Minimum wages may be set by law or regulation, by wage boards, councils, courts or tribunals, or by collective agreement. Minimum wage rates may be different across groups of workers, sectors of economic activity, or by geographical location. Social and Labor topics within this section include:

  • Wages and Benefits
  • Facility Comments
Examples
  • wb_facility_failing_pay_worker_basicwage – Workers not paid minimum wage
  • wb_sick_leave_failing_to_pay – Sick leave not compensated
  • Use – Highlights wage theft and benefit risks

 

Worker Involvement & FOA

The purpose of the Worker Involvement section is to understand how the facility involves workers in the improvement process within the facility. 

From participation in Freedom of Association to Grievance systems, this section seeks to understand the facility's mechanisms in place to facilitate dialogue and action between management and workers. Social and Labor topics within this section include:

  • Freedom of Association and Collective Bargaining 
  • Worker Representatives
  • Bipartite committee(s)
  • Grievance Systems
  • Worker Feedback
  • Facility Comments
Examples
  • wi_facility_has_no_trade – No trade union present
  • foa_union_intimidation – Union intimidation reported
  • Use – Tracks facility alignment with freedom of association rights

 

Worker Treatment & Harassment

The purpose of the Worker Treatment section is to understand how the facility treats workers while they are in the facility. From freedom of movement to harassment, this section seeks to understand if workers are treated in a fair and responsible manner, in line with applicable legal standards. Social and Labor topics within this section include:      

  • Forced Labor
  • Harassment and Abuse
  • Discrimination
  • Discipline
  • Facility Comments
Examples
  • hb_cases_abuse – Abuse cases reported
  • wt_facility_requires_preg_test – Pregnancy testing required
  • Use – Surfaces cultural and behavioral risks in worker treatment

 

Working Hours

The purpose of this section is to understand the facility's social and labor practices with respect to Working Hours. Working hours refers to hours worked in an activity during normal periods of work, plus overtime, time spent at the place of work, when the worker is at the disposal of the employer. Working Hours are a fundamental component to the employment process, and limitations (legal or otherwise) should be respected. For industrial enterprises, international standards limit regular (pre-overtime) working hours to 8 hours each day, 48 hours each week, subject to certain exceptions. They also say that workers must have at least one day off in seven. Social and labor topics within this section include:  

  • Working Hours
  • Forced Labor 
  • Overtime
  • Facility Comments
Examples
  • wh_weeklyrestdays_legal – Weekly rest days not provided
  • fl_forced_overtime – Forced overtime reported
  • Use – Monitors worker fatigue and compliance with legal working time

 

KPIs

The following KPIs provide aggregate views of facility risk exposure. Each KPI includes a definition, a tip for interpretation, and its calculation.

 

Total Number of Zero Tolerance Flags

Count of all question-level Zero Tolerance flags across facilities in the current filters and reporting year.

Tip

Provides a cumulative view of the most severe violations across the supplier base. Useful for escalation and immediate remediation prioritization.

Formula

total_zt_flags = sum of all ZT flags across facilities

 

Total Number of High Risk Flags 

Count of all question-level High Risk flags across facilities in the current filters and reporting year.

Tip

Highlights systemic but remediable risks. Useful for identifying facilities that need closer monitoring and corrective action.

Formula

total_high_risk_flags = sum of all High Risk flags across facilities

 

Total Number of Medium Risk Flags 

Count of all question-level Medium Risk flags across facilities in the current filters and reporting year.

Tip

Surfaces less severe but recurring risks that can indicate early warning signs. Useful for spotting patterns before they escalate.

Formula

total_med_risk_flags = sum of all Medium Risk flags across facilities

 

Total Number of All Flags 

Count of all question-level flags of any risk severity (Zero Tolerance, High, Medium) across facilities in the current filters and reporting year.

Tip

Provides a holistic view of total flagged risks across the supply base. Useful for year-over-year benchmarking and aggregate reporting.

Formula

total_all_flags = sum of all risk flags (ZT + High + Medium) across facilities

 

Average Number of Zero Tolerance Flags per facility

Average number of Zero Tolerance flags per facility within the filtered set.

Tip

Normalizes severe violations across facilities, helping compare performance and identify outliers.

Formula

average_zt_flags = total ZT flags ÷ number of facilities

 

Average Number of High Risk Flags per facility

Average number of High Risk flags per facility within the filtered set.

Tip

Useful for benchmarking relative exposure to serious but non-ZT risks across suppliers.

Formula

average_high_risk_flags = total High Risk flags ÷ number of facilities

 

Average Number of Medium Risk Flags per facility

Average number of Medium Risk flags per facility within the filtered set.

Tip

Provides visibility into lower-level recurring issues across facilities.

Formula

average_med_risk_flags = total Medium Risk flags ÷ number of facilities

 

Average Number of All Flags per Facility

Average number of all risk flags (ZT, High, Medium) per facility within the filtered set.

Tip

Useful for comparing overall risk exposure across different groups of facilities.

Formula

average_all_flags = total risk flags ÷ number of facilities

 

Total Number of Legal Flags 

Count of all question-level flags tagged Legal Compliance across facilities in the current filters and reporting year.

Tip

Measures regulatory non-compliance exposure. A facility may have both legal and risk-rated flags.

Formula

total_legal_flags = sum of all legal compliance flags across facilities

 

Average Number of Legal Flags per facility

Average number of Legal Compliance flags per facility within the filtered set.

Tip

Normalizes legal non-compliance across facilities to support fair comparisons.

Formula

average_legal_flags = total legal compliance flags ÷ number of facilities

 

Average Number of Health & Safety Flags per facility

Average number of Health & Safety flags per facility within the filtered set.

Tip

Tracks relative safety risk exposure across the supply base.

Formula

average_hs_flags = total H&S flags ÷ number of facilities

 

Average Number of Recruitment & Hiring Flags per facility

Average number of Recruitment & Hiring flags per facility within the filtered set.

Tip

Surfaces risk trends in hiring practices across facilities.

Formula

average_rh_flags = total RH flags ÷ number of facilities

 

Average Number of Termination Flags per facility

Average number of Termination-related flags per facility within the filtered set.

Tip

Provides visibility into systemic risks related to end-of-employment practices.

Formula

average_ter_flags = total Termination flags ÷ number of facilities

 

Average Number of Wages & Benefits Flags per facility

Average number of Wages & Benefits flags per facility within the filtered set.

Tip

Useful for monitoring systemic risks of wage theft or benefit non-compliance.

Formula

average_wb_flags = total Wages & Benefits flags ÷ number of facilities

 

Average Number of Worker Involvement Flags per facility

Average number of Worker Involvement & FOA flags per facility within the filtered set.

Tip

Surfaces relative risk of FOA violations across suppliers.

Formula

average_wi_flags = total FOA/Worker Involvement flags ÷ number of facilities

 

Average Number of Worker Treatment Flags per facility

Average number of Worker Treatment / Harassment & Abuse flags per facility within the filtered set.

Tip

Highlights workplace culture risks across the supply base.

Formula

average_wt_flags = total Worker Treatment flags ÷ number of facilities

 

Average Number of Working Hours Flags per facility

Average number of Working Hours flags per facility within the filtered set.

Tip

Useful for benchmarking overwork and excessive hours risks across facilities.

Formula

average_wh_flags = total Working Hours flags ÷ number of facilities

 

Tables

Facility Profile - Legal Compliance

Lists facilities with legal compliance–related facility profile red flags.

Tip

Use to identify gaps in practices that may also violate legal requirements.

Formula/Source

Filtered from facility profile and legal compliance flags in FSLM data.

 

Facility Profile - Zero Tolerance

Lists facilities with facility profile Zero Tolerance flags.

Tip

Highlights facilities where severe risks are present in facility practices.

Formula/Source

Filtered from facility profile Zero Tolerance flags in FSLM data.

 

Health & Safety - Legal Compliance

Lists facilities with legal compliance–related health & safety red flags.

Tip

Use to identify gaps in workplace safety practices that may also violate legal requirements.

Formula/Source

Filtered from health & safety legal compliance flags in FSLM data.

 

Health & Safety - Zero Tolerance

Lists facilities with health & safety Zero Tolerance flags.

Tip

Use to surface the highest-severity worker safety violations (e.g., blocked exits, missing emergency protocols).

Formula/Source

Filtered from health & safety Zero Tolerance flags in FSLM data.

 

Recruitment & Hiring - Legal Compliance

Lists facilities with recruitment & hiring–related legal compliance red flags.

Tip

Use to track exposure to hiring practice violations (e.g., contracts, age verification).

Formula/Source

Filtered from recruitment & hiring legal compliance flags in FSLM data.

 

Recruitment & Hiring - Zero Tolerance

Lists facilities with recruitment & hiring Zero Tolerance flags.

Tip

Highlights facilities where forced labor, underage hiring, or similar severe risks are present.

Formula/Source

Filtered from recruitment & hiring Zero Tolerance flags in FSLM data.

 

Termination - Legal Compliance

Lists facilities with termination-related legal compliance red flags.

Tip

Use to monitor facilities that may be mishandling dismissals, severance, or end-of-employment obligations.

Formula/Source

Filtered from termination legal compliance flags in FSLM data.

 

Termination - Zero Tolerance

Lists facilities with termination Zero Tolerance flags.

Tip

Surfaces the highest-severity risks in termination practices, such as discriminatory or retaliatory dismissals.

Formula/Source

Filtered from termination Zero Tolerance flags in FSLM data.

 

Wages & Benefits - Legal Compliance

Lists facilities with wages & benefits–related legal compliance red flags.

Tip

Use to identify facilities violating wage payment or benefit laws.

Formula/Source

Filtered from wages & benefits legal compliance flags in FSLM data.

 

Wages & Benefits - Zero Tolerance

Lists facilities with wages & benefits Zero Tolerance flags.

Tip

Surfaces severe violations such as systemic wage theft or non-payment of minimum wage.

Formula/Source

Filtered from wages & benefits Zero Tolerance flags in FSLM data.

 

Worker Involvement - Legal Compliance

Lists facilities with worker involvement & FOA–related legal compliance red flags.

Tip

Use to identify facilities failing to comply with laws protecting freedom of association or collective bargaining.

Formula/Source

Filtered from worker involvement legal compliance flags in FSLM data.

 

Worker Involvement - Zero Tolerance

Lists facilities with worker involvement & FOA Zero Tolerance flags.

Tip

Surfaces the most severe restrictions on union activity, such as intimidation or retaliation.

Formula/Source

Filtered from worker involvement Zero Tolerance flags in FSLM data.

 

Worker Treatment - Legal Compliance

Lists facilities with worker treatment–related legal compliance red flags.

Tip

Use to track facilities failing to comply with anti-harassment or worker protection laws.

Formula/Source

Filtered from worker treatment legal compliance flags in FSLM data.

 

Worker Treatment - Zero Tolerance

Lists facilities with worker treatment Zero Tolerance flags.

Tip

Highlights the most severe cases of abuse, harassment, or coercion in the workplace.

Formula/Source

Filtered from worker treatment Zero Tolerance flags in FSLM data.

 

Working Hours - Legal Compliance

Lists facilities with working hours–related legal compliance red flags.

Tip

Use to monitor facilities violating maximum hours, overtime, or rest day laws.

Formula/Source

Filtered from working hours legal compliance flags in FSLM data.

 

Working Hours - Zero Tolerance

Lists facilities with Working Hours Zero Tolerance flags.

Tip

Surfaces the most severe violations of working time standards, such as systemic forced overtime.

Formula/Source

Filtered from working hours Zero Tolerance flags in FSLM data.

 

Hotspots

Flags by Country

Number of all risk-severity flags per facility, grouped by country, with a line overlay showing the number of facilities in each country.

Tip

Use to compare facility risk exposure across countries and identify high-risk countries. Helps prioritize regional engagement and remediation.

Formula/Source

Aggregated count of all facility risk flags (ZT, High, Medium), grouped by country.

 

Flags by Tags

Number of all risk-severity flags per facility, grouped by Worldly tags on assessments, with a line overlay showing the number of facilities per tag.

Tip

Use to analyze risk within your Worldly tags. Helps identify whether flagged risks are concentrated in particular supplier segments.

Formula/Source

Aggregated count of all facility risk flags, grouped by supplier tags.

 

Flags by Cadences

Number of all risk-severity flags per facility, grouped by cadence, with a line overlay showing the number of facilities per cadence.

Tip

Use to monitor whether risk exposure differs between cadences for facilities. Supports program planning and scaling decisions.

Formula/Source

Aggregated count of all facility risk flags, grouped by cadence classification.

 

Risk-Level Distribution

Distribution of FSLM risk flags across facilities by severity (Zero Tolerance, High Risk, Medium Risk), averaged per facility within the current filters and reporting year.

Tip

Provides a system-wide overview of the balance of risk severity across the facility base. Useful for tracking overall program health and benchmarking year-over-year.

Formula/Source

Average counts of ZT, High, and Medium Risk flags per facility, from FSLM assessment data.

 

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