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Frequently Asked Questions
Unscrupulous factory managers may retaliate against workers despite non-retaliation pledge.
Non-retaliation is a very serious problem and it is widespread amongst factories that hire semi-skilled laborers around the world. A strongly worded pledge of non-retaliation is required of all factories subscribing to Clear Voice. Any factory found to be engaging in retaliation will removed from the service. In such cases, the buyers will be informed of the circumstances leading to the termination of the hotline service.
What happens when someone other than a worker calls Clear Voice Hotlinesm Service and ties up the hotline phone service?
If the Clear Voice representative suspects that the service is being used inappropriately, she/he will immediately contact the factory. Upon mutual agreement, the hotline operator will be authorized to offer a standardized, recorded message explaining that the service is reserved solely for the confidential reporting of complaints by workers. Such calls will not be charged against the allowable call limits.
Brands, retailers, licensees and other buyers with compliance programs often have more information about conditions of labor than they need. Why will they benefit from Clear Voice Hotlinesm Service?
Brands and retailers have much to gain from Clear Voice Hotlinesm Service:
- Some may desire to have an early warning system in factories to serve as a precaution when workplace monitors are not there.
- Others will want Clear Voice in place where particularly difficult labor-management problems are known to exist
- Still others will urge factories to subscribe to Clear Voice as a demonstration of a credible compliance initiative at the factory level
- Many buyers will ask factories to use Clear Voice as a valuable factory capacity building tool.
How important is educating factory management and workers about Clear Voice Hotlinesm Service to its proper functioning?
Worker and factory management understanding of Clear Voice is very important to building credibility and trust in the system. Workers and management will participate in an orientation briefing. Posters with information about Clear Voice will be placed in the factory as well.
Could false claims made by workers using Clear Voice Hotlinesm Service damage a factory's reputation?
The information workers share with Clear Voice is communicated only to senior management in the factory and, under very limited circumstances, with buyers. No other parties have access to the information. Factories retain the right to investigate all allegations before determining if any action is to be taken.
Does Clear Voice Hotlinesm Service expect that the number of calls will correlate neatly with the level of factory compliance with standards? If not, how can metrics be created to make sense of the information from workers?
It is true that there is no clear correlation between the number of calls and the overall status of compliance. Nonetheless, the kind of complaints that are filed can be very instructive and can inform a variety of things from the adequacy of factory systems, to the risk on non-compliance.
What will the Clear Voice Hotlinesm Service do when calls come in from workers whose factories are not subscribers?
Clear Voice representatives will be instructed to inform workers from non-subscribing factories that the service is not available to them and that they should explore other alternatives for resolving their complaint.
What training is provided?
Training is essential to building the capacity of factories to manage worker grievances. First-class training will be provided in the local language each year to share best practices and to provide the opportunity for managers to benchmark their policies and procedures.
What is the cost to use Clear Voice Hotlinesm Service?
There is no cost to workers to use the service. The cost for Clear Voice is paid for by factories based on the number of workers, usage level and region in which the factory is located. For information about subscription rates, factories are asked to download the Factory Information Form and contact info@clearvoicehotline.net.
Will the Clear Voice Hotlinesm Service service expand to other countries and other regions?
Yes. We expect to move rapidly from Central America and Mexico to provide the service to other countries and regions. Additional information will be made available on the homepage of this website.