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Provide effective grievance mechanisms to employees and stakeholders
Grievance mechanisms and remediation
Our commitment
Why it matters
To uphold mutual trust and respect and ensure a sustainable supply chain, it is essential that employees and other stakeholders have access to safe, effective grievance mechanisms. These mechanisms must ensure remediation for any violations that are substantiated.
What we are doing
In 2019, we performed a major review of our external and internal grievance mechanisms to understand the overall effectiveness of the systems. We have implemented action plans where areas for improvement were identified. Read more about it in our 2019 progress report.
By 2019
Review grievance systems’ effectiveness with internal and external stakeholders to define improvement opportunities
By 2020
Grievance systems improvements implemented in pilot markets
Our approach to grievance mechanisms
We have effective reporting mechanisms for all stakeholders to report grievances and compliance breaches.
Measuring our Nestlé Integrity Reporting System in numbers
The Nestlé Integrity Reporting System (NIRS) is our internal reporting system. In 2019, we received 1740 messages, as detailed in our NIRS reporting table.
Our robust system means that 1496 (86%) cases were closed and 474 (31%) substantiated. As a result, 135 employees left the company, there were 19 written warnings, and 17 suppliers’ services were terminated. Where appropriate, other measures, such as internal process improvement and reinforcement, were carried out.
| Type of issue | Number of messages received in 2019 |
| Abuse of power and/or mobbing/bullying | 427 |
| Labor practices | 404 |
| Discrimination and harassment | 245 |
| Private-to-private bribery | 42 |
| Other allegations | 622 |
Listening to stakeholders
Tell us is our reporting mechanism for all external stakeholders. In 2019, we received 1178 messages via Tell us across categories such as labor practices, fraud, safety, and quality. As a result of our investigations, four warning letters were issued, six employees left the company, and one contractor employee and five service providers had their services terminated.
| Type of issue | Number of messages received in 2019 |
| HR-related matters* | 210 |
| Fraud cases | 68 |
| Compliance by our suppliers and other business partners | 43 |
| Safety and health | 42 |
| Conflict of interest | 26 |
| Data privacy, cyber security, IP infringement | 21 |
| Environmental suggestions | 15 |
| WHO Code related concerns | 7 |
| Seeking advice | 7 |
| Harassment | 6 |
| Private-to-private bribery | 6 |
| Sexual harassment | 4 |
| Other general concerns | 723 |
*Labor practices, abuse of power and/or mobbing/bullying, moral harassment, workplace respect, and inclusion and diversity
