The Shareholder Association for Research & Education (SHARE) is launching a two-year project aimed at developing tools to assist investors in ensuring their pension investments uphold the highest standards of human and labour rights. The Investing in Decent Work project will focus on the challenges investors face in identifying and addressing issues related to the use of forced labour, precarious employment and occupational health and safety.
For over two decades, Canadian institutional investors have demonstrated a significant and growing interest in responsible investment, as well as progressively engaging firms in order to assess risk and return potential, evaluate management quality, and inform proxy voting. Sound labour management and robust labour standards are increasingly recognized for their contribution to building long-term shareholder value. However, complex production chains and recruitment processes, together with a lack of corporate disclosure in the area, make the agenda of “Decent Work” particularly daunting for investors to tackle.
By building the capacity of pension funds’ to integrate workplace practices and labour rights into investment decision-making processes, the Investing in Decent Work Project will help Canadian investment decision-makers meet their long-term financial obligations in a manner consistent with fundamental human rights.
The project’s focus on forced labour, precarious employment, and occupational health and safety were selected because of rising investor concern and public awareness.
The project will undertake research into the implications and consequences of forced labour, precarious employment, and occupational health and safety practices. Awareness and capacity-building of Canadian investment decision-makers will be promoted through educational tools and training events.
Through the project, SHARE will also identify best practices to enable companies to meet and exceed widely-accepted international labour standards and improved disclosure to help investors manage risks and identify opportunities related to workplace issues.
For more information, please contact:
Noushin Khushrushahi
Research Analyst, Social
noushin@share.ca| 604 695 2023
