EcoVadis: Improving Global Supply Chain Labour Conditions

In supply chain management, reliable data is everything. Whether it’s tracking emissions, mapping supplier networks or identifying bottlenecks, progress depends on what you can measure. 

That same logic applies to sustainability, where the goal is to make sure key metrics are heading in the right direction.

From carbon output to labour conditions, sustainability is about numbers - some that must go down and others that need to improve. 

But data is only useful if it reflects the real situation on the ground. Without it, even the best strategy becomes guesswork.

Giving workers a voice

EcoVadis, a France-based sustainability intelligence company, has built its name helping global companies map, monitor and manage supplier sustainability. 

Now, it is applying that expertise to social sustainability with the launch of the Worker Voice platform, developed in partnership with worker feedback specialists Ulula.

Worker Voice creates a direct channel for anonymous feedback from workers within global supply chains. 

Through mobile surveys, instant messaging and in-person questionnaires, it gathers regular updates from across complex supplier networks. 

The aim is to give companies visibility that goes beyond the scope of traditional audits.

Audits, while useful, are often infrequent, costly and can miss the lived experiences of workers. Worker Voice fills that gap, enabling participation even in hard-to-reach or high-risk areas.

The platform prioritises accessibility and anonymity to encourage honest feedback. 

This protects contributors while helping companies detect risks like overwork, harassment or unsafe conditions early and with clarity.

"Companies are under pressure to comply with new regulations and meet rising stakeholder expectations, but policy without visibility falls short of where it matters most – on the ground with workers," says Pierre-François Thaler, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of EcoVadis.

"EcoVadis Worker Voice arms our customers with the data and insight they need to go beyond compliance and turn ethical commitments into real-world outcomes for workers across their value chain."

Real-time risk insight

One of Worker Voice’s key features is real-time analysis. Feedback from workers is processed immediately, flagging issues as they emerge. 

The survey itself takes under 10 minutes and can stay open for up to 10 days, increasing the chance of participation.

Organisations see results as they come in, building a clearer picture of working conditions throughout their operations. This allows for quicker interventions – whether adjusting overtime policies or responding to harassment reports.

EcoVadis clients that implement Worker Voice receive a ‘worker verified’ badge and strong feedback from workers contributes positively to their EcoVadis score.

This offers benefits beyond compliance, giving companies a way to back up ethical sourcing claims with live data, turning social commitments into tangible improvements on the factory floor.

"By combining these strengths, we're delivering a solution that goes beyond traditional audits and assessments and making it possible to surface risks that would otherwise remain hidden so we can support companies to act on them more effectively," says Antoine Heuty, Founder and CEO of Ulula.

Compliance and continuous improvement

Worker Voice is also built with regulatory alignment in mind. As global standards tighten and human rights due diligence becomes mandatory in many regions, the platform helps companies to keep pace.

This includes laws targeting modern slavery and other labour abuses, with Worker Voice positioned as a practical tool for navigating compliance in unstable economic climates.

With its ability to gather and analyse on-the-ground data quickly, Worker Voice signals a shift in how supply chains approach labour risk: from periodic box-ticking to ongoing, worker-driven improvement.

Behind the platform is Pierre-François Thaler, who co-founded EcoVadis in 2007. 

Since then, he has helped shape it into a trusted sustainability data provider for global supply chains. With responsibility for the company’s customers, marketing, solutions and impact teams, Thaler played a central role in bringing Worker Voice to life.

Before founding EcoVadis, Thaler worked in executive roles at Ariba and B2Build and earlier as Director of e-Procurement at Alstom Power. 

He holds an MSc in Electrical Engineering from CentraleSupélec and an MBA from INSEAD.

His career reflects a long-standing focus on using data to deliver environmental and social change. Worker Voice is the latest extension of that vision—an attempt to bring clearer, more accountable labour standards into the supply chain.

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