BLIHR | Step 3

STEP 3: Review data and use this to inform strategy and action plans

Monitoring is only of any value if the data is used to inform decision-making and future action by the business. This is perhaps self-evident but human rights data has sometimes struggled to win enough attention from senior management in decision-making processes, even though the data contained might be extremely relevant to understand the potential risk and opportunity of any given project, business venture or existing relationship.

Different businesses have incorporated human rights into action planning in different ways, for example:

‘Business Balanced Scorecards’ which incentivise or reward specific employees on their human rights performance;
‘Templates’ which are used by management committees when review the human rights considerations of major infrastructure projects or other investment.

It is possible that the business will acquire human rights information that has the direct bearing on the well-being of one or more specific individuals:

If these are people for whom a business has a duty of care, such as its employees, the relevant manager will be required to act in the best interests of the person involved;
If the information relates to issues outside of the workplace, then it would be normal for the employer to make the relevant external agency aware (whether this be the national or local government, or perhaps a trades union).

The dilemma arises when a business has reason to believe that such action might put a specific individual or individuals at undue risk. Businesses need procedures for dealing with such sensitive information, in particular when operating in localities or regions where particular information is likely to be highly sensitive. Nevertheless, the over-riding imperative is for a business to act in such a manner to as to prevent or minimise the abuse of human rights. There are a number of human rights organisations, legal experts or national human rights commissions that might be able to advise a business in such circumstances.