Levi Strauss & Co. (LS&Co) has updated its Worker Well-being Guidebook, which articulates its refreshed strategy and goals for 2025 and 2030.
LS&Co, in partnership with the Levi Strauss Foundation, has aimed to improve the lives of the women and men who make the company’s products through its Worker Well-being (WWB) initiative.
Cumulatively, WWB has reached more than 219,000 workers in 113 supplier factories through investments in gender equity, health and economic security.
The WWB Guidebook offers brands and contract factories a self-directed approach to identifying locally relevant ways to improve well-being and business performance. The updated Guidebook will support suppliers in establishing strong internal worker-management teams that are able to identify needs, develop solutions and set new priorities across three focus areas that are proven to create impact and advance well-being: gender equity, workplace environment and policies and systems.
A key component to an updated approach is improving worker-manager cooperation and communication, which is critical for establishing a workplace environment where workers feel heard and valued.
The Guidebook will offer suppliers a variety of ways to create and support dedicated committees where workers and managers are able come together to diagnose workplace challenges, solutions and opportunities.
By 2025, the company’s aim is that suppliers will have supported the creation and leadership of worker-manager teams, as well as identified and made progress on deepening their investments in worker well-being in the areas of gender equity, workplace environment and policies and systems.
By 2030, more than 80 per cent of LS&Co.’s product volume will be made in factories that demonstrate continuous improvements to worker health, satisfaction and engagement scores.
Liz O’Neill, Executive Vice President, and COO, LS&Co, said “When we elevate trust, respect and fairness in partnership with our supply chain, we are all the more innovative, agile and resilient. LS&Co. has many accomplishments to celebrate with our WWB community and we remain committed to the progress of the initiative so we can, together, deepen our impact.”
The company also said that it will complete a comprehensive review of its purchasing practices. “Improving purchasing practices is a key determinant in helping to develop strong relationships between suppliers and brands, which can positively impact worker health and well-being outcomes. In the spirit of ongoing industry collaboration, we will continue to share the outcomes of our efforts and lessons learned,” the company said.
