USS backs ShareAction's Workforce Disclosure Initiative

USS is one of 79 institutional investors supporting ShareAction’s Workforce Disclosure Initiative (WDI) which calls on companies to disclose more information on how they manage their global workforces.

The WDI is a project devised and coordinated by ShareAction and funded by the UK’s Department for International Development (DfID) and the investor group features institutions across ten countries.

A survey has been sent to 75 companies listed on eight international stock exchanges today and looks to gain a deeper insight into companies’ workforce policies and practices, and to see how firms compare with peers in the same sector in managing workforce risks and opportunities. The survey asks participants to provide information about their governance of workforce issues, global workforce composition and stability, training and development of people, and worker engagement.

The WDI is the first investor-led process for companies to report on workforce issues across their direct operations and supply chains and the data generated form the survey will allow investors to engage with companies in support of smart management of ‘human capital’ as well as about their exposure to the risks of poor workforce practices. The lack of comparable data disclosed by companies is cited as a major barrier to such investor engagement at present.

The survey will be carried out annually.

The full press release is available on the ShareAction website and further information on ShareAction’s Workforce Disclosure Initiative is available here.

More information on USS’s Responsible Investment strategy and approach is available on the Responsible Investment pages.