What We’ve Learned About Decent Work (From the Ground Up)

I’ve spent years walking through factories, sitting with women workers in break rooms, having chai with union reps, and listening to managers caught between delivery pressure and doing the right thing.

Here’s what I’ve learned about Decent Work—not from reports, but from people:

1. Wages are important—but so is respect.

You can pay minimum wage, even a little more. But if a worker is shouted at daily, if she can’t speak up when something’s wrong, that’s not decent. It’s survival.

2. Listen to the people closest to the issue.

The best ideas don’t come from consultants or compliance officers. They come from the welder, the packing staff, the woman who skips lunch to avoid the toilet line. We’ve learned to shut up and listen.

3. Pressure from the top breaks things at the bottom.

When brands squeeze suppliers, decent work takes the hit. Overtime shoots up. Contracts get vague. Corners get cut. Buyers can’t say “do better” while paying less.

4. Culture matters.

You can’t drop a global policy into an Indian factory and expect it to work. We’ve had to translate frameworks into actions people can relate to—and that takes empathy, not just expertise.

5. Government can help—if you work with it, not around it.

From social security access to grievance boards, there are systems. They need trust, clarity, and people to work across the gaps. We’ve made that part of our work.

Decent Work isn’t a checklist. It’s a mindset. It’s also business sense—because healthy, respected workers build stronger companies.

The question is: are we willing to go beyond the tickboxes, and stay in the conversation even when it’s messy?

I’ve seen what happens when we do. And it’s worth it.