Behind EcoVadis’ Mission to End Worker Rights Abuse Globally

If you work in sustainability, you’ll likely be familiar with a certain old adage: ‘If you can measure it, you can manage it’.

In its simplest terms, sustainability is a series of data points on a spreadsheet. Some of those numbers have to increase, some of them need to decrease.

Whether its sea levels, carbon emissions, biodiversity, soil fertility, rain acidity – the global pursuit of sustainability is all about making sure that the graph line is pointing in the right direction.

The data, though, is the most crucial part of this equation. Without the correct information, governments, companies and individuals are fighting climate change blindfolded.

When it comes to data, sustainability intelligence company EcoVadis has a place in the highest echelon.

The France-based firm is a global leader when it comes to supply chain information, helping some of the world’s largest companies better understand their operations.

EcoVadis has now turned its attention to social sustainability. 

The Worker Voice platform is a digital service which allows companies to monitor labour conditions throughout their supply chains.

The Worker Voice

The EcoVadis Worker Voice platform, developed in collaboration with Ulula, gives businesses a direct channel to gather anonymous feedback from workers across global supply networks.

It’s a service which comes at a particularly unstable time for supply chains around the world.

Volatile trade environments, network disruptions and political tensions are all known to increase risks to vulnerable workers.

The EcoVadis platform aims to give companies visibility beyond traditional social audits, which often fail to capture authentic worker experiences.

These conventional audits tend to occur too infrequently to give companies up-to-date information, and they cost significant amounts of money.

Worker Voice lets workers provide feedback through mobile surveys, instant messages or in-person questionnaires.

It’s designed to be an accessible service to ensure that as many workers as possible participate, even in remote or high-risk areas.

The system prioritises anonymity to encourage honest reporting without fear of retaliation.

"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 identification

A key feature of the Worker Voice platform is its ability to process and analyse feedback immediately, flagging critical issues as they emerge.

This enables rapid response to health and safety concerns, harassment incidents or other workplace problems.

The survey takes less than 10 minutes to complete and can remain open for up to 10 days to maximise participation.

Results are available to organisations in real-time, offering detailed insights into worker wellbeing and labour conditions.

Companies utilising the system receive a "worker verified" badge on the EcoVadis platform, while positive worker feedback can strengthen their overall EcoVadis ratings.

Practical applications

The system can address various workplace challenges that might otherwise remain hidden.

For instance, if workers report excessive overtime, management can reassess workloads and implement protective measures.

Similarly, harassment complaints can trigger targeted investigations, training programmes and improved grievance mechanisms.

This practical approach helps businesses move beyond regulatory compliance toward meaningful workplace improvements.

"This collaboration brings together EcoVadis' global scale and deep expertise in helping organisations develop sustainable supply chain programmes with Ulula's focus on worker-centered data," explains Antoine Heuty, Founder and CEO of Ulula.

"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."

Regulatory alignment

As businesses face increasing regulatory requirements around human rights due diligence, the Worker Voice system helps align worker feedback with industry standards and compliance frameworks.

This includes modern slavery laws and other human rights regulations gaining traction globally.

The platform's ability to rapidly deploy across global supply chains makes it particularly valuable during periods of economic instability.

With forced labour practices still prevalent worldwide, EcoVadis positions this tool as a cost-effective method to gain crucial on-the-ground insights about human rights risks.

The system represents a shift from periodic compliance checking toward continuous improvement driven by worker-centred data.

Meet Pierre-François Thaler: An executive profile

Pierre-François is EcoVadis’ Co-Founder and Co-CEO, and has been instrumental in bringing the Worker Voice platform to life.

Since establishing the company in 2007, Pierre-François has guided its development into a leading sustainability intelligence platform for global supply chains.

He is a hands-on leader, taking charge of EcoVadis’s Customers, Marketing, Solutions and Impact, the latter of which has been particularly important in shaping the Worker Voice platform.

Before EcoVadis, Pierre-François held lots of other leadership positions, serving as Director of Managed Services at Ariba and previously as CEO of B2Build, the first B2B marketplace for the European construction industry.

Earlier in his career, he held the position of Director of e-Procurement at Alstom Power, building on his initial role as Project Manager at Alstom.

His academic credentials include an MSc in Electrical Engineering from CentraleSupélec, one of France's elite engineering institutions, complemented by an MBA from the globally renowned INSEAD business school.

Pierre-François' combination of technical knowledge, business acumen and sustainability vision has positioned him as an influential voice in responsible sourcing and supply chain sustainability.

His leadership at EcoVadis reflects a career-long commitment to leveraging technology for positive environmental and social impact.

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