Updating the Workers' Welfare Standards
Initiative description: Reviewing and updating, if required, the Workers’ Welfare Standards periodically to reflect feedback from stakeholders, including workers, workers’ representatives, contractors and construction partners, government, rights advocates and experts, and international delegations.
In consultation with key stakeholders, the Workers' Welfare Standards (WWS) have evolved over time and are updated as needed to reflect best practices, changes in the labour law and the expansion of the programme to include other business sectors beyond construction. All recent updates to the WWS have been implemented and include:
All workers receiving mandatory medical health screenings before joining SC projects and then on a periodic basis, via medical partners. 40,687 screenings have been conducted since the programme inception and until December 2021
Contractors ensuring that workers are employed in roles for which they were tested and interviewed for in their home country (with appropriate measures in place if they are not)
Contractors carrying out emergency medical drills at least once every two months that must include scenarios involving first aiders and medical staff
Greater empowerment for Workers’ Welfare Officers (WWO) and Project Workers’ Welfare Officers (PWWO) via direct reporting to contractors’ project managers or directors
Other Contracting Party (OCP) / subcontractor approval process strengthened to include WWS-compliant accommodation, ethical recruitment practices, recruitment fee reimbursement, and provision of annual air tickets or a cash equivalent for workers as a prerequisite for OCP approval on any SC project