Contact A Company Directly
The fact that some companies are respecting human rights around the world means that all companies are able to do the same. So why don’t they? Some would say that the answer to that question isn’t simple… but we disagree. The reason that some companies practices harm people and communities around the world is because those companies haven’t made human rights a priority. It might be that the company is aware of the problem, but prioritizes profit instead. Or it might be that the company doesn’t even know about the problems it is causing. But in this day and age, there is no excuse. And the good news is that in this day and age, there’s also no lack of ways for YOU, the consumer, to communicate with such companies! The vast majority of companies now have ways to reach them through social media, like Facebook pages and Twitter accounts, in addition to phone numbers and email accounts for customer service.
So when you hear of a company with practices that you don’t want to support, SPEAK UP! Here are three easy steps:
1) Tell the company what practice you don’t support and that you won’t buy their products until they change that practice.
2) Tell the company that there are no excuses for not respecting human rights. When you do reach out, we encourage you to let the company know that there are many guides available, like this one called “How to Do Business With Respect for Human Rights.” If you know of examples of other companies in the same field that have better practices, be sure to mention those, too. (If you’re reaching out to a company in the garment industry for example, let them know about competitors like Eileen Fisher that have taken the lead in making sure it has good practices at every point in its supply chain.)
3) Speak up publicly! The more people who know and act, the more pressure you’ll be putting on that company to change its ways.
So when you hear of a company with practices that you don’t want to support, SPEAK UP! Here are three easy steps:
1) Tell the company what practice you don’t support and that you won’t buy their products until they change that practice.
2) Tell the company that there are no excuses for not respecting human rights. When you do reach out, we encourage you to let the company know that there are many guides available, like this one called “How to Do Business With Respect for Human Rights.” If you know of examples of other companies in the same field that have better practices, be sure to mention those, too. (If you’re reaching out to a company in the garment industry for example, let them know about competitors like Eileen Fisher that have taken the lead in making sure it has good practices at every point in its supply chain.)
3) Speak up publicly! The more people who know and act, the more pressure you’ll be putting on that company to change its ways.