GRI Draft Labour Topic Standards: Focus on Family Responsibility and Training

As the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) updates its Labour Topic Standards, significant changes are being introduced to enhance how organisations report on training and education and family responsibility policies. These revisions focus on the effectiveness of workforce development initiatives and the support provided to employees with family caregiving responsibilities.

Labour Rights

At the close of April 2025, the public consultation for the updated Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Labour Topic Standards will end. These revised drafts are set to replace the previous GRI 401: Employment 2016 and GRI 404: Training and Education 2016 standards, introducing new frameworks that aim to improve the quality and transparency of reporting on family responsibility policies and training and education for workers. These changes reflect an increasing focus on social sustainability, particularly around employee well-being, workforce development, and the effectiveness of workforce initiatives.

Training and Education Draft Topic Standard: Key Updates

The Training and Education Draft Topic Standard is intended to replace GRI 404: Training and Education 2016, bringing with it significant updates to how organisations report on their training policies, the content of training provided, and the overall outcomes of these initiatives. The primary aim is to focus on the impact of training, rather than just tracking the volume of training delivered. This shift aligns with the growing need for organisations to demonstrate the effectiveness of their workforce development programmes.

TRED

Source: The Training and Education Draft Topic Standard

GRI 404

Source: GRI 404: Training and Education 2016

Reporting on Training Policies (Disclosure TRED 1)

Under the updated framework, Disclosure TRED 1 requires organisations to provide comprehensive details about their training and education policies. The key elements of this disclosure include:

  • Training and education objectives: Companies must clearly define the goals of their training programmes, such as enhancing specific employee skills or increasing employee engagement.
  • Identification of training needs: Organisations are now required to outline how they assess and identify training needs, ensuring that training is aligned with both employee development and organisational objectives.
  • Scope of employees covered: This includes specifying which groups of employees (e.g., full-time, part-time, temporary workers) are covered by the training policy and, if applicable, explaining why certain categories might be excluded.
  • Encouragement of participation: Organisations must explain how they incentivise and encourage participation in training, ensuring that employees are motivated to engage in these initiatives.

This disclosure shifts the focus from merely reporting on training hours to a more comprehensive understanding of how training decisions align with broader organisational objectives.

Types and Content of Training (Disclosure TRED 2)

Disclosure TRED 2 focuses on the types and content of training provided by the organisation, expanding the previous standards by requiring organisations to:

  • Describe the types and content of training provided to both employees and workers who are not employees (e.g., contractors, part-time staff). This ensures that training is accessible across the workforce, particularly for workers who might not have had access to training opportunities in the past.
  • Explain how training and education support the transition to work, including programmes for new employees, career changes within the company, or reskilling initiatives.

This change emphasizes that training should not only be viewed as a procedural necessity but should have a clear purpose in helping employees transition and grow in their careers, regardless of their job status.

Completed Training and Education (Disclosure TRED 3)

Disclosure TRED 3 requires companies to report on the completion rates of training and education initiatives, breaking down the data by:

  • Employee category (full-time, part-time, temporary).
  • Gender, to ensure that training opportunities are equally accessible to all employees, regardless of gender.
  • Average hours of training completed, including a breakdown by content type and operational location.

This requirement shifts the focus from simply counting the hours spent in training to measuring the completion and accessibility of these training programmes across diverse employee groups, helping organisations demonstrate inclusivity in their learning initiatives.

Training Outcomes and Effectiveness (Disclosure TRED 4)

Finally, Disclosure TRED 4 introduces a focus on the outcomes and effectiveness of training initiatives. Organisations must report on:

  • The outcomes of training: Companies will be expected to explain the tangible results of training, such as skill improvement, performance enhancement, or long-term employee retention.
  • Effectiveness evaluation: Organisations must evaluate how well their training programmes have achieved their objectives. This might involve surveys, feedback from participants, or performance metrics to assess whether the training led to the desired outcomes.

This disclosure underscores the importance of measuring the impact of training programmes, not just their volume, aligning with broader goals of workforce development and organisational success.

Working Parents and Caregivers Draft Topic Standard: Key Updates

The Working Parents and Caregivers Draft Topic Standard is intended to replace GRI 401: Employment 2016 and introduces a more comprehensive approach to reporting on workers with family responsibilities. This updated standard focuses on the growing importance of family leave policies and how organisations can better support working parents and caregivers.

PARE

Source: The Working Parents and Caregivers Draft Topic Standard

GRI 401

Source: GRI 401: Employment 2016

Reporting on Parental Leave Policies (Disclosure PARE 1)

Disclosure PARE 1 requires companies to report on their paid family leave policies for employees and workers with family responsibilities. Key updates include:

  • Expanded scope of family leave: Companies must now report on maternity, paternity, and caregiver leave, reflecting a broader understanding of family leave beyond just maternity leave.
  • Encouragement of participation: Organisations are expected to explain how they encourage both employees and non-employees to take leave when needed, providing an inclusive approach to family responsibilities.
  • Support structures: The standard requires companies to detail policies around flexible working arrangements, breastfeeding and lactation breaks, and employer-supported childcare.

These revisions signal a shift towards more inclusive and supportive family leave policies, helping organisations better support their employees' family responsibilities, regardless of gender or employment status.

Maternity, Paternity, and Parental Leave Reporting (Disclosure PARE 2)

Disclosure PARE 2 requires organisations to report on:

  • The percentage of employees entitled to paid leave for each type of leave (maternity, paternity, and parental leave), alongside the average number of weeks taken for each leave type.
  • For each significant location of operation, companies must report the retention rates of employees returning to work after parental leave and whether they remain employed for at least 12 months after their return.

This disclosure focuses on employee retention and career progression after parental leave, placing less emphasis on the duration of leave taken and more on the long-term impact on employees' careers.

Conclusion: Enhancing Labour Reporting for Greater Transparency and Impact

The updates to the GRI Labour Topic Standards introduce clearer guidelines on how organisations should report on training and education as well as family responsibility policies. These revisions aim to improve the transparency and effectiveness of reporting, focusing on how organisations can better support employees and measure the impact of their initiatives.

These revisions help organisations move beyond basic participation metrics to focus on meaningful outcomes that can demonstrate the real impact of their policies. The aim is to make labour reporting more transparent, relevant, and aligned with current trends in workplace inclusivity and employee support.

Additionally, the following GRI Topic Standards are also scheduled for revision, with publication expected in 2026: GRI 202: Market Presence 2016, GRI 402: Labor/Management Relations 2016, GRI 405: Diversity and Equal Opportunity 2016, GRI 407: Freedom of Association and Collective Bargaining 2016, GRI 408: Child Labor 2016, and GRI 409: Forced or Compulsory Labor 2016.

These updates represent a significant step toward more inclusive and impact-driven labour reporting, supporting organisations in becoming more accountable for their contributions to social sustainability and employee well-being.