Corporate Human Rights Performance in 2025: A New Index Tracks 50+ Companies

Corporate human rights performance is under sharper scrutiny in 2025 as investors, regulators, and civil society push companies to prove that policies translate into real-world outcomes. The move is further incited by a new index of 50+ or more companies, which tracks the publics in their promises, governance and reporting of critical risk areas including forced labour, supply-chain openness, worker voice and remedy of harms. Proponents believe that the tools of such measurement make it more difficult to expect companies to depend on a vague statement whereas critics point out that rankings encourage disclosure rather than impact. Either way, the index trend signals that “human rights due diligence” is becoming mainstream corporate practice.

What the 2025 index measures

While index methodologies vary, most corporate human rights performance frameworks score companies on:

• Governance: Human rights risks Board oversight, executive accountability and internal controls.
• Due diligence: Standards of suppliers, audits, and corrective actions.
• Transparency: Reporting key risks, incidents, and improvement in time.
• Remedy: Grievance channels, whistleblower protections, and victim-centred remediation.

The benefit of tracking 50+ companies is also the ability to compare across sectors, where exposure is more structural (e.g. apparel supply chains, electronics manufacturing, food and agriculture).

Read more: Corporate capture of policy: When big tech, energy, and defence lobbies blunt or reshape human rights safeguards in new laws

Why it matters to businesses and investors

Indexes have an impact on corporate priorities since they affect reputation, procurement activities as well as access to capital. When benchmarks are popular, companies are under pressure to:

• Supply chains outside tier-one suppliers.
• Establish quantifiable goals (not only policies) of labour and rights.
• Demonstrate credible grievance mechanisms with proof of resolution.

To investors, an index consistency can be used to filter unmanaged human rights risk that could become a legal liability, disruption of operations or damaged brand.

How companies can improve scores (and impact)

Practical steps that tend to enhance performance, as well as credibility, are:

• Publication of supplier lists and high-risk countries of origin, where possible.
• Connection between KPIs of human rights and executive compensation and oversight by audit committee.
• Conducting periodic human rights impacts assessment and making reports on what changed.
• Developing available grievance channels among employees (and the supply chain) and recording the remedy results.

What to watch next

The greatest challenge to any human rights index in 2025 is whether it measures results, as well as disclosure. Expect growing demand for evidence such as remediation statistics, verified worker feedback, independent audits, and year-over-year progress against time-bound targets.

Disclaimer: Stay informed on human rights and the real stories behind laws and global decisions. Follow updates on labour rights and everyday workplace realities. Learn about the experiences of migrant workers, and explore thoughtful conversations on work-life balance and fair, humane ways of working.