Study: Systematic consideration of human rights in companies working in social and health care sector must be strengthened

In recent years, corporate responsibility for human rights has emerged as a visible theme in the public debate, and its regulation is developing rapidly. The Human Rights Centre's study Responsible business conduct in social and health care sector – Corporate human rights responsibility in housing services examines the realisation of responsibility for human rights in the largest companies providing housing services in Finland.

The results of the study show that systematic consideration of human rights in the social and health care sector is still in its early stages. While human rights are already reflected in the regulation of the sector and have, for example, been visible in efforts to develop the quality of services, more comprehensive discussions on companies’ overall human rights responsibility in this sector are on a relatively early stage.

However, positive developments have been observed over recent years. The status of human rights responsibility of companies providing housing services has been assessed starting from 2021, and based on the monitoring, an awareness of the significance of corporate and human rights responsibility is increasing. This is gradually being reflected in practical measures as well.

Study sparks discussion on corporate responsibility in the sector

The study has assessed the current state of corporate human rights responsibility by examining three themes:

• human rights commitments of companies
• processes implemented by companies for mapping human rights risks and taking them into account in all their activities
• companies’ complaint mechanisms and their approach to corrective measures.

The themes selected for examination are based on the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. The principles were adopted in 2011 and have since served as a tool for examining and developing corporate human rights responsibility. The EU’s Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), which entered into force this summer, is also based on the UN guiding principles.

The results of the study regarding all themes indicate that systematic human rights work in companies working in the social and health care sector is still in the early stages. The aim of the publication is to stimulate discussion in the sector and support companies in developing their human rights work. The report details what human rights responsibility in the social and health care sector means in practice and how the specific characteristics of the sector need to be taken into consideration.

The Human Rights Centre will continue its work on the basis of the study's results to strengthen corporate human rights responsibility in social and health care in cooperation with various actors in the sector.

The study was commissioned by the Human Rights Centre in cooperation with FIANT Consulting Oy.

Read:

• Responsible business conduct in social and health care sector - Corporate human rights responsibility in housing services (PDF, in Finnish)

The publication will also be translated into English.

Enquiries:

Susan Villa, Expert firstname.lastname@eduskunta.fi, +358 50 341 2267