WeCare Expands in Bangladesh as More Suppliers Embrace Family-Friendly Practices

Whenever I visit my daughter in my hometown, she’s so happy. But when I leave, she cries and begs to come with me. In those moments, I feel so guilty for not being there,” said a parent worker in Bangladesh’s garment sector who spoke to The Centre” said a manager of a Hasbro supplier during a WeCare training session.

   

Stories like this are all too common. For thousands of parent workers in Bangladesh’s factories, being separated from their children is a painful reality. But a growing number of suppliers are taking steps to change that through the WeCare Family-Friendly Workplace Programme.

Recently expanded to four factories supplying the Otto Group, WeCare is gaining momentum in Bangladesh as buyers and suppliers alike recognise it as a win-win: improving workers’ lives while strengthening business performance.

“The further expansion of WeCare in Bangladesh, alongside the support for factories in Turkiye and China, is an important step in promoting family-friendly practices and positively impacting the lives of workers and their families. We see this not only as a social responsibility but also as an investment in a stronger, more engaged, and resilient workforce. The positive feedback from participating workers and the measurable progress confirm our commitment to this pioneering initiative." Lena Peleikis, Head of Human Rights and Responsible Supply Chain, Otto Group Holding said a manager of a Hasbro supplier at the training.

What is WeCare?

WeCare offers tailored services that support working parents, young and juvenile workers, and factory management. The programme helps suppliers introduce policies and initiatives covering over 18 modules. At the four newly added factories, activities include:

• Parenting skills and family support

• Responsible recruitment

• Childcare solutions

• Maternal health and breastfeeding support

• Flexible working and worker wellbeing

Activities currently underway

• Parenting training for workers and managers

• Responsible recruitment workshops and consultations

• Development of family-friendly workplace policies

• Factory-hosted Family Day events

Progress to date includes:

• 3 Trainings of Trainers on parenting delivered to 14 managers

• 4 responsible recruitment workshops involving 20 managers

• 2 parenting sessions reaching 100 parent workers

• 4 responsible recruitment action plans and 1 family-friendly action plan in development

For all four factories, this marks their first time implementing WeCare and their early engagement shows growing interest across the industry in more sustainable and worker-centred practices.

One worker attending parenting training shared:

“I want to raise my child properly while considering the challenges of today’s social context. I hope this helps me provide them with the best upbringing possible.” 

As more suppliers adopt WeCare, they’re finding that investing in workers’ family wellbeing makes clear business sense. The programme improves retention, boosts morale, aligns with buyer expectations, and builds a stronger, more resilient workforce.

For more information about The Centre’s Family-Friendly Workplace programmes and impact, read our 2024 Impact and Achievements report.