This article investigates child labour as a fundamental human rights issue in the workplace and examines how multinational companies worldwide address the associated risks in their sustainability reports. Utilising a qualitative content analysis of 32 sustainability reports published by multinational corporations operating in high-risk sectors for child labour, the study evaluates the spectrum of corrective actions implemented to prevent and mitigate child labour. The findings reveal varied corporate strategies, with a preference for preventive measures, whereas detective and reactive measures are less commonly employed. This study contributes to the existing literature on corporate human rights practices by demonstrating how companies convert normative expectations into management responses and highlighting areas where reporting remains ambiguous or symbolic. The implications for policymakers, managers, stakeholders, and directions for future research are also discussed.
Rubino et al. (Wed,) studied this question.