SustainCase: How the World Bank is promoting a positive and respectful workplace in order to retain the world’s top talent

Case study: How the World Bank is promoting a positive and respectful workplace in order to retain the world’s top talent


Drawn from over 170 countries and speaking more than 140 languages, the World Bank’s diverse staff, numbering more than 12,000, are united by a common mission, to eliminate extreme poverty by 2030 and foster shared prosperity in a sustainable manner. It is the World Bank’s greatest resource, reflecting the rich diversity of its client base. The World Bank is thus committed to promoting a positive and respectful workplace that will help it retain the world’s top talent.


Providing its nearly 12,000 staff with a working environment where conflict is addressed through the Bank’s sophisticated Internal Justice System and staff are encouraged to raise their concerns, so that they can be actively addressed, is a top priority for the World Bank. After identifying its most crucial impacts on its internal stakeholders, the World Bank took action to:

• offer staff informal services for resolving issues, such as Respectful Workplace Advisors (RWAs), volunteer staff members trained to guide other staff and Ombuds Services

• offer staff formal services for determining whether managerial decisions are consistent with a staff member’s terms of appointment or conditions of employment, such as Peer Review Services and the World Bank Administrative Tribunal

• investigate allegations of staff misconduct through the Office of Ethics and Business Conduct Vice Presidency (EBC)

• investigate allegations of fraud and corruption through the Integrity Vice Presidency (INT) and

• provide Internal Justice Services to Country Office staff


Using the GRI Standards in order to maintain and increase the value of your company


With each publication in this series the FBRH team will highlight one key impact identified by a company reporting in accordance with the GRI Standards and show how it has taken a structured, systematic approach to improving performance. With such positive action companies build trust, by dealing responsibly and conscientiously with their impact on the environment and on their stakeholders (e.g. clients, suppliers, shareholders, local communities, NGOs or local government). Stakeholders that can hold it back or stop it from reaching its objectives


By building trust your company creates loyalty and long-term commitment to its services and brands