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Bangladeshi Garment Industry Welfare Policies and Employee Satisfaction: An Empirical Study

Author

Listed:
  • Md. Raisul Islam

    (Associate Professor, Department of Law and Land Administration, University of Rajshahi, Bangladesh)

  • Md. Tofayel Hossain

    (Department of Sociology, Cumilla Victoria Govt. College, Cumilla, Chattogram, Bangladesh)

  • Shuvo Kumar Mallik

    (Department of Economics, Southeast University, Dhaka, Bangladesh)

  • M Abeedur Rahman

    (Assistant Professor, Department of Economics, Southeast University, Dhaka, Bangladesh)

Abstract

The study explores workers perspectives of the welfare data as prescribed in the Bangladesh Labor Act 2006. It is to answer two questions primarily: Are labor welfare policies under this law meaningful in their impact on workers? If so, how fully are these policies enforced in the Bangladeshi global garment supply chain industry? Binary Logistic Regression is used in the study to investigate the garment workers’ perception of a negative or positive influence of welfare facilities on their overall job satisfaction. Data were collected from compliant and export-oriented factories in three Upazilas, namely Savar, Ashulia (Dhaka District), and Gazipur Sadar (Gazipur District), Bangladesh between July and August 2021. Results show that things that help worker satisfaction among workers are facilities like overtime benefits, medical services, safety measures, toilets, and lunch and day care services. As the country settings are relatively similar in terms of socio-economic status and geography, the findings of this study can be extended to garment manufacturing industries in other South Asian countries. It is an indication of workers’ sentiment toward welfare provisions. The study’s findings can guide stakeholders on how to provide more effective interventions on either side of the labor welfare space.

Suggested Citation

  • Md. Raisul Islam & Md. Tofayel Hossain & Shuvo Kumar Mallik & M Abeedur Rahman, 2025. "Bangladeshi Garment Industry Welfare Policies and Employee Satisfaction: An Empirical Study," International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), vol. 9(15), pages 334-346, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:bcp:journl:v:9:y:2025:i:15:p:334-346
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Robayet Ferdous Syed & Kazi Tanvir Mahmud, 2022. "Factors influencing work-satisfaction of global garments supply chain workers in Bangladesh," International Review of Economics, Springer;Happiness Economics and Interpersonal Relations (HEIRS), vol. 69(4), pages 507-524, December.
    2. Sergiy D. Dmytriyev & R. Edward Freeman & Jacob Hörisch, 2021. "The Relationship between Stakeholder Theory and Corporate Social Responsibility: Differences, Similarities, and Implications for Social Issues in Management," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 58(6), pages 1441-1470, September.
    3. Mark Anner, 2020. "Squeezing workers’ rights in global supply chains: purchasing practices in the Bangladesh garment export sector in comparative perspective," Review of International Political Economy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 27(2), pages 320-347, March.
    4. Humayun Kabir & Myfanwy Maple & Md Shahidul Islam & Kim Usher, 2021. "Prevalence of Suicide Thoughts and Behaviours among Female Garment Workers Who Survived the Rana Plaza Collapse: An In-Depth Inquiry," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(12), pages 1-15, June.
    5. Tobias Wolf & Maria Metzing & Richard E. Lucas, 2022. "Experienced Well-Being and Labor Market Status: The Role of Pleasure and Meaning," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 163(2), pages 691-721, September.
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