Private Regulation as a Tool for Supporting Low-Wage Workers

It does not take a policy wonk or Beltway insider to know that change in public policy is often slow and incremental even with the hard work of advocates. While progress is slow, low-wage workers and their families continue to struggle. However, private regulation – voluntary efforts by private sector companies to define or restrain their behaviors using some or all the elements of regulation – can help effect change.

For advocates, understanding why and how companies voluntarily take these stances is critical to shape strategies for private influence. Public Private Strategies, with support from The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, set out to better understand private regulation as a tool to advance policies that benefit the health and well-being of low-wage workers.