Employer Trust Score
A transparent, formula-driven accountability system. No hidden algorithms. No pay-to-play. Every employer starts equal.
How It Works
Every employer on Meritus starts with a 5.0 trust score: a clean slate. The score is recalculated dynamically based on verified workplace violation reports filed by workers.
Trust scores appear on employer public profiles and are visible to every worker considering employment. This creates a natural incentive for employers to maintain fair, safe workplaces.
The Formula
Score = 5.0 - (Penalty x (1 - Tenure - Activity) / Size Scale)Score is always between 0.0 and 5.0. Active verifiers never drop below 1.0.
Violation Severity Weights
Each upheld violation carries a base weight based on its severity:
Critical
2.5
Fatalities, willful negligence, criminal acts
High
1.5
Serious injury risk, wage theft, discrimination
Medium
0.8
Safety violations, overtime abuse, repeated issues
Low
0.3
Minor infractions, record-keeping, late stubs
Exponential Time Decay
Violations lose impact exponentially. Recent violations hit hard but fade fast. A company that corrects its behavior recovers meaningfully within a year.
Decay = e^(-0.085 x months)Now
100%
8 months
50%
16 months
25%
24 months
13%
Company Size Scale
A single incident at a 500-person company is statistically different from one at a 10-person company. The square-root scale ensures proportional accountability.
Scale = sqrt(employees / 10)10 employees
1x tolerance
50 employees
2.2x tolerance
200 employees
4.5x tolerance
500+ employees
7.1x tolerance
Response & Resolution Credit
Employers who engage with violations are rewarded. Silence carries full penalty. Responding, resolving, or having a report withdrawn all reduce impact:
Upheld (no response)
0%
Responded
-40%
Resolved
-75%
Withdrawn
-100%
Positive Factors
Tenure Bonus (up to -30%)
Employers on the platform for 6+ months earn a gradually increasing penalty reduction, up to 30% at 24+ months. Established employers get benefit of the doubt.
Verification Activity Credit (up to -20%)
Employers who actively verify worker credentials demonstrate compliance engagement. 50+ verifications in 12 months earns the maximum 20% penalty reduction.
Category Diversity Penalty (+15% per category)
Violations spanning 3+ different categories (safety, wage theft, discrimination, etc.) indicate systemic issues and increase the total penalty by 15% per additional category.
Example Scenarios
| Scenario | Score |
|---|---|
| Clean record, no violations | 5.0 |
| 500 employees, 2 medium violations, established employer with 100 verifications | ~4.9 |
| 500 employees, 3 violations across 3 categories, established | ~4.8 |
| 10 employees, 2 medium violations, new employer, no verifications | ~3.6 |
| 10 employees, 1 critical violation (resolved), 6 months old | ~4.7 |
| 500 employees, 5 old responded violations, 200 verifications | ~4.9 |
| 500 employees, 1 anonymous medium tip | ~5.0 |
How Violations Are Filed
Worker files a report
Through the worker dashboard or the public employer profile. Reports include category, description, severity, and an optional sworn oath under penalty of perjury.
Report is reviewed
The Meritus team investigates the claim. Frivolous or false reports are dismissed. Filing false reports under oath may result in account action.
Employer is notified
The employer receives notice and can respond with their side of the story. Responding reduces the violation's score impact by 40%.
Decision is made
The violation is upheld (affects trust score), dismissed (no impact), or resolved. All decisions are final and cryptographically logged.
Score updates automatically
Trust scores recalculate immediately upon decision and continuously as exponential time decay takes effect.
Our Principles
Transparency
The formula is public. No hidden factors. Every employer can understand exactly how their score is calculated.
Fairness
Company size matters. Time heals. Tenure is rewarded. Responding is credited. Anonymous tips carry less weight. False reports are dismissed.
Accountability
Workers deserve to know who they're working for. Employers deserve a fair, proportional system and the chance to improve.
Immutability
Upheld violations cannot be removed. They fade with time but remain part of the permanent record. This is by design.
Questions about the trust score system? Want to dispute a violation?