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SA 8000

SA8000, or "Social Accountability 8000", was developed to promote socially responsible business in all sectors around the globe. Rather than being a "sweatshop code" for customers to enforce upon their suppliers, SA8000 was developed to help socially responsible companies to measure and differentiate themselves from other companies operating with less than acceptable labor conditions. It sets out expectations regarding health and safety, child labor, forced labor, freedom of association, discrimination, disciplinary practices, working hours and compensation together with the management systems to deliver them. SA8000 covers all the major labor rights issues contained in International Labor Organization (ILO) conventions, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. It also acknowledges the importance of compliance with locally applicable laws.

First published in 1997 and revised in 2001, SA8000 has been widely recognized as the most significant tool for bringing workers’ rights business practices into line with the values of society - a vital component of corporate reputation today. The standard is broadly recognized by trade unions, government agencies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) as one of the strongest workplace standards. Organizations that have recognized SA8000 include the US State Department, the European Commission, the Tuscany Government, the Indian Ministry of Textiles, Business for Social Responsibility and Amnesty International.

SA 8000 Includes

The SA8000 standard and verification system is a credible, comprehensive and efficient tool for assuring humane workplaces because it includes:

• A standard that covers all widely accepted international labor rights.
  
• Factory-level management system requirement for ongoing compliance and improvement.
• Independent, expert verification of compliance: Certification of facilities by auditing bodies accredited by SAI. SAI accreditation ensures that auditors have the procedures and resources needed to conduct thorough and objective audits. There are currently nine organizations accredited to do SA8000 certification.
  
• Involvement by all stakeholders: Participation by all key sectors, including workers and trade unions, companies, socially responsible investors, nongovernmental organizations and government, in the SA8000 system. Such participation is required with the Advisory Board, drafting and revision of the standard and auditing system, conferences, training, and the complaints system.
• Harnessing consumer and investor concern: The SA8000 Certification and Corporate Involvement Program help consumers and investors to identify and support companies that are committed to assuring human rights in the workplace SA8000 Standard Elements.
  

To know more about SA 8000 and our deliverables through our unique process approach, click here or contact us for a Zero Cost discussion.

CSR

World Business Council for Sustainable Development defines Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) as “The continuing commitment by business to behave ethically and contribute to economic development while improving the quality of life of the workforce and their families as well as of the local community and society at large.” The European Commission advocates CSR as “Being socially responsible means not only fulfilling legal expectations, but also going beyond compliance and investing more into human capital, the environment and relations with stakeholders.

Companies that embrace CSR actively help further their countries’ economic, social, and environmental development. Businesses adopt a CSR strategy voluntarily, primarily with their stakeholder groups, because they understand that, in the long run, good relations with the stakeholder universe will strengthen a company’s growth prospects and market share. CSR diminishes the risk inherent in any form of business operation. As well as complying with local tax, corporate, and labor laws, companies thus must meet high international standards if they wish to succeed in the global marketplace.

CSR practices have been gaining importance in developing countries as private-sector agents have come to realize that socially responsible behavior is one way to distinguish themselves from the competition, as well as a competitiveness element that enhances their market access, productivity, and risk management. Although large corporations have been the prime focus of conceptual development work on corporate responsibility and associated management tools because of their greater visibility and accessibility CSR is fully applicable to, and beneficial for, small and medium-sized enterprises as well, albeit with a different focus to take account of the typical features of these smaller operations.

To know more about CSR and our deliverables through our unique process approach, click here or contact us for a Zero Cost discussion.