The SA 8000 Standard is an auditable certification standard based on international workplace norms of International Labour Organisation (ILO) conventions, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. A summary of the Standard elements follows:

·      Child Labour: No workers under the age of 15; minimum lowered to 14 for countries operating under the ILO Convention 138 developing-country exception; remediation of any child found to be working

·      Forced Labour: No forced Labour, including prison or debt bondage Labour; no lodging of deposits or identity papers by employers or outside recruiters

·      Health and Safety: Provide a safe and healthy work environment; take steps to prevent injuries; regular health and safety worker training; system to detect threats to health and safety; access to bathrooms and potable water

·      Freedom of Association and Right to Collective Bargaining: Respect the right to form and join trade unions and bargain collectively; where law prohibits these freedoms, facilitate parallel means of association and bargaining

·      Discrimination: No discrimination based on race, caste, origin, religion, disability, gender, sexual orientation, union or political affiliation, or age; no sexual harassment

·      Discipline: No corporal punishment, mental or physical coercion or verbal abuse

·      Working Hours: Comply with the applicable law but, in any event, no more than 48 hours per week with at least one day off for every seven day period; voluntary overtime paid at a premium rate and not to exceed 12 hours per week on a regular basis; overtime may be mandatory if part of a collective bargaining agreement

·      Compensation: Wages paid for a standard work week must meet the legal and industry standards and be sufficient to meet the basic need of workers and their families; no disciplinary deductions

·      Management Systems: Facilities seeking to gain and maintain certification must go beyond simple compliance to integrate the standard into their management systems and practices.

SA 8000 Implementation:

·      Organizations have two options for SA 8000 implementation: certification to SA 8000 and participation in the Corporate Involvement Program (CIP).

·      Certification to SA 8000: Certification is the process by which facilities submit to an independent audit against the SA 8000 Standard.  If a facility meets the Standard, it will earn a certificate attesting to its social accountability policies, management, and operations. Companies that operate production facilities can seek to have individual facilities certified to SA 8000 through audits by one of the accredited certification bodies.  SA 8000 certification is conducted by organizations accredited and overseen by Social Accountability Accreditation Services (SAAS).  Please visit the SAAS certification page for further information on this process.  Both certified and accredited organizations undergo semi-annual review and revisits.

·      SA 8000 Corporate Programs: Companies that focus on selling goods or combine production and selling can join the SA 8000 Corporate Program. Corporate Programs is a three-level program that helps companies evaluate SA 8000, implement the SA 8000 Standard, and report publicly on implementation progress.  There are three levels of the Corporate Programs:

·      Supporting (Level One): Evaluate SA 8000 as an ethical sourcing tool via pilot audits. 

·      Explorer (Level Two): Implement SA 8000 as a step-wise approach in some or all of the supply chain through certification and communicate implementation progress to stakeholders via SAI-verified public reporting.

·      Signatory (Level Three): Implement SA 8000 as a step-wise approach in some or all of the supply chain through certification and communicate implementation progress to stakeholders via SAI-verified public reporting.

Benefits of SA 8000:

·      Enhanced opportunities to organize trade unions and bargain collectively. 

·      A tool to educate workers about core labor rights. 

·      An opportunity to work directly with business on labor rights issues. 

·      A way to generate public awareness of companies committed to assuring humane working conditions.

·      Drives company values into action. 

·      Enhances company and brand reputation. 

·      Improves employee recruitment, retention and productivity. 

·      Supports better supply chain management and performance.

·      Clear and credible assurance for ethical purchasing decisions. 

·      Identification of ethically made products and companies committed to ethical sourcing. 

·      Broad coverage of product categories and production geography.