SA8000:2014 - Social Accountability Standard

Per SA8000:2014 Element 4: freedom of association. Requirements include (a) right to form + join unions + (b) collective bargaining + (c) no discrimination against union members + (d) maintain documented policy.

• SA8000 evidence for SAEIGHT-4

• worker engagement + supplier audits + management system partial

Per SA8000:2014 Element 1: child labour. Requirements include (a) No Child Labor + (b) Young Worker Protection + (c) remediation policy + (d) age verification + (e) maintain documentation.

• SA8000 evidence for SAEIGHT-1

• worker engagement + supplier audits + management system partial

Per SA8000:2014 Elements 5+6: discrimination + disciplinary. Requirements include (a) no discrimination on race + gender + religion + national origin + age + disability + sexual orientation + (b) no harassment + (c) no corporal punishment + abusive treatment + (d) fair disciplinary procedures.

• SA8000 evidence for SAEIGHT-5

• worker engagement + supplier audits + management system partial

The organisation shall provide a safe and healthy workplace, take effective steps to prevent potential health and safety incidents, and minimise hazards inherent in the working environment.

• OHS management system documentation
• Hazard identification register
• Risk assessment results
• Control hierarchy evidence

• Risk assessments not updated after process changes
• Control hierarchy skipped straight to PPE
• Contractors excluded from OHS programme

A senior management representative shall be responsible for ensuring a safe and healthy workplace and for implementing the health and safety elements of the standard.

• Appointment letter for senior OHS representative
• Job description with OHS authority
• Reporting line evidence to top management

• OHS lead reports to Plant Manager rather than top management
• Authority to stop work absent
• Role rotated without handover

Workers shall elect a Worker OHS Representative and joint worker management OHS committees shall meet regularly to investigate, monitor, and address workplace health and safety concerns.

• Election records
• Committee terms of reference
• Meeting minutes with action tracking
• Worker representative training records

• Representatives appointed by management not elected
• Minutes lack actions
• Meetings less frequent than required

Where the organisation provides dormitories they shall be clean, safe, and meet basic needs, and all workers shall have access to clean toilet facilities, potable water, and where appropriate sanitary facilities for food storage.

• Dormitory inspection records
• Potable water test results
• Sanitation cleaning logs
• Food storage temperature logs

• Water testing not conducted at point of use
• Dormitory occupancy exceeds floor area guidance
• Lighting and ventilation deficient

All personnel shall have the right to form, join, and organise trade unions of their choice and to bargain collectively with the organisation, without discrimination against worker representatives.

• FOA policy
• Worker representative protection procedure
• Union recognition correspondence where present
• Parallel means in restricted jurisdictions

• No parallel means established where union activity is legally restricted
• Worker representatives disciplined for representation activities
• Management presence at private worker meetings

Where the right to freedom of association and collective bargaining is restricted by law, the organisation shall allow workers to freely elect their own representatives.

• Election protocols
• Secret ballot evidence
• Representative term records
• Bargaining agreements or equivalent dialogue records

• Representatives elected from supervisory ranks
• No secret ballot
• Dialogue records absent

The organisation shall comply with applicable laws and industry standards on working hours, breaks, and public holidays, with a normal workweek not exceeding 48 hours.

• Time and attendance records
• Public holiday schedule
• Break time records
• Rest day attendance records

• Double bookkeeping of hours between official and shadow records
• Public holiday work not compensated as per law
• Breaks shortened by line speed pressure

Overtime shall be voluntary, not exceed 12 hours per week, and be compensated at a premium rate as defined by law or collective agreement, and shall not be requested except under exceptional circumstances.

• Overtime authorisation records
• Voluntary attestation
• Premium pay calculation worksheets
• Exceptional circumstances rationale

• Production pressure makes overtime de facto mandatory
• Overtime premium calculated on basic only, excluding allowances
• Weekly cap exceeded in peak seasons

Wages paid for a normal workweek shall meet legal and industry minimum standards and shall be sufficient to meet the basic needs of personnel and provide some discretionary income, that is a living wage.

• Payroll registers
• Living wage benchmark applied
• Gap analysis to living wage
• Wage adjustment plan

• Living wage benchmark not selected from recognised source
• Allowances counted toward living wage where not regular
• Migrant worker wages below local benchmark

Deductions from wages shall not be made for disciplinary purposes, and all wage and benefit details shall be provided clearly and regularly in writing for each pay period.

• Sample payslips in worker language
• Deduction policy
• Worker interview notes on payslip understanding
• Cash payment receipts where used

• Payslips only in management language
• Disciplinary fines disguised as adjustments
• Loan deductions without written agreement

Labour only contracting arrangements, consecutive short term contracts, and false apprenticeship schemes shall not be used to avoid obligations to personnel under labour or social security laws.

• Contract type analysis
• Apprenticeship programme curriculum and graduation rates
• Conversion rate from temporary to permanent
• Agency labour ratio trend

• Apprentices used for production not learning
• Repeated short term contracts to avoid permanency
• Agency workers paid less for equivalent work

Senior management shall define the organisation's policy for social accountability and labour conditions, communicate it, and make it publicly available to all personnel and interested parties.

• Signed policy statement
• Multilingual posters
• Worker acknowledgement records
• Public website link

• Policy not posted at worker entrance
• No worker language translation
• Suppliers not informed

The organisation shall cooperate fully with audits including unannounced audits, engage with stakeholders, and publicly report on social performance and any non-compliance findings.

• SAAS approved certifier audit reports
• Corrective action evidence
• Stakeholder engagement log
• Public performance report

• Document remediation before audit without addressing root cause
• Worker interviews coached
• Public report missing non-conformities

Senior management shall periodically review the adequacy, suitability, and continuing effectiveness of the organisation's policy, procedures, and performance results.

• Management review minutes
• KPI dashboard
• Action register from reviews
• Resource decisions

• Reviews skip social KPIs in favour of production
• Actions assigned but never closed
• No worker representative invited

A Social Performance Team comprising balanced worker and management representation shall be established to drive implementation of all elements of the standard.

• SPT charter
• Member list with elected worker representatives
• Meeting minutes
• Action tracker

• SPT exists on paper only
• Worker members appointed not elected
• No risk assessments output

The organisation shall conduct due diligence on suppliers, subcontractors, private employment agencies, and where applicable sub-suppliers, with risk-based monitoring and corrective action.

• Supplier code of conduct
• Risk segmentation register
• Audit and self-assessment records
• Corrective action plans

• Tier 2 suppliers excluded from programme
• Audit findings closed without verification
• Recruitment agency oversight absent

The organisation shall maintain confidential channels for workers to raise grievances, ensure no retaliation, and investigate and act on issues raised in a timely manner.

• Grievance policy
• Multiple channels including anonymous option
• Grievance register with closure evidence
• Anti-retaliation statement

• Single channel through line manager
• No anonymous option
• Closure without root cause analysis

Per SA8000:2014 Element 2: forced labour. Requirements include (a) No Forced Labor including modern slavery + bonded labour + (b) freedom of movement + (c) no deposit fees + (d) maintain documentation + worker grievance mechanisms.

• SA8000 evidence for SAEIGHT-2

• worker engagement + supplier audits + management system partial

Per SA8000:2014 Element 3: H&S. Requirements include (a) safe + healthy workplace + (b) PPE + training + (c) emergency preparedness + (d) worker H&S committees + (e) maintain documented H&S programme.

• SA8000 evidence for SAEIGHT-3

• worker engagement + supplier audits + management system partial

Per SA8000:2014 Elements 7+8: working hours + wages. Requirements include (a) Working Hours limits per national law + ILO + (b) overtime voluntary + premium + (c) rest days + (d) living wage + (e) on-time payment + transparent wage calculations.

• SA8000 evidence for SAEIGHT-6

• worker engagement + supplier audits + management system partial

Per SA8000:2014 Element 9: management system. Requirements include (a) Management System with senior management responsibility + (b) Worker Engagement + worker representative + (c) supplier management + (d) corrective + preventive actions + (e) continuous improvement + (f) maintain documented management system + audits.

• SA8000 evidence for SAEIGHT-7

• worker engagement + supplier audits + management system partial