SA 8000 is a standard that is certified and revised. It encourages organizations to develop, maintain and apply socially acceptable practices in the workplace.
The SA 8000 certification deals issues including forced and child labour, occupational health and safety, freedom of association and collective bargaining, discrimination, disciplinary practices, working hours, compensation and management systems. Adopting SA 8000 means that an organization must consider the social impact of its operations in addition to the conditions under which its employees, partners and suppliers operate. The benefits of implementation and certifying the SA 8000 standard are:
- Demonstrates commitment to social responsibility and ethical treatment of employees in accordance with global standards
- Improves supply chain management and performance
- ensures compliance with global standard and reduces the risk of negligence, public exposure and possible litigation
- Supports corporate vision, building and strengthening the loyalty of employees, customers and other stakeholders
- Demonstrate appropriate social responsibilities when competing for international contracts or disseminating locally in order to adapt the institution to new business
The standard provides transparent, measurable, verifiable requirements for the implementation and certification of company performance in 9 key areas:
- Child labour: Prohibits child labour (in most cases under the age of 15). Certified companies must also allocate funds to educate children who could lose their jobs because of this standard.
- Forced or compulsory labour: Workers cannot be required to handover their identity documents or to pay a “deposit” as a condition of employment.
- Health and safety: Companies must meet basic standards for a safe and healthy work environment, including drinking water, toilets, applicable safety equipment and required training.
- Freedom of association and the right to collective negotiation: It protects workers’ rights to form and join trade unions and to negotiate collectively, without fear of reprisals.
- Discrimination: Prohibition of discrimination based on race, caste, national origin, religion, disability, gender, sexual orientation, trade union membership or political affiliation.
- Disciplinary practice: It prohibits physically punishment, psychological or physical coercion and verbal abuse of workers.
- Working hours: It allows a working week of up to 48 hours, with at least one day off per week and a limit of 12 hours of overtime per week for compensation at an increased rate.
- Fee: Salaries must satisfy all minimum legal standards and provide sufficient income for basic needs, with at least part of the discretionary income.
- Management system: Defines procedures for effective management implementation and compliance review with SA8000, from appointing responsible personnel to keeping records, solving problems and taking corrective action
It is recommended to have at least ISO 9001 certification before implementing this standard.
