WHAT IS SA-8000?

Released in October 1997, the Social Accountability

8000(or SA 8000) Standard is the first global ethical
standard.
SA 8000 has been developed based on the
conventions of the International Labor Organization,
the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, as well as
the United Nations Convention on the Rights of a
Child. It is applicable to all companies regardless of
scale, industry and location.
Its objective is to ensure ethical sourcing and
production of goods and services.

WHY WAS SA-8000

DEVELOPED?
Consumers and other stakeholders have become
increasingly concerned about whether products have
been manufactured under conditions of violation of
human rights, child labor and discrimination as
often reported by the media.
The existing management of many companies cannot
adequately cope with the myriad demands imposed
by labor laws, codes of conduct of individual
companies, as well as their stakeholders.
A greater challenge is to effectively monitor whether
the manufacturers and suppliers have implemented,
all the clauses.

WHO DEVELOPS
SA-8000?

SA 8000 is developed by the Council on Economic Priorities

Accreditation Agency (CEPAA), an affiliate of the Council on Economic
Priorities (CEP).

Founded in 1969, CEP is a public service research organization in New York;

its mission is to provide accurate & impartial analysis of companies social
performance.

CEPAA was established in early 1997. It convened a group of experts for an

Advisory Board. The Board is responsible for drafting the SA 8000 standard,
as well as providing direction and recommendation regarding the function,
operation and policy of CEPAA.

About Social Accountability International:

Known until summer 2000 as the Council on Economic Priorities
Accreditation Agency (CEPAA), SAI was established to develop and verify
the implementation of voluntary corporate social responsibility standards,
the first of which is SA-8000. SAI maintains close oversight of the
companies it accredits to carry out SA-8000 certification, ensuring their
capabilities and requiring their collaboration with local experts.

WHO DEVELOPS
SA-8000?

SAIs International Advisory Board includes representatives from unions,

organizations for human rights and childrens rights, academia, retailers,
manufacturers, contractors, non-governmental organizations, consultants,
accounting firms, as well as certification bodies.

Members of the CEPAA Advisory Board do not represent the interests of

particular organizations; they have been appointed for their experience
and knowledge of particular sectors. This is to ensure that the interests of
different sectors are appropriately represented, thereby enabling the
Advisory Board to maintain a balanced view.

WHY BECOME
SA 8000 CERTIFIED?
Enable companies to develop and implement
effective labor practices.
Enhance long term relationships between the
company and its stakeholders.
Achieve international
credibility.

standard

and

enhance

Generate positive sentiment for the company and

its products.
Reduce the number of second party audits of
suppliers.

HOW DOES SA 8000

OPERATE?
As in the cases of ISO 9000 Quality Management
System and ISO 14000 Environmental Management
System, SA 8000 provides a framework for
independent assessment by a third party certification
body.
SA 8000 includes a set of social accountability
standards and a guidance document.
Through continuous assessment, it provides the
companies
with
a
system
for
continuous
improvement.
Through an appeal process to the certification body,
non-governmental organizations (i.e. NGOs), if they
have supporting evidence, can challenge the SA 8000
certification of a company.

WHAT ARE THE

REQUIREMENTS OF SA
8000?
Child Labor

Forced Labor
Health & Safety
Freedom
of
Association
and
Right to Collective
Bargaining .
Discrimination
Disciplinary
Practices
Working Hours

Compensation
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o

Management Systems
Management Review
Company Representative
Planning
and
Implementation
Control of Suppliers
Addressing
Concerns
&
Taking Corrective Action
Outside Communication
Access for Verification
Records Retention

HOW TO IMPLEMENT
SA 8000?
PREPARATION
o
o

Management Commitment
Nominate Responsible Personnel
Self-Assessment
Consider
appointing
a
consultant or a local NGO to
help setting up a social
accountability
management
system.

IMPLEMENTATION
o
o
o
o

Write Documentation
Train the staff
Implement the system
Maintain records

AUDIT
o
o
o

Pre-Audit
Formal Audit
Certification

Continuous
oImprovement
Surveillance Audit
o

(every
6 months to one year)
Renewal Audit (every 3
years)

I. PURPOSE & SCOPE

This
standard specifies requirements
accountability to enable a company to:

for

social

a) Develop, maintain, and enforce policies and

procedures in order to manage those issues which it
can control or influence.
b) Demonstrate to interested parties that policies,
procedures and practices are in conformity with the
requirements of this standard.
The requirements of this standard shall apply universally
with regard to geographic location, industry sector and
company size.

II. NORMATIVE ELEMENTS

&
THEIR INTERPRETATION
The company shall comply with national and other
applicable law, other requirements to which the
company

subscribes,

national

and

and

other

this

standard.

applicable

law,

When
other

requirements to which the company subscribes, and

this

standard

addresses

the

same

provision which is most stringent applies.

issue,

that

III. DEFINITIONS
1.

DEFINITION OF COMPANY: The entirety of any organization or

business entity responsible for implementing the requirements of this
standard, including all personnel (i.e., directors, executives,
management, supervisors, and nonmanagement staff, whether
directly employed, contracted or otherwise representing the
company) .

2.

DEFINITION OF SUPPLIER: A business entity which provides the

company with goods and/or services integral to, and utilized in/for,
the production of the companys goods and/or services.

3.

DEFINITION OF SUBCONTRACTOR: A business entity in the supply

chain which, directly or indirectly, provides the supplier with goods
and/or services integral to, and utilized in/for, the production of the
suppliers and/or companys goods and/or services.

4.

DEFINITION OF REMEDIAL ACTION: Action taken to remedy a nonconformance.

5.

DEFINITION OF CORRECTIVE ACTION: Action taken to prevent the

recurrence of a non-conformance.

6.

DEFINITION OF INTERESTED PARTY: Individual or group concerned

Continue

III. DEFINITIONS
7.

DEFINITION OF CHILD: Any person less than 15 years of age,

unless local minimum age law stipulates a higher age for work or
mandatory schooling, in which case the higher age would apply. If,
however, local minimum age law is set at 14 years of age in
accordance with developing country exceptions under ILO
Convention 138, the lower age will apply.

8.

DEFINITION OF YOUNG WORKER: Any worker over the age of a

child as defined above and under the age of 18.

9.

DEFINITION OF CHILD LABOR: Any work by a child younger than

the age(s) specified in the above definition of a child, except as
provided for by ILO Recommendation 146.

10. DEFINITION OF FORCED LABOR: All work or service that is

extracted from any person under the menace of any penalty for
which said person has not offered him/herself voluntarily.
11. DEFINITION OF REMEDIATION OF CHILDREN: All work or service
that is extracted from any person under the menace of any penalty
for which said person has not offered him/herself voluntarily.

IV. SOCIAL
ACCOUNTABILITY
REQUIREMENTS
1. CHILD LABOR
1.1

No child labor

1.2

Remediation of children
Provision of adequate support to children to attend &
remain in school.

1.3

Promotion of education for children and young workers

subject to local compulsory education.
No work during school hours.

2. FORCED LABOR
2.1

No forced labor.
No deposit of deposits or identity papers.

IV. SOCIAL
ACCOUNTABILITY
REQUIREMENTS
3. HEALTH & SAFETY
3.1

Provision of safe and healthy working environment.

Adequate steps to be taken to prevent accidents & injuries.

3.2

Appointment of Sr. Manager responsible for health and

safety of all personnels.

3.3

Regular & recorded health and safety training.

3.4

System to detect potential threats to health and safety.

3.5

QWL (Quality of Work Life).

3.6

Provision of clean safe dormitories (if provided).

IV. SOCIAL
ACCOUNTABILITY
REQUIREMENTS
4. FREEDOM OF ASSOCIATION
COLLECTIVE BARGAINING

&

RIGHT

TO

4.1

Provision of Trade Union.

4.2

Independent and free association for all personnel if Union

are banned by law.

4.3

No discrimination for representatives of employees.

5. DISCRIMINATION
5.1

No discrimination on the basis of caste, sex, religion,

disability, nation etc. at the time of hiring.

5.2

No interference of company with the exercise at personal

rights.
No sexual threats through gesture, language etc.

5.3

IV. SOCIAL
ACCOUNTABILITY
REQUIREMENTS
6. DISCRIMINATION PRACTICES
6.1

No corporal, mental or physical punishment.

7. WORKING HOURS
7.1

48 working hours per week.

One day off in seven days cycle.

7.2

12 working hours overtime in seven days cycle.

8. COMPENSATION
8.1
8.2

8.3

Minimum wages compliance adequate to meet the basic

needs of a person.
No deduction on the basis of disciplinary purposes.
Wages & compensation are in compliance with laws.
Compensation in cash/cheque as convenient to worker.
Contractual labor are not hired in an effort to avoid fulfilling
obligations toward labor in all concerns.

IV. SOCIAL
ACCOUNTABILITY
REQUIREMENTS
9. MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
Policy:
9.1

Define company social policy.

Commitment to fulfill requirement of standard.
Commitment to comply with applicable law & other requirement.
Commitment to continuous improvement.
Documentation, implementation, communication of policy to all
employees.
Make publicly available.

Management Review:
9.2

Management Review Meeting (MRM).

Company Representatives:
9.3
9.4

Appointment of companys representative.

Representative
of
non-management
personnels
to
communicate with Sr. Management related to this
standard.

IV. SOCIAL
ACCOUNTABILITY
REQUIREMENTS

Planning & Implementation:

9.5

Requirement of this standard are understood.

Clear definition of roles/responsibilities and authorities.
Training of employees at hiring.
Periodic training of employees.
Continuous monitoring to judge the effectiveness of system &
standard.

Control of Suppliers:
9.6
9.7

9.8

Vendors evaluation.
Record of suppliers commitment to social accountability.
Conformance of all standards requirements.
Participation in companys monitoring activities.
Immediate remediation of non-conformities.
Communication with the company regarding relation with
other suppliers.
Maintenance of reasonable evidence to maintain track if
the requirements are met by suppliers.

IV. SOCIAL
ACCOUNTABILITY
REQUIREMENTS
Addressing Concerns and Taking Corrective Action:
9.9

Investigation and information regarding applicability of

standard.
No discrimination if any employee records any observation
regarding standard.

9.10 Provision of adequate

preventive actions.

resources

for

corrective

and

Outside Communication:
9.11 Communication to interested parties data and other
information regarding performance in compliance with
standard.

IV. SOCIAL
ACCOUNTABILITY
REQUIREMENTS
Access for verification:
9.12 Provision in all contracts to provide access to all interested
parties regarding activities in compliance with standard.
Same exercise to all sub-Contractors.

Records:
9.13 Maintenance
standard.

of

record

to

prove

compliance

to

this

EVOLUTION
CULTIVATION
1860

ERA-1

1780 -

INDUSTRIALIZATION 1940

ERA-2

1860 -

MODERANIZATION
1980

ERA-3

1945 -

TECHNOLOGICAL
ADVANCEMENT
1980 - Onwards

ERA-4

5-M CONCEPT
MAN
INPUT

MONEY
MACHINE
MATERIAL
MECHANIS
M

OUTPUT

PRODUCT/
SERVICES