Implementing SA 8000 for Social Management

The most widely recognized global standard for managing human rights in the workplace is SA 8000. SA8000 provides a standard based on international human rights norms and national labor laws that will protect and empower all personnel within a company’s scope of control and influence, who produce products or provide services for that company, including personnel employed by the company itself, as well as by its suppliers/subcontractors, sub-suppliers, and home workers.

SA8000 is based on the principle that ensuring workers’ rights and well-being is not a “burden” for employers, but rather an investment in human resources that leads to a healthy and sustainable workplace for all.

It is the first auditable standard, suitable for organizations of all sizes anywhere in the world which provides a framework for assuring all the stakeholders that social accountability is being stewarded by the organization.

This standard has 9 factors which formed Social Accountability Management System such as child labor, forced labor, health and safety, freedom of association, bargaining rights, discrimination and so on in which each has some sub-factors. SA 8000 demands that when enterprise is making profit, it should bear the responsibility of the surrounding people related by benefit.

Complying with the requirements of this standard will enable a company to develop, maintain, & enforce policies and procedures in order to manage those issues which it can control or influence and credibly demonstrate to interested parties that existing company policies, procedures, and practices conform to the requirements of this standard. SA8000 sets out provisions for issues such as trade union rights, the use of child labor, working hours, health and safety at work, and fair pay.

Benefits of SA 8000:

– Reduction in monitoring costs
– Enhanced confidence about the supplied products/services manufactured in fair & safe working environment.
– Chance to gain competitive edge; attract new customers, and new markets.
– Reduced cost of managing social requirement.
– Better position in the labor market
– Increase in loyalty and commitment towards company
– Enhanced opportunities to organize trade unions and bargain collectively
– Tool to educate workers about core labor rights.
– opportunity to work directly with business on labor rights issues
– Generates public awareness of companies committed to assuring human 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

SA 8000 is promoted as a voluntary, universal standard for companies governing social responsibility and which is interested in auditing and certifying labor practices in their facilities and those of their suppliers and vendors.

If you would like to learn more, contact us at info@lakshy.com or visit www.lakshy.com or call our 24 hours customer care +91 9821780035 to get your organization SA 8000 certified.