Social Accountability Management System Certification Audits

Key requirements — selected themes

• Children and young workers; freedom of association and collective bargaining
• Free and fair recruitment, employment and termination
• Decent hours, wages and benefits; non-discrimination
• Worker health, safety and privacy
• Leadership, worker participation and value-chain due diligence
• Grievance handling, monitoring, review and improvement

High-level summary

An independent assessment of workplace practices and the management system supporting decent work. Audits examine workers’ experiences alongside policies and records, with attention to participation, due diligence and the organisation’s response to concerns.

Certification is delivered through approved SA8000 programme arrangements and the applicable transition rules. It recognises conformity within the assessed scope without guaranteeing the absence of labour issues or replacing public labour inspection.

Third-party certification pathway

References: [S27] · [G01] · [G02] · [G03]

• Application & scope. Confirm approved CAB availability, eligible scope and completion of required client training and self-assessment.
• Scheme review & planning. Confirm SAAS-accredited and transition-approved delivery, worker-sensitive sampling and applicable programme rules.
• Readiness review. Review readiness and required completion status; do not request confidential self-assessment results for audit scoring.
• Certification assessment. Assess workplace conditions, management controls and confidential worker evidence under the SA8000 programme.
• Nonconformity resolution. Review corrections and corrective actions; verify closure or accept action plans as the applicable rules require.
• Independent certification decision. A competent function independent of the audit evaluates the evidence; certification is issued only when requirements are met.
• Surveillance. Apply the scheme-prescribed surveillance and announced or unannounced audit arrangements.
• Recertification & transition. Reassess under the applicable edition and complete transition through recertification within the scheme deadlines.