Standard

SA 8000

WHAT IT IS

The international standard SA 8000 is a management model that aims to valorise and protect all the personnel involved in the sphere of control and influence of the Organizations that adopt it.
This standard allows to:

improve staff conditions
promote ethical and fair treatment of staff
include international human rights conventions

The SA 8000 standard was first published in 1997 by the Council on Economic Priorities Accreditation Agency (CEPAA), today SAI (Social Accountability International); subsequent revisions were made in 2001, 2008 and the last of 2014 (whose transition has ended on 30^th June 2017.

CSQA is as a member of the independent federation CISQ, the only Italian representative of IQNet.
IQNet Ltd is accredited by Social Accountability Accreditation Services (SAAS) to offer global SA8000 certification. Through IQNet, CSQA is able to offer this certification.

IQNet has the peculiarity of being nonprofit and working in accordance with a well-defined code of conduct and ethics (IQNet Code of Conduct and Ethics), respecting the IQNet Multilateral Agreement and adhering to its own internal operating rules, which are periodically evaluated against specific international standards. IQNet and its partners are able to offer an international service, with 20 partners spread across the globe, over 60 qualified auditors, and a coverage of 50 countries.

Through agreements with local partners, the certification service is offered with the use of local auditors who speak the same language of the applicant organization and have specific competencies of the legislation / regulations applied in the country of the organization requesting the service.

KEY POINTS

SA8000 is a management system (Ref. 9001) focused on working conditions.
It is the internationally recognized accredited standard that meets the needs of organizations that want to stand out for their commitment to sustainable development and in particular for social issues.
The chapters in the standard are:

child labour;
forced or compulsory labour;
health and safety;
freedom of association & right to collective bargaining;
discrimination;
disciplinary practices;
working hours;
remuneration;
management system.

Other principles:

involvement of internal and external stakeholders;
all staff are involved, including management;
all sectors and sites of the company are involved;
it favours prevention over control;
aimed at continuous improvement. To obtain certification, the Company must implement a Social Responsibility Management System, a tool through which the organization can plan, manage, review and improve the performance categories defined within the standard.

BENEFITS

An increase in credibility, transparency and corporate image on the reference market, a benefit concerning reputation;
increased consumer confidence, improved relations with institutions and social organizations;
control of ethics and social fairness in the supply chain;
an improvement in the company's mood: workers feel protected by the company in which they operate and are more involved in achieving their goals;
an improvement of internal and external communication, through reports made publicly available.