SA8000 implements systems intended to be a significant milestone in improving workplace conditions like health and safety, forced labour, child labour, discrimination, freedom of association and collective bargaining, working hours, wages, and as well as health and safety conditions.

The international standard for social accountability confirms your compliance with labour rights and serves as a pillar of your demonstrable commitment to established social standards of corporate governance. Documentation requirements for SA8000 are like SA8000 Manual, SA8000 System Procedures, OHS Procedures for SA8000, Social policies, SA8000 formats/templates, Standard Operating Procedures, and SA8000 Audit Checklist, etc.

The SA8000 Standard and Certification System give a structure to associations, all things considered, in any industry, and in any country to direct business in a way that is reasonable and fair for labourers and to exhibit their adherence to the most noteworthy social guidelines. Many significant retailers presently acknowledge worldwide outsider review structures like SA8000, rather than expecting providers to apply their own modified system.

Elements of the Standard:

·         Child Labour

·         Forced or Compulsory Labour

·         Health and Safety

·         Freedom of Association & Right to Collective Bargaining

·         Discrimination

·         Disciplinary Practices

·         Working Hours

·         Remuneration

·         Management System

      Child Labour:

Child labour is still a common problem in Asia, as per the report India and China as high-risk regions for child labour. Under SA8000 child labour is considered as any work performed by a child younger than 15 years old. The minimum age for work is older than 15 and if work performed by a child is younger than 15 years old then it will be against the law. Young workers only work outside of school hours if they’re subject to compulsory education laws.

      Forced Labour:

Forced Labour means that any work is carried out by labour through force in form of penalty, withholding personal documents, salary or benefits from workers, etc. Any organization or company must not engage the worker in the process of forced or compulsory labour.

      Health and Safety:

The Organization is required to provide a safe and healthy workplace for workers and provide effective health and safety training to staff, providing staff with appropriate protective equipment at its own expense. An executive must be appointed by the company to ensure that compliance is maintained as per the required health and safety standards.

      Discrimination:

An Organization must not do discriminate in the workplace and not allow any form of sexual behaviour that is against the law. Discrimination should not be allowed in any form like race, colour, ethnicity, sex, religion, marital status, age, political affiliation, and much more.

      Disciplinary practices:

SA8000 requires that any organization treat everyone with dignity and respect and must not have disciplinary practices such as corporal punishment, and any kind of physical or mental abuse.

      Working Hours:

In any organization there must be provided at least one day off after seven working days and as per the SA8000 standards workers should not allow work more than 48 hours a week.

Global Manager Group is an organization that provides such readymade SA8000 documents and training kits to download online and can be used as a reference to minimize the documentation process and save time.