Social Compliance Audit

A social compliance audit assesses whether working conditions at a site conform to international labour standards, local labour law and the buyer's code of conduct. What sets it apart is that, besides examining records, it includes confidential worker interviews held independently of management.

The aim is to identify human rights and working condition risks in the supply chain and to have them corrected. For buying brands it is a reputational risk; for the supplier it is a condition of winning orders.

• International brands and retail chains
• Buyers who are members of amfori, Sedex and RBA
• Companies within scope of human-rights due-diligence obligations
• Exporting textile, food and electronics manufacturers
• Organisations conducting an ESG review before investment

The criteria vary by the scheme applied: SMETA/ETI Base Code, amfori BSCI, SA8000, RBA, or the buyer's own code of conduct. Local labour legislation is always added to this; where the criteria and the legislation conflict, the more protective one applies.

• Child labour and the protection of young workers
• Indicators of forced labour: debt bondage, confiscation of identity documents
• Working hours, overtime and the weekly rest period
• Wages, deductions, social security and undeclared employment
• Freedom of association and worker representation
• Discrimination, harassment and disciplinary practices
• Occupational health and safety conditions
• Dormitories, canteens and welfare facilities
• Migrant-worker and recruitment-agent practices
• The status of subcontractor and sub-supplier workers
• The grievance mechanism and its accessibility
• Consistency between worker interviews and records

• SA8000
• ETI Base Code
• amfori BSCI
• RBA Code of Conduct
• ILO Fundamental Conventions
• ISO 19011

1. 1Selecting the Criteria to ApplyThe standard, scheme or legislation against which the audit will be performed is determined; in subject-specific audits the choice of criteria directly determines what the result means.
2. 2Risk Assessment and ScopeRisk areas are identified according to the organisation's activity and location; the number of audit days is planned accordingly.
3. 3Review of Documents and RecordsPolicies, procedures, permits, measurement records and the results of previous audits are examined.
4. 4On-site AuditThe relevant areas are walked; subject-specific measurements, observations and record checks are made.
5. 5Worker InterviewsWhere the subject requires it, confidential interviews with workers are held independently of management; statements are compared with the records.
6. 6Assessment of Legal ComplianceCompliance with the legislation in force is checked separately; a legal nonconformity is the most serious category of finding in every scheme.
7. 7Reporting of FindingsFindings are classified by severity and compiled into a report.
8. 8Corrective Action and Follow-upA corrective action plan is obtained; its close-out within the period prescribed by the scheme is followed up.

Findings are rated according to the scheme's classification. Findings such as child labour, forced labour and a life-safety risk fall into the zero-tolerance category, and a special procedure requiring immediate notification to the buyer is triggered when they are found.

• Details of the audit body, the auditor and the auditee
• Standard, scheme or legislation applied
• Date, duration and scope of the audit
• Findings from the review of documents and records
• On-site observations and measurement results
• Findings from worker interviews, where held
• Assessment of legal compliance
• Findings, their severity and the supporting evidence
• Corrective action plan and time limits

Most social compliance audits produce a REPORT, not a certificate; no certificate is issued under SMETA or amfori BSCI. A certificate with a validity period is issued only under certification schemes such as SA8000 and WRAP. The audit also shows the situation at a given date and is sampling-based; the possibility of falsified records is always a limitation, which is why worker interviews are critically important.

Accreditation differs with the type of audit. Third-party audits underpinning management system certification are carried out under ISO/IEC 17021-1 and those underpinning product certification under ISO/IEC 17065; these scopes are subject to accreditation. First- and second-party audits, and audits governed by a scheme owner's own rules (such as SMETA or amfori BSCI), do not fall within accredited certification; they are conducted following the ISO 19011 guidance and produce a report. EUROLAB holds internationally recognised accreditation under ISO/IEC 17021-1 and ISO/IEC 17065, granted by accreditation bodies that are signatories to the IAF multilateral recognition arrangement; which audits can be offered within accredited scope is confirmed in writing at the quotation stage.

• Environmental Audit
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• ESG Audit