The international standard that proves your workplace is ethical — not just compliant on paper.
SA 8000 is the world's leading social accountability certification. Built on UN human rights conventions and ILO standards, it gives organisations a verified, auditable system covering worker rights, safe conditions, fair pay, and ethical management practices.
Book a Gap AssessmentThe scope of SA 8000:2014
- Child labour and forced labourStrict prohibition on child and forced labour — including document retention and coerced deposits — with remediation and educational support requirements where needed.
- Health, safety, and working conditionsA safe, hygienic workplace with documented hazard prevention, protective equipment, and emergency procedures embedded into daily operations.
- Working hours, wages, and discriminationCompliance with local labour law on hours (targeting a 48-hour maximum workweek), payment of a living wage, and zero tolerance for discrimination on any grounds or for corporal punishment and harassment.
- Management system integrationSocial accountability is built into your management systems — not treated as a periodic audit exercise — with documented policies, worker communication channels, and continuous improvement cycles.
The business case
SA 8000 is third-party verified proof that your organisation protects worker rights and operates to international social accountability standards — not just a claim on paper.
Multinationals and governments running responsible procurement programmes increasingly require SA 8000 or equivalent from their suppliers. Certification removes that barrier.
A certified management system — covering child labour, forced labour, working hours, and wages — is your most credible defence against regulatory scrutiny and reputational damage.
ESG frameworks evaluate social performance. SA 8000 certification provides the auditable, internationally recognised evidence that investor and stakeholder assessments increasingly demand.
The certification journey
Most firms hand you a document pack and leave. We stay with you from gap assessment through certification — and beyond.
We audit your current operations against the standard's requirements and show you exactly where you stand.
We build your management system — policies, procedures, process maps — tailored to how your business actually works.
We work alongside your team on the ground to embed the system into daily operations and train your people to own it.
We run a full internal audit cycle, close any gaps, and make sure you're ready before the certification body arrives.
We support you through the certification audit — and stay available for surveillance prep and continuous improvement after.
Ready to get certified?
Book a gap assessment and we'll show you exactly what it takes.
Book a Gap Assessment