SA8000.
Decent work, built into operations.

SAI published SA8000:2026 to replace the prior standard and provides a certification programme transition timeline. Record the edition and audit arrangements that apply to the organization. Assess new requirements deliberately instead of simply changing a document cover page.

The current standard addresses areas such as recruitment and employment, hours and pay, discrimination, worker association, health and safety, protection of young workers and privacy. Compare these topics with actual practices and the relevant local context.

A credible management system needs channels through which workers contribute information and concerns. Review whether those channels are accessible in practice and whether actions are communicated back. Protect truthful participation rather than preparing scripted statements for an assessment.

Assign responsibility for employment practices, risk reviews and corrective action. Match written commitments to available resources and records. Include the people who control recruitment, payroll, production planning and workplace conditions when identifying gaps.

• Policies and employment records
• Monitoring, grievance and improvement evidence

Use a structured internal review to ask whether actions have improved the underlying conditions. Track recurring complaints, control failures and incomplete responses. Management should understand both the unresolved risks and the practical barriers to progress.

Certification is conducted through the approved conformity assessment arrangements, not granted by a readiness consultant. We help organize gap assessment, staff awareness and corrective evidence while maintaining truthful records and respecting the independence of the audit and certification decision.