Social Audits: Ensuring Ethical and Responsible Sourcing

Ethics are paramount in today’s global supply chain. To confirm your vendor adheres to legally acceptable ethical and social standards, a comprehensive Social Audit is essential.

What is a Social Audit?

A Social Audit is a specialized ethical certification audit designed to check vendors for any unethical or socially unacceptable business practices. Our ethical audit is rigorously based on the internationally recognized SA 8000 standard, which covers critical areas such as:

• Child Labor
• Forced Labor
• Compliance with Health and Safety standards
• Freedom of Association and Right to Collective Bargaining
• Non-Discrimination at the workplace (based on race, creed, etc.)
• Adherence to Work Hour regulations
• Adequacy of Remuneration

Any violation in these areas can lead to serious legal and financial consequences, not only for the vendor but potentially for your business as well.

Why Social Audits are Important

Vendors who fail to meet SA 8000 requirements risk serious trouble and demonstrate a lack of regard for ethical values. This negligence can substantially damage your business’s image and expose you to risk. By conducting social audits, you gain multiple benefits:

• Risk Mitigation: You avoid partnering with vendors who disregard regulations and social values.
• Financial Protection: You save time and money by avoiding supply chain disruption if a vendor is shut down due to unethical activities.
• Quality and Reliability: You filter out vendors who value ethics, often leading to higher quality and more sustainable products.
• Brand Protection: You visibly improve your brand image and reputation for responsible sourcing.

How BROOKTEX Conducts the Social Audit

BROOKTEX nominates a team of expert auditors, thoroughly versed in the SA 8000 checklist, to audit your vendor. Our team meticulously checks the vendor against the following requirements:

• No involvement in Child Labor.
• No Forced or Compulsory Labor is utilized.
• Full compliance with Health and Safety requirements.
• Working hours are strictly regulated and compliant.
• The existence and effectiveness of a fair Remuneration policy.
• Guaranteeing employees the freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining.
• No Discrimination in hiring, compensation, access to training, promotion, or termination.

BROOKTEX ensures our Social Audits provide you with a transparent and objective assessment, confirming that your vendor is operating ethically and responsibly.