SA8000 Newsletter – April 2018

'Forever Better' – Miele's Secret to a Committed Workforce The 119-year-old German domestic appliances company Miele knows how to make staff feel at home. In fact, over half of Miele’s 19,500 employees have been with the company for over 10 years. “We have colleagues who have worked with the company for up to 40 or 50 years,” says Dr. Dirk Jeschke, Director for Corporate Quality Management. “Miele has always attached great significance to its relationships with employees, and the fluctuation is very low,” he adds. Read more . (Photo: Miele)

Almost 3,500 Organizations Now Certified to SA8000:2014 Almost 3,500 organizations worldwide have received certification to the SA8000:2014 Standard. The transition period from SA8000:2008 to SA8000:2014 ended on December 31, 2017. SAI regularly updates the SA8000 Standard and related systems to ensure their continued applicability in the face of new and emerging social and human rights issues. For more statistics, click here .

Tools for Developing Your Management Systems SAI is now offering new tools and resources to help organizations implement the SA8000 management system element. The latest online materials focus on the Social Performance Team, identification and assessment of risks, and the management of suppliers and contractors. The materials are available for those who have purchased the management systems self-assessment, and more resources will be published later this year. The resources are available in the SAI Training Center (My Courses > SA8000:2014 and Social Fingerprint > Getting Started with SA8000:2014 > SA8000:2014 Social Fingerprint Self-Assessment). For further guidance, please refer to the SA8000 Guidance Document .

How to Highlight Your SA8000 Certification? An SA8000 certification is an effective way to let your stakeholders know about your organization's commitment to socially responsible business practices. Check out the recently updated SA8000 Guidelines for Corporate Communication and Graphic Standards to find out how you can best utilize SA8000 in sales and marketing. Download the document .

New Platform for Suppliers to Rate Buyers Is your organization an apparel or footwear supplier? Better Buying’s rating platform is open for you to rate buyers in the apparel industry and help drive improvement in purchasing practices. Better Buying, created by SAI's Authorized Representative Doug Cahn and Dr. Marsha Dickson with support from Fair Factories Clearinghouse and C&A Foundation, gives apparel and footwear suppliers a free and anonymous way to rate their buyers on different aspects of purchasing practices. Read more .

Three New Auditing Firms Accredited to SA8000 Social Accountability Accreditation Services has accredited three new auditing firms to conduct SA8000 audits in the Asian region. Extensive Standard Technical Services (ESTS) and SMT-Global are now authorized to grant SA8000 certificates in China, Hong Kong, and Macau. Control Union will be conducting certification audits in India. Organizations pursuing SA8000 certification can now choose their auditing firm from a list of 25 SAAS-accredited certification bodies . SAI only recognizes SA8000 certifications granted by these accredited auditing firms.

200 Professionals Attend SA8000 Workshops in Asia and Europe Last year, SAI brought together more than 200 professionals in Asia and Europe to share experiences about the SA8000 Standard. Participants praised the standard’s ability to help organizations shift resources from auditing to improving their knowledge and skills in social compliance.  This year, SAI will be continuing to conduct SA8000 workshops spanning the Americas, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East.

About This Newsletter This newsletter provides regular updates on the SA8000® Standard for decent work. It includes information about the latest tools and resources developed by SAI to support the Standard's implementation, as well as case studies and best practices on how companies and other organizations have used and benefited from SA8000. The newsletter is automatically sent to representatives of organizations that are certified to SA8000, and anyone can subscribe to it via this form . To unsubscribe, click the link in the bottom of the newsletter.

SA8000 in the News

WWD: Think Tank: How Luxury Brands Can Balance Consumer Preferences, Corporate Values Bustle: Girlfriend Collective's Cupro Collection Saves 682 Gallons Of Water Per Shirt PAPERMAG.com: Kowtow Is the Label Making Sustainability an Everyday Practice Southeast Asia Globe: The Founder of Siem Reap’s Pactics Factory on Why It Pays to Pay More

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