Social Compliance Audits in China

An insight into social compliance audit in China:

What is Social Audit?

The corporate social audit (CSA) is ensuring that the manufacturing companies whom you are dealing with are maintaining social rights.
Social compliance in simple terms refers to the manner in which an organization treats its employees, their viewpoint on social responsibility and the environment. It is the minimum code of conduct which directs how every worker should be treated with respect to work hours, work conditions and wages. For ensuring that an organization meets the standards of diverse environmental laws, conducting social compliance audit may be necessary.

Social compliance audit in China- a brief:

Social compliance audits are becoming a vital part of almost all global supply chains. Such audits are carried out in a manner that suppliers are made to evaluate in their conformity with local laws. A social compliance audit is mostly practised in China. They conduct these audits for ensuring that one’s business partners sincerely abide by their own organization’s commitment to commercial social responsibility. The audits are carried by the professionals who are vastly experienced in social responsibility audits and maintain SA8000 international standard. This includes establishing and continuing in meeting code of conduct, ethical requirements and human rights. As compliance lowers one’s peril of contributing to environmental and social harm, it is always best that their supply chain as a whole conforms to their program. The social compliance audit programs performed in China are characterized by engagement with the stakeholders, systematic long-term approach and above all transparency. Their independent auditing services aids in validating integrity, transparency and consistency.

Widespread areas:

The Social Compliance Audit programs in China focus on the below mentioned areas namely:

  Child labour laws

  Forced labour

  Compensation

  Disciplinary practices

  Health and safety

  Freedom of association

  Management practices

  Working hours

  Discrimination

  Wages

The need for social compliance audit in China is increasing with each passing day. But one can only attain a healthy compliance system when every worker is offered with an equivalent platform for voicing their concern and also having consultative means at the workplace.