SA8000 Basic Needs Wage & Overtime

Q & A with SAI Field Services Director, Doug

DeRuisseau
Question: In China, the issue of voluntary overtime- where workers are eager to work
overtime to earn more money to send back to their hometowns - can create a
challenging cycle for both workers and factory managers. This is the case sometimes
even when workers are paid more than the basic needs wage (BNW). To comply with
China's strict overtime laws, factory managers could put on extra shifts, hiring more
workers. However that means fewer overtime pay opportunities for existing employees,
who may then seek other job opportunities. How would you address this predicament?
Doug DeRuisseau: The problem is a familiar one and is driven by the drive to make
money to support oneself and one's family. The threshold answer to the question lies
in whether or not the worker is making sufficient money to support his/her family in a
regular work week, before overtime, regardless of what the BNW calculation is. Most
legal minimum wage levels around the world are too low, driven partly by intense
globalization and the competition that it creates and also by inadequate social
infrastructure, e.g. health care, unemployment insurance, pensions, education. That
leads to the common quotation that 'a poor paying job is infinitely better than no job at
all.'
Companies can do certain things to manage the overtime problem such as adding shifts,
subcontracting, process redesign, etc. But that doesn't address the fundamental
problem: wages are too low. Therefore, some companies (and governments, such as
Thailand) increase hours to boost take-home pay rather than increase the wages.
Thailand increased the weekly allowable overtime hours to 36 for the exact purpose of
providing more take-home pay without raising production costs. Thus, some workers
use this as leverage with a company that offers fewer work hours (thus complying with
credible decent work codes and standards), saying they will go somewhere else to get the
overtime to increase their take-home pay. This is not the answer.

One business owner said to me that excessive overtime resulted in four things for his
business, all of which are bad: 1) higher cost (premium overtime pay rate); 2) higher
accident rates; 3) lower production; and 4) poorer quality. This is not a good strategy for
any business.
If the companies cannot (or will not) pay a higher base wage (and they are paying a lot
more now if they are paying premium for overtime), the problem will not be solved in
the long term. That is the simple answer. I truly believe that it is possible to pay people
adequately and still remain competitive, because the company in more ways than one
through increased loyalty, quality and productivity, plus lower staff turnover rates,
overtime costs, and training costs. But one thing is for sure- workers do not love to work
excessive hours for the sake of work. They do it in order to earn enough to live on or fear
they will lose their jobs entirely if they do not demonstrate eagerness to work overtime.
It is up to employers to find a better way-- a worthy and attainable goals. Indeed, many
employers do it today.
Doug DeRuisseau is one of the pioneers experts in the field of social auditing, and
helped to create SA8000 as the world's first management-system based social
compliance standard. Additionally, as SAI's first Lead Trainer, he has trained
hundreds of social auditors around the world, and has performed numerous
accreditation audits.

SA8000: Overtime & Lead Time

Q & A with SAI Lead Trainer Sanjiv Singh
July 2012
Question: How do auditors determine whether or not suppliers are given adequate
time to complete purchase orders based on their capacity? Is this indicated via high
instances of overtime?
Sanjiv Singh: To determine why overtime is high, auditors should go back and
determine turn around times for a particular product once an order has been placed.

Sourcing, design and quality assurance departments have a fair idea of how long it will
take a particular factory to turn around goods - they book their order based on this fact
and the reliability in delivering on time is an important factor.
Manufacturing in the electronics industry is sometimes comparable to the apparel
industry and requires putting together components that may or may not be
manufactured by the prime supplier where an order is placed; often delivery dates
depend on how soon sub-suppliers can supply components. Brands therefore seek
suppliers who manufacture similar products and can possibly retain some inventory of
the components that are required to put together a final product. It works both ways the supplier wants commitment in terms of a minimum number of pieces over a period
of time from the brand and the brand wants finished goods that meet both quality and
delivery requirements.
For example, in India, we are working with a major brand whose social compliance
division in India engages with suppliers that can meet both quality and delivery as well
as the social obligations that are expected from a supplier towards employees. The
merchandising and social compliance departments work very closely with suppliers and
pass on a consistent message that meet realistic objectives. Overtime does take place but
is in control and is monitored very closely.
When overtime is high it will be important for an auditor to delve back and note a few
factors:

What products are made at the factory? (similarity between the components that
go into making the product/common suppliers for different components)

How long they have been working with the brand?(the length of the
relationship)

How many orders are booked at the facility?(number of pieces and delivery
dates)

Percentage of business that the particular brand represents in the factory

SA8000 Q&A: Recruitment Agencies

SAI Lead Trainer Sanjiv Singh assesses the risks
behind the use of recruitment agencies for workers,
and what auditors can do
February 2013
Question: The tendency to work with recruitment agencies is growing in Western and
Eastern Europe. In your opinion, when factories chose to recruit workforce through an
agency, are they posing higher risk to brands they work with? Do they shift the focus of
attention and at the same time shift responsibility? Brands rarely audit the agencies,
however, and real or potential violations in this sector multiply: types of contracts are
signed from which workers do not benefit, deductions are taken from the wages,
workers are employed in two companies and work twice as much, etc. As auditors, what
can we do to protect workers today?
Sanjiv Singh: There is an issue here - will brands be willing to dig as deep as looking
at the paperwork that goes into hiring and the historical problem of recruitment agents
especially when it concerns migrant workers? You are correct in saying that brands
rarely audit the recruitment agents, but we know of some that do.
Two kinds of employment arrangements are mostly seen. From my experience in
Europe, employees are hired through recruitment agencies and such employees stay on
the payroll of the agency and are paid wages by the agency. Workers could be from the
country where the company in question is located or they could be foreign workers. This
has a different set of risks. The other type of arrangement is when the factory uses
recruitment agents in a foreign country and pays them a fee to hire workers - those
employed are paid directly by the factory. This is common in the Middle East and
several parts of Asia.

A good auditor should understand the reason why factories hire through recruitment
agents. The reasons are different for the two types of arrangements cited above.
The fact that employers increasingly use recruitment agents as opposed to directly
hiring workers can lead to exploitation in and of itself. Top management at factories use
the service of labor suppliers to identify, screen, interview and recommend workers
rather than send their own HR team to do all of this directly. Such an approach is
expensive. But some employers lack the capacity to do it themselves. A couple of things
happen here - recruitment agents most often take a fee for each worker from the factory
(which is OK) and they also often ask workers to pay them excessively large sums as a
condition to being employed (which is not OK). In some instances HR staff in factories
connive with the recruitment agent and get a kickback from the agent. I have known HR
staff to be treated lavishly by agents in the donor country and provided favors that are
unmentionable here. The key problem is that workers do not know the factory or what it
stands for with regards to human rights practices and deal with the agent directly.
I am not sure how much audits at the recruitment agents premises will help or be
utilized - but a thorough background check is always recommended.
So what can auditors do to prevent such practices and what evidence should be brought
to a customer brand's attention? Here are a few of the checks auditors can use,
depending on the situation:
1. Auditors should read through the terms of engagement/MoU's signed between
factories and agents for providing the service.
2. Verify whether or not the agent is registered with local authorities and meets ALL
requirements of local law for providing services. (There is a separate set of rules
for labor agents and most often the government monitors it very closely, as they
are aware of the exploitation that takes place).
3. Speak to stakeholders and other interested parties, including local NGOs and
unions.

4. Ask HR staff to explain the process and see if it meets the written
arrangement/MoU.
5. Ask workers how much they pay recruitment agents.
If HR malpractice is identified, it will require a very tactful and astute auditor to break
the news to top management.
While there is nothing wrong with temporary work provided there's no exploitation of
workers' rights in the system, we need to understand that this is a situation of supply
and demand - in many places right now the supply of workers is larger than the
availability of jobs and this creates a particularly volatile situation.
The ILO has several recommendations and guidelines for member States to tackle this.
Depending on the country, there is a 'Trafficking in Persons' (TIP) report providing
information of trafficking issues that are of serious concern specially when hiring
through recruitment agents. No brand wants a trafficked employee hired unknowingly
through an agent to be working in a factory where its goods are produced.

2016 Trafficking in Persons Report

"If there is a single theme to this years Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report, it is the conviction that there is
nothing inevitable about trafficking in human beings. That conviction is where the process of change really begins
with the realization that just because a certain abuse has taken place in the past doesnt mean that we have to
tolerate that abuse in the future or that we can afford to avert our eyes. Instead, we should be asking ourselves
what if that victim of trafficking was my daughter, son, sister, or brother?
"This years TIP Report asks such questions, because ending modern slavery isnt just a fight we should attemptit
is a fight we can and must win." John F. Kerry, Secretary of State

The Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report is the U.S. Governments principal diplomatic tool to engage foreign
governments on human trafficking. It is also the worlds most comprehensive resource of governmental anti-human
trafficking efforts and reflects the U.S. Governments commitment to global leadership on this key human rights and
law enforcement issue. It represents an updated, global look at the nature and scope of trafficking in persons and the

broad range of government actions to confront and eliminate it. The U.S. Government uses the TIP Report to engage
foreign governments in dialogues to advance anti-trafficking reforms and to combat trafficking and to target resources
on prevention, protection and prosecution programs. Worldwide, the report is used by international organizations,
foreign governments, and nongovernmental organizations alike as a tool to examine where resources are most
needed. Freeing victims, preventing trafficking, and bringing traffickers to justice are the ultimate goals of the report
and of the U.S Government's anti-human trafficking policy.
In the TIP Report, the Department of State places each country onto one of three tiers based on the extent of their
governments efforts to comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking found in
Section 108 of the TVPA. While Tier 1 is the highest ranking, it does not mean that a country has no human
trafficking problem. On the contrary, a Tier 1 ranking indicates that a government has acknowledged the existence of
human trafficking, made efforts to address the problem, and complies with the TVPAs minimum standards. Each
year, governments need to demonstrate appreciable progress in combating trafficking to maintain a Tier 1 ranking.

Trafficking Victims Protection Act: Minimum Standards for the Elimination of

Trafficking in Persons
OFFICE TO MONITOR AND COMBAT TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS

Trafficking in Persons Report 2016

Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000, Div. A of Pub. L. No. 106-386, 108, as amended.
(1) The government of the country should prohibit severe forms of trafficking in persons and punish acts of such
trafficking.
(2) For the knowing commission of any act of sex trafficking involving force, fraud, coercion, or in which the victim of
sex trafficking is a child incapable of giving meaningful consent, or of trafficking which includes rape or kidnapping or
which causes a death, the government of the country should prescribe punishment commensurate with that for grave
crimes, such as forcible sexual assault.
(3) For the knowing commission of any act of a severe form of trafficking in persons, the government of the country
should prescribe punishment that is sufficiently stringent to deter and that adequately reflects the heinous nature of
the offense.
(4) The government of the country should make serious and sustained efforts to eliminate severe forms of trafficking
in persons.
INDICIA OF SERIOUS AND SUSTAINED EFFORTS
(1) Whether the government of the country vigorously investigates and prosecutes acts of severe forms of trafficking
in persons, and convicts and sentences persons responsible for such acts, that take place wholly or partly within the
territory of the country, including, as appropriate, requiring incarceration of individuals convicted of such acts. For

purposes of the preceding sentence, suspended or significantly reduced sentences for convictions of principal actors
in cases of severe forms of trafficking in persons shall be considered, on a case-by-case basis, whether to be
considered as an indicator of serious and sustained efforts to eliminate severe forms of trafficking in persons. After
reasonable requests from the Department of State for data regarding investigations, prosecutions, convictions, and
sentences, a government which does not provide such data, consistent with the capacity of such government to
obtain such data, shall be presumed not to have vigorously investigated, prosecuted, convicted, or sentenced such
acts. During the periods prior to the annual report submitted on June 1, 2004, and on June 1, 2005, and the periods
afterwards until September 30 of each such year, the Secretary of State may disregard the presumption contained in
the preceding sentence if the government has provided some data to the Department of State regarding such acts
and the Secretary has determined that the government is making a good faith effort to collect such data.
(2) Whether the government of the country protects victims of severe forms of trafficking in persons and encourages
their assistance in the investigation and prosecution of such trafficking, including provisions for legal alternatives to
their removal to countries in which they would face retribution or hardship, and ensures that victims are not
inappropriately incarcerated, fined, or otherwise penalized solely for unlawful acts as a direct result of being
trafficked, including by providing training to law enforcement and immigration officials regarding the identification and
treatment of trafficking victims using approaches that focus on the needs of the victims.
(3) Whether the government of the country has adopted measures to prevent severe forms of trafficking in persons,
such as measures to inform and educate the public, including potential victims, about the causes and consequences
of severe forms of trafficking in persons, measures to establish the identity of local populations, including birth
registration, citizenship, and nationality, measures to ensure that its nationals who are deployed abroad as part of a
diplomatic, peacekeeping, or other similar mission do not engage in or facilitate severe forms of trafficking in persons
or exploit victims of such trafficking, a transparent system for remediating or punishing such public officials as a
deterrent, measures to prevent the use of forced labor or child labor in violation of international standards, effective
bilateral, multilateral, or regional information sharing and cooperation arrangements with other countries, and
effective policies or laws regulating foreign labor recruiters and holding them civilly and criminally liable for fraudulent
recruiting.
(4) Whether the government of the country cooperates with other governments in the investigation and prosecution of
severe forms of trafficking in persons and has entered into bilateral, multilateral, or regional law enforcement
cooperation and coordination arrangements with other countries.
(5) Whether the government of the country extradites persons charged with acts of severe forms of trafficking in
persons on substantially the same terms and to substantially the same extent as persons charged with other serious
crimes (or, to the extent such extradition would be inconsistent with the laws of such country or with international
agreements to which the country is a party, whether the government is taking all appropriate measures to modify or
replace such laws and treaties so as to permit such extradition).
(6) Whether the government of the country monitors immigration and emigration patterns for evidence of severe
forms of trafficking in persons and whether law enforcement agencies of the country respond to any such evidence in
a manner that is consistent with the vigorous investigation and prosecution of acts of such trafficking, as well as with

the protection of human rights of victims and the internationally recognized human right to leave any country,
including ones own, and to return to ones own country.
(7) Whether the government of the country vigorously investigates, prosecutes, convicts, and sentences public
officials, including diplomats and soldiers, who participate in or facilitate severe forms of trafficking in persons,
including nationals of the country who are deployed abroad as part of a diplomatic, peacekeeping, or other similar
mission who engage in or facilitate severe forms of trafficking in persons or exploit victims of such trafficking, and
takes all appropriate measures against officials who condone such trafficking. A governments failure to appropriately
address public allegations against such public officials, especially once such officials have returned to their home
countries, shall be considered inaction under these criteria. After reasonable requests from the Department of State
for data regarding such investigations, prosecutions, convictions, and sentences, a government which does not
provide such data consistent with its resources shall be presumed not to have vigorously investigated, prosecuted,
convicted, or sentenced such acts. During the periods prior to the annual report submitted on June 1, 2004, and June
1, 2005, and the periods afterwards until September 30 of each such year, the Secretary of State may disregard the
presumption contained in the preceding sentence if the government has provided some data to the Department of
State regarding such acts and the Secretary has determined that the government is making a good faith effort to
collect such data.
(8) Whether the percentage of victims of severe forms of trafficking in the country that are non-citizens of such
countries is insignificant.
(9) Whether the government has entered into effective, transparent partnerships, cooperative arrangements, or
agreements that have resulted in concrete and measurable outcomes with
(A) domestic civil society organizations, private sector entities, or international nongovernmental
organizations, or into multilateral or regional arrangements or agreements, to assist the governments efforts
to prevent trafficking, protect victims, and punish traffickers; or
(B) the United States toward agreed goals and objectives in the collective fight against trafficking.
(10) Whether the government of the country, consistent with the capacity of such government, systematically
monitors its efforts to satisfy the criteria described in paragraphs (1) through (8) and makes available publicly a
periodic assessment of such efforts.
(11) Whether the government of the country achieves appreciable progress in eliminating severe forms of trafficking
when compared to the assessment in the previous year.
(12) Whether the government of the country has made serious and sustained efforts to reduce the demand for
(A) commercial sex acts; and
(B) participation in international sex tourism by nationals of the country.
Frequently Asked Questions on SAI Training

Pre-Course/Enrollment Questions:

1) How do I register for a training course?

2) After I create or log-in to my SAI Training Center account, how do I enroll for courses?
3) I would like to attend a training course, but do not see any location convenient for me on the schedule.
How can I find out if SAI plans to conduct training courses in my country?
4) What forms of payment are accepted for training courses?
5) Once I register, can I cancel my reservation?
6) What are the costs of SAI courses?
7) What does the course fee cover?
8) How do I access my course materials?
9) What is the dress for the trainings?
10) Does SAI arrange/offer any special discount rates on hotel accommodations?
11) What kinds of sponsorship or discounts does SAI offer for training courses?
12) If I am traveling outside my country can I receive help with obtaining my visa?
13) Are the courses guaranteed to take place?
Exam Related Questions:

14) Do all of the training courses have an exam?

15) When will I know the results of my course exam?
16) What is the passing grade on a course exam?
17) What should I do if I fail the exam?
18) What can I do if I fail the re-test?
Post-Course/Certificate Questions:

19) How will I receive my Certificate of Course Completion?

20) How long is the Certificate of Course Completion valid?
21) When do I receive my course Certificate of Completion?
Other Questions:

22) How do I become an SA8000 Auditor?

23) How does my organization become a SAAS accredited Certification Body?
24) Where can I get addresses of SA8000-Certified companies/facilities?

1) How do I register for a training course?

To register for any of our training courses, click "Enroll Now" in the schedule box on the Training Course
Schedule page where you will find detailed instructions on how to enroll. Unless otherwise noted, we only accept
training registration through our online system.
2) After I create or log-in to my SAI Training Center account, how do I enroll for courses?

Once you have logged into your SAI Training Center account:
1.

Click on Catalog

2.

Click on '2015 Auditor Courses'

3.

Click the course that includes the accurate course price you are signing up for

4.

Click Proceed to Your Cart

5.

Choose the specific session you wish to attend including city and date

6.

Click Proceed to Checkout and follow payment instructions

3) I would like to attend a training course, but do not see any location convenient for me on the schedule.
How can I find out if SAI plans to conduct training courses in my country?
Our web schedule is updated on a regular basis and accurately reflects the courses that we will offer in the near
future. We usually target the countries with most demand for SAI organized training and where we are not competing
with local agencies accredited to conduct our auditor training. Upon your request we can look further into your local
market to determine if there is potential demand. To request a course location, please complete the Request a
Course form here. Additionally, we will gladly organize a course in any location if there are more than 10 registrants.
4) What forms of payment are accepted for training courses?
Unless otherwise noted on our training schedule, payments may be made using the following two methods: credit
card or wire transfer. Please note that you will not be admitted to the course unless you have completed the online
registration process and your full payment has been received before the course date.
5) Once I register, can I cancel my reservation?
For courses conducted face-to-face:

Cancellation and full refund of a confirmed reservation will be accepted at no charge up to 14 days prior to
the course's first day.

Cancellation within 14 days of a course's first day will result in a 50% cancellation fee.

Once the course has started, we will not accept any cancellation. No refunds will be given on any course noshows.

*Refunds will be processed the same way the payment was made whenever possible (either wire transfer or credit
card). Refund processing time is about 3-4 weeks.
Alternatively, the participant can request SAI to hold on to the course payment as credit to apply to a future course of
choice. The participant will be responsible to cover any additional fees when applicable. The course fee credit must
be used within 18 months of the original course date.
For online courses with a course fee:

We do not accept cancellations.

6) What are the costs of SAI courses?

Our course fees depend on the location of the training and vary substantially from country to country you can view the
course fees on our Training Course Schedule Page.
7) What does the course fee cover?
Course fees cover materials, lunches, and coffee breaks but do not cover travel and accommodations. Arranging
travel and accommodations is the responsibility of the participant.
8) How do I access my course materials?
You can only access your course material after you have enrolled in the course. To access course materials, login to
your Social Fingerprint account and navigate to the course you're enrolled in. Once on the course's page, you will see
information such as: schedule, venue, trainer, etc. On the left side, click on the blue "Resources" button to download
materials.
9) What is the dress for the trainings?
The dress is business casual.
10) Does SAI arrange/offer any special discount rates on hotel accommodations?
SAI does not arrange or offer any special discount rates on hotel accommodations. It is not possible for us to
guarantee a certain number of reservations to secure a discount since participants are free to choose their
accommodations.
11) What kinds of sponsorship or discounts does SAI offer for training courses?
SAI offers a limited number of discounts for certain courses. Once a course location is confirmed, a discount may be
offered to members of the local trade unions, NGOs, as well as academia. Group discounts are also negotiable. To
request group or other discounts, please contact SAI's Training and Capacity Building Team Manager at training@saintl.org prior to enrolling in the course. Eligible attendees will be given a discount or complimentary code for the
online registration. Please note, you should inquire about discounts prior to enrolling in the course.
12) If I am traveling outside my country, can I receive help with obtaining my visa?
SAI cannot help you with obtaining your visa. This depends on your governments requirements. We can, however,
offer you an invitation letter. To receive an invitation letter, email a request to SAI Training & Capacity Building team
at training@sa-intl.org with the following information:

Full Name (as appears on your passport):

Date of birth:

Nationality:

Passport #:

Passport Authority:

Date of Issue:

Date of Expire:

13) Are the courses guaranteed to take place?

SAI is an accredited course provider for SA8000 Auditor Training by Social Acountability Accreditaiton Services. As an
accredited course provider, we must abide by Procedure 250's requirement to conduct SA8000 Auditor Training.
The most basic requirement for our courses are:

The number of students in a class shall be no greater than 18 (or 26 if there are 2 trainers), nor fewer than
10.

Students shall be required to be in attendance for the full duration of the course.

In order to stay in compliance, SAI may cancel a course up to 4 weeks prior to the course start date if there are not
enough enrolled, paid participants.
Examination Questions:

14) Do all of the training courses have an exam?

No, only certain courses have exams. The SA8000 Basic Auditor Courses and SA8000 Advanced Auditor Courses
have in-class exams at the end of the course.
15) When will I know the results of my course exam?
Exams are graded within 2-3 weeks from the last day of the course.
16) What is the passing grade on a course exam?
A score of 75% or above is considered passing and the participant will receive a Certificate of Course
Completion. Please note, you will be notified of your result only on a pass or fail basis. We do not release numbered
exam grades or copies of your completed exam. Students with a score lower than 75% are offered the chance to take
a free online re-test. For the SA8000 Advanced Course you will need to pass an online pre-requisite. If you do not
complete and pass the online pre-requisite, 10 points will automatically be deducted from your in-class exam.
17) What should I do if I fail the exam?
If you receive a score of less than 75%, you can schedule an online re-test by contacting - SAI Training & Capacity
Team at training@sa-intl.org. When scheduling your exam, please allow up to 5 business days for the date and time
to be confirmed. You must schedule the re-test in the 3 months following your exam result notification. You may pick
any date and time. At the scheduled re-test time, you will receive a link to the online exam. You will have 2.5 hours
to complete the re-test exam and you are free to use your class notes. The re-test covers the same content and is
similar in format to the classroom version.
18) What can I do if I fail the re-test?
If you fail the re-test exam, you are required to take the entire course again, along with the final exam.

For up to a year after taking and not passing a re-test, participants are offered a 50% discount on the course fee in
any location where SAI offers courses.
19) When do I receive my course Certificate of Completion?
If you pass the exam and your course registration fee is paid in full, you will be emailed the electronic certificate within
4 weeks of the end of the course.
If you do not receive your certificate within 4 weeks following the course and have both passed the course as well as
paid for the course in full, please contact - SAI Training & Capacity Building Team attraining@sa-intl.org.
20) How will I receive my Certificate of Course Completion?
Due to shipping costs and inefficiencies, as of March 1, 2014 SAI will only issue electronic versions of certificates.
Should you require a hard copy, there will be a $50 charge payable by credit card only. Any inquiries regarding
certificates can be made to SAI Training & Capacity Building team at training@sa-intl.org.
21) How long is the Certificate of Course Completion valid?
Our course certificates do not have an expiration date. The date of the training, however, is printed on the certificate.
Once the content of the course changes substantially, we suggest that auditors interested in pursuing SA8000
certification or an auditing career attend a new version of the course. Also, when the SA8000 Standard is revised, the
auditor must update their qualifications to audit against the newer Standard by completing revision courses. The
SA8000 Standard is updated every 5 years. The current version of the Standard is the SA8000:2014 Standard.
Other Questions:

22) How do I become an SA8000 Auditor?

Auditors interested in conducting SA8000 audits may do so in one of two ways: working directly for a Social
Accountability Accreditation Services (SAAS)-accredited Certification Body, or working as an individual auditor.
To contact one of the currently accredited certification bodies about employment, please visit SAAS website for more
details.
The most basic requirements are:
SA8000 Lead Auditor:
a)

qualified by a SAAS accredited certification body,

b)

qualified ISO 9001:2000 or equivalent lead auditor by a SAAS accredited certification body or by a

recognized auditor certification body,

c)

trained at SAAS approved courses as specified in 3.7 of Procedure 200 for both basic and continuation

curriculum,
d)

experienced, demonstrated by having:

a.

satisfactorily served as a lead auditor on at least three accredited ISO 9001 or 14001 certification

audits or equivalent,
b.

participated in at least three SA8000 certification or surveillance audits (or equivalent) as a team

member.
SA8000 Team Auditor:
a)

be employed by or under contract to a SAAS accredited certification body or working as an individual

auditor,
b)

qualified ISO 9001:2000 or equivalent auditor by a SAAS accredited certification body or by a recognized

auditor certification body,

c)

trained at SAAS approved courses as specified in 3.7.of Procedure 200 for both basic and continuation

curriculum,
d)

have conducted as a team member at least three accredited ISO 9001 or 14001 or equivalent audits,

e)

participated in at least one SA8000 audit as an observer.

If you have any further questions, please contact SAAS at saas@saasaccreditation.org.

23) How does my organization become a SAAS accredited Certification Body?
Accreditation is the process by which formal recognition of competence is given to qualified organizations, known as
Certification Bodies (CBs) who are then granted the ability to perform certifications. Certification of compliance to
SA8000 and other verification codes within the SAAS scope of accreditation is available only through qualified CBs.
Organizations interested in becoming accredited should visit the SAAS website for more information or contact Lisa
Bernstein (SAAS Senior Program Manager, SA8000) at lbernstein@saasaccreditation.org.
24) Where can I get addresses of SA8000 certified companies/facilities?
The complete list of SA8000 certified facilities is maintained on the SAAS website.