Principles of Fair Labor and Responsible Sourcing and Production for Manufacturing

FLA maintains principles for responsible sourcing and responsible production to uphold and protect workers’ rights.

These principles are rooted in international labor standards and provide foundational guidance for companies to apply in their systems and operations.

Companies develop stronger social compliance programs by aligning with these principles. For example, companies demonstrate their obligation to recognize and respect human rights and account for the impact they have on workers and their communities.

When a company joins FLA, its leadership makes a commitment to the FLA principles and agrees to uphold the FLA Fair Labor Code in its supply chain. Member companies are assessed regularly against the principles, and a company that adheres to these standards principles may earn FLA Accreditation.

Principles of Fair Labor and Responsible Sourcing

1. Top Management Commitment & Workplace Standards: Commitment to accountability and transparency through established workplace standards.
2. Responsible Purchasing Practices: Commitment to align planning and purchasing practices with workplace standards.
3. Responsibility & Head Office Training: Commitment to identify and train specific staff responsible for implementing workplace standards and responsible purchasing practices and provide training to all head office and regional staff.
4. Supplier Training: Commitment to train relevant supplier management on workplace standards and track effectiveness of supplier workforce training.
5. Monitoring: Commitment to conduct workplace standards compliance monitoring.
6. Functioning Grievance Mechanisms: Commitment to ensure workers have access to functioning grievance mechanisms, which include multiple reporting channels of which at least one is confidential.
7. Collection & Management of Compliance Information: Commitment to collect, manage, and analyze workplace standards compliance information.
8. Timely & Preventative Remediation: Commitment to work with suppliers to remediate in a timely and preventative manner.
9. Consultation with Civil Society: Commitment to identify, research, and engage with relevant labor non-governmental organizations, trade unions, and other civil society institution
10. Verification Requirements: Commitment to meet FLA verification and program requirements.

Principles of Fair Labor and Responsible Production

1. Top Management Commitment & Workplace Standards: Commitment to accountability and transparency through established workplace standards.
2. Responsible Production Practices: Commitment to align sales, planning, and production practices with workplace standards.
3. Responsibility & Head Office Training: Commitment to identify and train specific staff responsible for implementing workplace standards, responsible production practices, and provide training to all head office staff.
4. Production Staff Training: Commitment to train all management staff and employees at owned facilities on workplace standards and track effectiveness of training.
5. Monitoring: Commitment to conduct workplace standards compliance monitoring.
6. Functioning Grievance Mechanisms: Commitment to provide workers access to functioning grievance mechanisms, which include multiple reporting channels of which at least one is confidential.
7. Collection & Management of Compliance Information: Commitment to collect, manage, and analyze workplace standards compliance information.
8. Timely & Preventative Remediation: Commitment to remediate in a timely and preventative manner.
9. Consultation with Civil Society: Commitment to identify, research, and engage with relevant labor non-governmental organizations, trade unions, and other civil society institutions.
10. Verification Requirements: Commitment to meet FLA verification and program requirements.