Producers or consumers? Business owners or employees? Child or Adult? Girl or Women? Chinese or American.... Social compliance is a result of increasing increasing awareness of global consumers and producers to remove the differences in organisations, protect the health, safety, and rights of their employees, the community and environment in which they operate, and the lives and communities of workers in their supply and distribution chains.

ABOUT WRAP

WRAP (Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production) was formed out of the desire to create an independent and objective body to help apparel and footwear factories around the world verify that they are operating in compliance with local laws and internationally-accepted standards of ethical workplace practices. Although its origins back to the mid-1990s, it is incorporated in 2000.

Today, it has over 2000 certified facilities and so-called "most often cited" social compliance certification in textile industry. Certified facilities not only proves their ethical business operations but also increases their brand value and global customer potentials. 

Below newspapers will make its value more tangible:

1. Compliance with Laws and Workplace Regulations

All facilities will comply with the legal requirements and standards of their industry under the local and national laws of the jurisdictions in which the facilities are doing business, along with any applicable international laws including employment laws, subcontracting, corruption and transparency and environment.

2. Prohibition of Forced Labor

Facilities will maintain employment strictly on a voluntary basis. Facilities will not use any forced, prison, indentured, bonded or trafficked labor including any "legal" contracts in that location de facto restricting the ability of the workers to voluntarily end his/her agreement (financial debts and guarantees, passport withhelding etc.). Agreements must be in a language that workers can understand.

3. Prohibition of Child Labor

Facilities will not hire any employee under the age of 15 (14 in less-developed countries - Consistent with ILO Convention 138) or under the minimum age established by law for employment, whichever is greater, or any employee whose employment would interfere with compulsory schooling, even if permitted by local law. Employer should also consider equality and reasonableness of the nature and volume of the work and worker. A list of young workers should be taken.

4. Prohibition of Harassment and Abuse

Facilities will ensure a workplace that is respectful of a worker’s rights and dignity including no corporal punishment or physical coercion, any sexual harassment or abuse, indecent or threatening gestures, abusive tone or language or any other kind of undesired physical or verbal contact.

5. Compensation and Benefits

Facilities will ensure proper compensation for their employees for all the work done, by providing in a timely manner all the wages and benefits that are in compliance with including overtime worki holiday payments, mandatory social security and any other allowances and  benefits.

6. Hours of Work

Facilities are required by local law to adhere to any limits set on regular working hours as well as any limits set on overtime work. However, WRAP brings additional considerations on local laws and accepts local laws as benchmark only if they meets the following criterias:

• Fully transparent about its working
• Those hours are all being worked voluntarily
• Protect worker safety and health
• Compensates all employees
• Shows improvement toward meeting the working hours’ requirements from one audit to the next
  

7. Prohibition of Discrimination

Facilities will ensure that all terms and conditions of employment are based on an individual’s ability to do the job, and not on the basis of any personal characteristics or beliefs including race, color, national origin, gender, age, sexual orientation, religion, disability, or other similar factors (pregnancy, political opinion or affiliation, social status, etc.

8. Health and Safety

Facilities will provide a safe, clean, healthy and productive workplace for their employees. Facilities shall prioritize worker health and safety above all else, and proactively address any safety issues that could arise. Some sections audited lunder H&S is as following:

• Electrical safety
• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
• Worker safety awareness
• Fire safety and fire alarm boxes
• Sprinkler Valves
• Emergency evacuation and Emergency Lighting
• Stairwells
• Chemical Safety
• Boiler and compressor rooms
• Machine safety

9. Freedom of Association and Collective Bargaining

Facilities will recognize and respect the right of employees to exercise their lawful rights of free association and collective bargaining.

10. Environment

Facilities should consider the best practices to minimize their impact on the environment including proper waste management and they are encouraged applying the principles of reduce, reuse and recycle throughout their operations.

11. Customs Compliance

Facilities will ensure that all merchandise is accurately marked or labeledin compliance with all applicable laws.

12. Security

Facilities will ensure adequate controls are in place to safeguard against introduction of any non-manifested cargo. In this regard, WRAP recognizes the United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP)’s CTPAT Guidelines for Foreign Manufacturers as minimum requirements and has adopted those guidelines under this Principle.

WRAP CHECKLISTS

Following self assessment checklist is based on June 2020 updates. And some other checklist and guides also provided both for auditors and facilities. Using Wremia you can create a project for pre-audit, complete the self-assessment, create corrective actions and assignt to your team. Using an online real time project management tool specified for your business will increase effectiveness 100%.

• WRAP Pre-Audit Self-Assessment Checklist
• WRAP Facility Compliance Documentation Checklist
• WRAP Employee Interview Guide / Checklist