In today's society Businesses are expected to be more than profit-making machines. They are expected to be responsible corporate citizens and contribute positively to society and the environment. Social auditing is a way for businesses to measure and report on their social and environmental impacts. A social audit is a process of reviewing operations. Business operations and company policies to assess social, environmental and ethical impacts. There are many types of social audits, such as financial audits. Environmental monitoring and social audit In this blog post We will focus on SEDEX, a popular platform for conducting social audits, and SMETA, a verification method for achieving SEDEX certification.

What is Sedex?

SEDEX (Supplier Ethical Information Exchange) is a not-for-profit organization that aims to improve ethical and responsible business practices in global supply chains. SEDEX is a platform for companies. To share information about suppliers' ethical practices Including labor rights health and safety Environmental guidelines and business ethics. SEDEX offers various tools and services. Including training Consulting and supplier assessment tools To help companies improve their supply chain Practice...

What is a SMETA Audit (SEDEX Member Ethical Trade Audit)?

SEDEX SMETA is a method for auditing the ethical, social and environmental performance of suppliers. SMETA was developed by SEDEX and is now available to companies. Widely used around the world, SMETA audits cover a wide range of topics, including labor standards. health and safety environmental performance and business ethics. SMETA audits are based on a set of ethical business principles. This includes the Business Ethics Instruction (ETI) Code of Conduct (ILO).

The SEDEX SMETA Audit is available in two versions: SMETA 2 Pillar and SMETA 4 Pillar. The SMETA 2 Pillar Audit covers labor standards. health and safety While the SMETA Pillar 4 review covers these topics as well as environmental performance and business ethics. Let's take a closer look at the criteria covered in both types of SMETA audits.

SMETA Pillar 2 review:

Labor standards: This covers areas such as working hours, wages, discrimination, child labor, and forced labor. Auditors assess whether suppliers comply with national and international labor laws and regulations.

Health and Safety: This criterion covers areas such as workplace safety. emergency preparedness and employee access to medical care Auditors will assess whether suppliers have appropriate health and safety policies and procedures in place.

SMETA Pillar 4 review:

In addition to the criteria covered in the SMETA 2 Pillar Audit, the SMETA 4 Pillar Audit also covers the following:

Environmental performance: This criterion covers areas such as waste management, water use, energy use. and greenhouse gas emissions Auditors will assess whether suppliers comply with relevant environmental laws and regulations.

Professional Ethics: This covers issues such as corruption, bribery, and human rights. Auditors will assess whether suppliers have appropriate policies and procedures in place to prevent unethical behavior.

Benefits of SMETA Audit and SEDEX Certification:

There are many advantages of SMETA audit and SEDEX certification such as:

  • Improved reputation: By passing the SMETA audit and receiving SEDEX certification, companies can demonstrate their commitment to ethical, social and environmental standards. This improves our reputation and helps attract customers who value sustainability and responsible business practices.
  • Reduced risk: SMETA audits help companies Identify and manage risks in their supply chain Including risks related to labor standards health and safety and environmental performance By managing these risks Companies can reduce the risk of supply chain disruptions. Negative media attention and legal liability
  • Compliance with legal requirements: SMETA audits can help companies comply with relevant legal requirements. Including labor laws Health and safety regulations and environmental law This helps companies Avoid fines and legal penalties including damage to reputation
  • Improve supply chain efficiency: SMETA audits can help companies Identify opportunities to improve their supply chain including opportunities to reduce waste Increase energy efficiency and improve working conditions Using these improvements can reduce costs. Increase efficiency and improve the quality of products and services
  • Increased transparency: SMETA audits require companies to disclose information about their supply chains. as well as environmental and social performance results This increased transparency can help build trust with customers, investors, and other stakeholders.

Various Social Auditing Programs

There are several widely recognized social auditing standards besides SEDEX, that organizations can use to guide their efforts. One of the most well-known standards is SA 8000, which covers areas such as child labor, forced labor, and discrimination, as well as health and safety, working hours, and compensation. Another widely used standard is the Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production (WRAP), which focuses on labor standards and environmental practices in the manufacturing industry. The Responsible Business Alliance (RBA), formerly known as the Electronic Industry Citizenship Coalition (EICC), is a standard that is specifically targeted towards the electronics industry. The Business Social Compliance Initiative (BSCI) is a standard that covers areas such as fair compensation, child labor, and freedom of association, and is commonly used in the textile and garment industry. These and other social auditing standards provide guidelines and best practices that can help organizations improve their social and ethical practices, and ensure that they are meeting their responsibilities to their workers, their customers, and the wider community.

How Legal4sure Can Help Your Organization Get SEDEX Certification

Our skilled consultant team at Legal4sure can help you with all the necessary steps to grow your business and guide you through the implementation process. Having served 40+ clients to get their organization SEDEX-Certified, with 800+ hours of training, Legal4sure has a rich experience and the much-needed competence to help your organization get SEDEX Certification seamlessly. To know more about how you can strengthen your organization with SEDEX, Contact us now