The Fair Labor Association is a non-profit collaborative effort of universities, civil society organizations, and businesses. It describes its mission as promoting adherence to international and national labor laws.

The FLA accredits a company’s compliance program to indicate the presence of systems and procedures required for successfully upholding fair labor standards throughout its supply chains.

Since 1999, FLA has helped improve the lives of millions of workers around the world. As a collaborative effort of socially responsible companies, colleges and universities, and civil society organizations, FLA creates lasting solutions to abusive labor practices by offering tools and resources to companies, delivering training to factory workers and management, conducting due diligence through independent assessments, and advocating for greater accountability and transparency from companies, manufacturers, factories and others involved in global supply chains.

The FLA Workplace Code of Conduct defines labor standards that aim to achieve decent and humane working conditions. The Code’s standards are based on International Labor Organization standards and internationally accepted good labor practices.

Companies affiliated with the FLA are expected to comply with all relevant and applicable laws and regulations of the country in which workers are employed and to implement the Workplace Code in their applicable facilities. When differences or conflicts in standards arise, affiliated companies are expected to apply the highest standard.

The FLA monitors compliance with the Workplace Code by carefully examining adherence to the Compliance Benchmarks and the Principles of Monitoring. The Compliance Benchmarks identify specific requirements for meeting each Code standard, while the Principles of Monitoring guide the assessment of compliance. The FLA expects affiliated companies to make improvements when Code standards are not met and to develop sustainable mechanisms to ensure ongoing compliance.

The FLA provides a model of collaboration, accountability, and transparency and serves as a catalyst for positive change in workplace conditions. As an organization that promotes continuous improvement, the FLA strives to be a global leader in establishing best practices for respectful and ethical treatment of workers, and in promoting sustainable conditions through which workers earn fair wages in safe and healthy workplaces.

1. Employment Relationship

Employers shall adopt and adhere to rules and conditions of employment that respect workers          and, at a minimum, safeguard their rights under national and international labor and social            security laws and regulations.

2. Nondiscrimination

No person shall be subject to any discrimination in employment, including hiring,      compensation, advancement, discipline, termination or retirement, on the basis of gender,     race, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation, nationality, political opinion, social group or         ethnic origin.

3. Harassment or Abuse

Every employee shall be treated with respect and dignity. No employee shall be subject to any             physical, sexual, psychological or verbal harassment or abuse.

4. Forced Labor

There shall be no use of forced labor, including prison labor, indentured labor, bonded labor            or other forms of forced labor.

5. Child Labor

No person shall be employed under the age of 15 or under the age for completion of            compulsory education, whichever is higher.

6. Freedom of Association and Collective Bargaining

Employers shall recognize and respect the right of employees to freedom of association and collective bargaining.

7. Health, Safety and Environment

Employers shall provide a safe and healthy workplace setting to prevent accidents and injury             to health arising out of, linked with, or occurring in the course of work or as a result of the        operation of employers’ facilities. Employers shall adopt responsible measures to mitigate negative impacts that the workplace has on the environment.

8. Hours of Work

Employers shall not require workers to work more than the regular and overtime hours         allowed by the law of the country where the workers are employed. The regular work week         shall not exceed 48 hours. Employers shall allow workers at least 24 consecutive hours of rest    in every seven-day period. All overtime work shall be consensual. Employers shall not request         overtime on a regular basis and shall compensate all overtime work at a premium rate. Other             than in exceptional circumstances, the sum of regular and overtime hours in a week shall not           exceed 60 hours.

9. Compensation

Every worker has a right to compensation for a regular work week that is sufficient to meet the worker’s basic needs and provide some discretionary income. Employers shall pay at least        the minimum wage or the appropriate prevailing wage, whichever is higher, comply with all        legal requirements on wages, and provide any benefits required by law or contract. Where          compensation does not meet workers’ basic needs and provide some discretionary income,     each employer shall work with the FLA to take appropriate actions that seek to progressively            realize a level of compensation that does.

10. FLAs’ Monitoring & Reporting:

FLA conducts assessments and investigations and assists in the resolution of complaints, Public reporting ensures transparency and informs consumers.

Transparency is essential to upholding fair labor standards and protecting workers throughout product supply chains. If we don’t know what is happening behind the scenes in factories and on farms around the world, we cannot address the issues and make positive changes. As affiliates of FLA, companies agree to subject their supply chains to independent assessments and monitoring – the results of which are published here. This type of transparency helps consumers make more informed decisions about the products they buy and helps ensure brand accountability. There is no perfect brand or factory – labor issues are often identified even at the best facilities. FLA’s assessments lead to an open and honest dialogue about the conditions that workers face and facilitate swift action in consultation with workers’ groups, civil society organizations and others.

FLA is a multi-stakeholder initiative that invites participation from all organizations committed to promoting fair labor standards around the world – companies and brands, civil society organizations, colleges and universities, suppliers and manufacturers, conscientious retailers, and others.

Currently, nearly 200 colleges and universities in the United States and Canada work with FLA to monitor social compliance and ensure the ethical production of items bearing their marks or logo. Students and other consumers advocating for workers across the globe are increasingly concerned with ethical and sustainable production. FLA provides college and university affiliates with the tools they need to be confident that their products are manufactured by companies that are committed to upholding workers’ rights in their production facilities. FLA-affiliated universities receive guidance on labor compliance; tools and resources to actively engage with their licensees; and reports on their licensees’ social compliance efforts. University affiliates can also rest assured that their licensees receive the training they need to promote and uphold fair labor standards throughout their supply chains.

Civil society organizations (CSOs) were at the table at the organization’s founding and continue to play a vital role in FLA. The CSOs are represented by human rights, labor rights, and consumer organizations on the FLA Board of Directors. At the grassroots level, FLA partners with local civil society organizations, government agencies and trade unions to promote fair labor practices, resolve complaints, and conduct investigations of labor rights violations around the world.

Companies affiliated with FLA include leading apparel, footwear, electronics and agriculture brands, in addition to smaller companies and collegiate licensees from other industries such as jewelry and luggage. Company affiliates are at the forefront of a movement towards more responsible and reliable supply chains and commit to upholding fair labor standards. These companies know that fair labor practices are also good management practices and that they affect the bottom line. Fair, safe and humane working conditions lead to lower turnover, fewer accidents and disruptions, and better reliability and productivity. Company affiliates also realize that consumers expect products to be manufactured in responsible factories that respect workers’ rights and see the value of instituting internal mechanisms to identify and remediate labor violations proactively, reducing the risk of being caught off-guard by these issues.

As FLA Participating Companies, some of the world’s largest and best-known brands have committed to instituting fair labor practices and safe and humane working conditions throughout their supply chains. With the help of FLA, Participating Companies are innovating to effectively address labor issues – protecting both their brands and the rights of workers. FLA’s methodology gives brands greater confidence that their supply chains respect workers’ rights. It also presents a complete picture of labor conditions, flags risks, reveals root causes of compliance gaps, and offers strategies for addressing systemic issues. Through FLA, Participating Companies also receive opportunities to collaborate with peers, university buyers and CSOs, and have access to capacity building and training resources.

FLA Participating Suppliers demonstrate their commitment and effort to buyers (brands) and other stakeholders who care about factory conditions in product supply chains. Participating Suppliers include factories and factory groups in countries from El Salvador to China, and they play a crucial role in improving working conditions throughout the supply chain. They take ownership of their compliance programs by explicitly committing to the same standards and obligations as buyers (Participating Companies) affiliated with FLA. FLA helps Participating Suppliers build their capacity to implement systemic controls and effect internal changes to fulfill those obligations. Affiliating with FLA also allows suppliers to gain the trust of socially responsible brands and buyers and directly engage with them in conversations about sustainable and practical ways to improve labor conditions.

Collegiate licensees play an essential role in upholding the commitment FLA-affiliated universities have made to protecting workers’ rights worldwide. Licensees are required to register with the FLA and meet specific obligations based on revenues. By affiliating with FLA, licensees have access to one-on-one guidance and tools, resources, and materials to help them develop compliance systems that respect workers’ rights throughout their supply chain.

• Collegiate licensees with annual revenues of at least $50 million join the FLA as Category B Licensees and commit to the FLA Principles of Fair Labor and Responsible Sourcing.
• Collegiate licensees with annual revenues between $2.5 million and 50 million join the FLA as Category C Licensees and commit to the ten FLA Principles of Fair Labor and Responsible Sourcing.

Collegiate licensees with annual revenues below $2.5 million join the FLA as Category D Licensees and commit to the FLA Workplace Code of Conduct and to the ten FLA Principles of Fair Labor and Responsible Sourcing.