Fair Labor Association (FLA) Workplace Code of Conduct
The Fair Labor Association (FLA) Workplace Code of Conduct is a voluntary multi-industry workplace standards code adopted by FLA member companies (apparel + footwear + agriculture + electronics + university licensee sector) and applied across their global supplier networks. The Code was first adopted in 1998 + revised periodically; the current version (post-2017 + ongoing review) consists of 10 principles that operationalise the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work + the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights + the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises. The 10 principles are: (1) Employment Relationship; (2) Nondiscrimination; (3) Harassment or Abuse; (4) Forced Labor; (5) Child Labor; (6) Freedom of Association and Collective Bargaining; (7) Health, Safety, and Environment; (8) Hours of Work; (9) Compensation; (10) (varying topical principle covering subcontracting / supply chain responsibility + worker grievance + remediation). The 10 principles are operationalised through 100+ COMPLIANCE BENCHMARKS - specific operational practices that FLA-accredited monitoring + audit programmes assess. FLA-accredited companies submit to periodic Independent External Monitoring (IEM) + Sustainable Compliance Initiative (SCI) audits + remediation oversight + external reporting via the FLA Public Reports system + the FLA Tracking Chart. The FLA Workplace Code is the principal multi-stakeholder voluntary labor-standards code in the apparel + footwear + agriculture sectors alongside the SAC Higg + Better Cotton Initiative + Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production (WRAP) + Social Accountability International SA8000 + amfori BSCI. Substantive content lives in the FLA Workplace Code of Conduct + the FLA Compliance Benchmarks (FLA-member-gated full text but publicly summarised on fairlabor.org).
Fair Labor Association (FLA) Workplace Code of Conduct is a compliance framework from Global (facilities of FLA-affiliated companies and their suppliers) with 9 domains and 278 controls that map to 3 other frameworks. The largest domains are Employment Relationship (ER) – Fair Labor Association (FLA) Workplace Code of Conduct (55 controls), Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE) – Fair Labor Association (FLA) Workplace Code of Conduct (48 controls), Compensation (C) – Fair Labor Association (FLA) Workplace Code of Conduct (41 controls). Every control below carries what it requires and what an assessor expects to see.
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Framework Domains (9)
Child Labor (CL) – Fair Labor Association (FLA) Workplace Code of Conduct
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| fair-labor-association-fla-workplace-code-of-conduct::CL.1 | CL.1 Compliance with child labor law |
| fair-labor-association-fla-workplace-code-of-conduct::CL.2 | CL.2 Minimum age of 15 or end of compulsory education |
| fair-labor-association-fla-workplace-code-of-conduct::CL.3 | CL.3 Permits and parental consent on file |
| fair-labor-association-fla-workplace-code-of-conduct::CL.4 | CL.4 Laws on young workers observed |
| fair-labor-association-fla-workplace-code-of-conduct::CL.5 | CL.5 No hazardous work under 18 |
| fair-labor-association-fla-workplace-code-of-conduct::CL.6 | CL.6 Identification of workstations unsuitable for young workers |
| fair-labor-association-fla-workplace-code-of-conduct::CL.7 | CL.7 Minimum age for apprentices |
| fair-labor-association-fla-workplace-code-of-conduct::CL.8.1 | CL.8.1 Proof of age collected and verified |
Compensation (C) – Fair Labor Association (FLA) Workplace Code of Conduct
Employment Relationship (ER) – Fair Labor Association (FLA) Workplace Code of Conduct
Forced Labor (F) – Fair Labor Association (FLA) Workplace Code of Conduct
Freedom of Association and Collective Bargaining (FOA) – Fair Labor Association (FLA) Workplace Code of Conduct
Harassment or Abuse (H/A) – Fair Labor Association (FLA) Workplace Code of Conduct
Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE) – Fair Labor Association (FLA) Workplace Code of Conduct
Hours of Work (HOW) – Fair Labor Association (FLA) Workplace Code of Conduct
Nondiscrimination (ND) – Fair Labor Association (FLA) Workplace Code of Conduct
Your Compliance Coverage
If you comply with Fair Labor Association (FLA) Workplace Code of Conduct, you already cover:
UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs)
4%
12 controls mapped
Compare →OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises on Responsible Business Conduct (2023 Update)
4%
11 controls mapped
Compare →ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work (Core Conventions)
1%
4 controls mapped
Compare →Maps to 3 other frameworks
Coverage is not the same as your position
This page shows what Fair Labor Association (FLA) Workplace Code of Conduct overlaps with in general. Where your organisation actually stands, against the standard you are going for and the certifications you already hold, is a different question. Same graph and the same recorded refutations, scoped to you rather than to a pair.
The Compliance Position Diagnostic, $5,000 fixed, ten business daysWhat is Fair Labor Association (FLA) Workplace Code of Conduct and who does it apply to?
Fair Labor Association (FLA) Workplace Code of Conduct is a compliance framework from Global (facilities of FLA-affiliated companies and their suppliers) with 9 domains and 278 controls. The Fair Labor Association (FLA) Workplace Code of Conduct is a voluntary multi-industry workplace standards code adopted by FLA member companies (apparel + footwear + agriculture + electronics + university licensee sector) and applied across their global supplier networks. The Code was first adopted in 1998 + revised periodically; the current version (post-2017 + ongoing review) consists of 10 principles that operationalise the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work + the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights + the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises. The 10 principles are: (1) Employment Relationship; (2) Nondiscrimination; (3) Harassment or Abuse; (4) Forced Labor; (5) Child Labor; (6) Freedom of Association and Collective Bargaining; (7) Health, Safety, and Environment; (8) Hours of Work; (9) Compensation; (10) (varying topical principle covering subcontracting / supply chain responsibility + worker grievance + remediation). The 10 principles are operationalised through 100+ COMPLIANCE BENCHMARKS - specific operational practices that FLA-accredited monitoring + audit programmes assess. FLA-accredited companies submit to periodic Independent External Monitoring (IEM) + Sustainable Compliance Initiative (SCI) audits + remediation oversight + external reporting via the FLA Public Reports system + the FLA Tracking Chart. The FLA Workplace Code is the principal multi-stakeholder voluntary labor-standards code in the apparel + footwear + agriculture sectors alongside the SAC Higg + Better Cotton Initiative + Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production (WRAP) + Social Accountability International SA8000 + amfori BSCI. Substantive content lives in the FLA Workplace Code of Conduct + the FLA Compliance Benchmarks (FLA-member-gated full text but publicly summarised on fairlabor.org). It is used by organisations to establish and maintain compliance with industry standards and regulatory requirements.
What does Fair Labor Association (FLA) Workplace Code of Conduct actually require?
Fair Labor Association (FLA) Workplace Code of Conduct has 278 controls organised across 9 domains. The largest domains are Employment Relationship (ER) – Fair Labor Association (FLA) Workplace Code of Conduct (55 controls), Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE) – Fair Labor Association (FLA) Workplace Code of Conduct (48 controls), Compensation (C) – Fair Labor Association (FLA) Workplace Code of Conduct (41 controls). Each control defines specific requirements that organisations must implement to achieve compliance.
If I already comply with another framework, how much of Fair Labor Association (FLA) Workplace Code of Conduct do I already cover?
Fair Labor Association (FLA) Workplace Code of Conduct maps to 3 other compliance frameworks. The top mapping partners are UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) (4% coverage), OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises on Responsible Business Conduct (2023 Update) (4% coverage), ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work (Core Conventions) (1% coverage). Use our comparison tool to explore control-level mappings between frameworks.
How do I implement Fair Labor Association (FLA) Workplace Code of Conduct?
Start your Fair Labor Association (FLA) Workplace Code of Conduct compliance journey by running a self-assessment on our platform to identify your current compliance posture. Our AI advisory can answer specific questions about Fair Labor Association (FLA) Workplace Code of Conduct requirements, and cross-framework mapping helps you leverage existing controls from other frameworks you may already comply with. Create a free account to access all 278 controls and track your progress.
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