Fair Labor Association

Supply Chain Innovation: the FLA develops and tests innovative methods to improve conditions for workers across product supply chains. Our work responds to the complex, multi-layered nature of supply chains and the potential human and labor rights risks within them. Collaboration is a cornerstone of the FLA's research and innovation initiatives. We leverage the knowledge and experience of companies, suppliers, governments, and civil society organizations to promote collective action and achieve impact for workers.

Capacity Building: a core element of the FLA's program is to build the capacity of companies and collegiate licensees to implement and sustain high labor standards through the provision of guidance, resources, and tools to improve working conditions in supply chains. Training and support are provided to assist affiliates in adopting and communicating workplace standards; monitoring factories and farms; assessing and remediating noncompliance issues; and ensuring the provision of confidential reporting channels for workers in their supplier facilities. FLA staff provide guidance and training to a wide range of companies. Staff lead social compliance training and assist university affiliates in identifying gaps in licensees' supply chains so that training can be employed where risk is greatest. An important focus is the more than 150 colleges and universities that participate in the FLA's university program, through which academic institutions enact their commitment to ethical sourcing of companies manufacturing products that bear university logos.

Accreditation: accountability is at the heart of our mission to improve workers' lives. Companies that demonstrate they meet international labor standards in their supply chain may earn accreditation of their program from the FLA. FLA accreditation is the gold standard for a systems approach to protecting workers' rights and social responsibility. It provides a basis for investors and consumers to make informed investing and purchasing choices. It is the only comprehensive program of its kind that fully aligns with the international labor organization standards, and helps companies meet the U.N. guiding principles, and the organization for economic cooperation and development guiding principles for responsible business conduct. A company's accreditation signifies that it understands the importance of its business practices on workplace conditions in its supply chain, has put effective systems in place to prevent workplace abuses, and commits to remediating violations that occur.

Access To Remedy: a fourth programmatic focus that underscores the FLA's commitment to transparency and accountability is our third party complaint mechanism. Through this program, any person or organization can report allegations of persistent or serious noncompliance with FLA standards at a production facility owned or used by an FLA-affiliated company, supplier, or university licensee and, in so doing, request an FLA investigation and remediation. Unions and civil society organizations play an essential role in supporting this independent grievance channel as well as bringing worker voice into our collaborative efforts.

Communications

CSO engagements