How do I attain the Happy Worker guarantee?

This is a baseline guarantee for all brands; meaning it is mandatory to submit evidence.

Definition: Workers are paid at least the national minimum wage and the brand is transparent in disclosing all their direct suppliers. The worker's labour rights are respected; no child labour or human trafficking is involved in the production of the collection; the manufacturer is compliant with all local health and safety regulations.

What qualifies for this guarantee?

This guarantee addresses the ethics in your supply chain and ensures that everyone involved receives at least minimum wage, but ideally a living wage. It also certifies that workers have access to a safe working environment and are not exposed to harmful chemicals. For those who use factories to manufacture their products, you need to ensure it is regularly audited and meets safety standards. Transparency is key, with the ability to track and monitor your entire supply chain being the goal. 

 

What evidence will I be asked for?

When completing the evidence submission form on the dashboard you will be asked to supply the following information:

1. Country(s) of manufacture
2. Manufacturer details (name and address) for all your manufacturing facilities
3. The total number of workers across all the manufacturing facilities where your products are made. (You will be given number brackets to choose from).
4. A description of the size/scale of your manufacturers and process involved. 
   We ask you to provide the number of manufacturers you work with (and number of workers at each), what aspects of the product they make, have you visited the facility / your relationship with them, what certifications do they hold.
5. If your collection is produced in-house, in an outsourced studio or an outsourced factory
6. If your manufacturing facility has an ethical trade audit (up-to-date, with a pass mark and no failings on wages, worker rights, or health and safety measures).

 

Why do we ask for ethical trade audits?

Because we work with global brands of varying sizes, it is our policy to always ask for an ethical trade audit first, regardless of your brand size or country of manufacture. It is our preferred form of evidence as it provides extra reassurance from a third party of safe working conditions.

 

Brands manufacturing in high risk countries

For brands manufacturing in high risk countries we have extra precautions in place. When filling out your evidence submission form your brand will automatically be flagged as manufacturing in a high risk country. You will be asked to provide an audit, particularly if there are over 50 workers at the facility.

 

What evidence do I need to provide if I do not have an audit?

If you do not have an audit available, depending on your brand size and where you manufacture you will need to provide different evidence for Happy Worker.

We do not expect small studios or sole traders to have audits and you'll be instructed on which evidence to provide. 

The table below shows the evidence you will need to provide for your brand. 

 

 

High risk country questions

We ask any brands who manufacture in high risk countries but do not have audits to please answer the following additional questions when completing their form:

1. How many workers are there in your manufacturing facility? 
2. Does the facility hold any other social responsibility certifications? Examples can be found here.
3. What policies does your manufacturing facility have in place to ensure workers' rights and health and safety standards are met in line with the ETI basecode?  
4. Have you visited the manufacturing facility? 
5. How long have you been working with this facility? 
6. What checks did you make when partnering with this facility to ensure their workers were treated fairly? 

The team will review the answers and contact you regarding next steps on your membership.

 

Manufacturer declaration form

This form is available to download via the evidence submission form on the dashboard but you can also download it here. Please ask your manufacturer to complete the form and sign it. This will need to be uploaded to the evidence submission form when sending in your guarantees evidence. We require a signed declaration form from each manufacturer you work with. 

 

Why is Happy Worker important?

Protects human rights & supports sustainable development  

• Just because a company doesn’t directly own the factory or farm they purchase from doesn’t mean they shouldn’t want to ensure the people working there enjoy basic human rights.  
• Investing in businesses, workers, and women in the garment industry will support economies to grow and create a source of income for families across the world, which in turn supports sustainable development.  

Minimises reputational risk 

• Companies are under much tighter public and media scrutiny to be seen to be actively integrating ethical trading principles throughout their supply chains.

Protect and increase sales 

• Consumers care where and how their clothes are made. The market for ethical products and services is growing fast. There has been nearly a 24% increase from 2019 to 2020, with the size of the market now at £122 bn. 

 Reduces supply chain disruptions 

• Unsafe working conditions or strikes can lead to factory closures, which can in turn impact a company's ability to maintain a supply of products and services.

Improves employee engagement and motivation 

• Ethical business practices are increasingly important factors in people's decision-making process. Many people now want to know if the company they work for is doing good in some way shape or form.  
  
  

For best practices and resources please visit: 

• https://www.responsiblesourcingtool.org/
• https://www.ethicaltrade.org/