The Fair Labor Association accredits the labour-compliance programmes of participating companies rather than certifying factories or products. A company joins FLA, implements its Workplace Code of Conduct — covering forced and child labour, harassment, discrimination, freedom of association, health and safety, hours and compensation — and after a multi-year evaluation of its monitoring, remediation and transparency systems, FLA's board may accredit the programme. FLA also conducts independent assessments of suppliers and publishes company-level reports, giving unusual visibility into members' supply-chain labour practice. Accreditation therefore attests to the quality of a company's compliance system, not to the condition of any individual factory at any moment. Participating companies span major apparel and footwear brands, universities and suppliers, and the accreditation decision is made by a board including civil-society and company members. FLA publishes its accreditation criteria and company-level findings, allowing outsiders to distinguish an accredited programme from mere membership. The certification does not automatically apply to every product, service or claim made by the certified organisation.
Conditional relationships
Claims it may support
A relationship does not mean that the standard proves or validates every use of a claim.