The Social Labor Convergence Program (SLCP) has reported a significant decrease in labor law violations among facilities utilizing its Converged Assessment Framework (CAF). In 2024, SLCP completed over 10,000 assessments, impacting approximately 7.3 million workers worldwide.
The report indicates that businesses adopting the CAF have witnessed a decline in both national and international labor standards violations. The design of the CAF enables facilities to share their assessment data with multiple stakeholders, reducing the need for multiple audits. This streamlined approach has resulted in an estimated savings of $39 million in 2024, a 39% increase compared to the previous year, with funds redirected towards improving workplace conditions.
The frequency of assessment sharing has also increased, with each assessment being shared nearly three times on average—a 16% rise from 2023. The consistent use of the CAF has assisted facilities in identifying and reducing legal non-compliances, thereby fostering better working conditions.
Key findings from the report reveal that overtime hours remain a critical issue, with a strong link between excessive working hours, subcontractor use, and wage settings based on legal minimums instead of living wages. Notably, most legal non-compliances found in SLCP assessments pertain to the Wages and Benefits section of the CAF. Despite women making up 59% of the workforce in SLCP facilities, they occupy only 33% of supervisory or managerial roles, and 35% of facilities report gender wage gaps, with men earning more than women in equivalent positions.
The report highlights SLCP’s collaborative efforts through partnerships with stakeholders and multifaceted initiatives. While SLCP is instrumental in enhancing working conditions, it emphasizes that significant advancements necessitate collective action and robust cooperation across the industry.
SLCP CEO Janet Mensink stated, “We’re seeing clear evidence that our vision and mission are being realized, with users of the CAF making tangible improvements to working conditions that are being reflected in assessments in subsequent years. But there’s still much more work to be done in the industry. Our aggregate facility data shows that 92% of assessments in 2024 included at least one non-compliance against national labor laws. This is why our work continues to be critical – in policy, through stakeholder collaboration, and in the growing adoption of SLCP. Together, we can drive meaningful change.”
In April, SLCP introduced an updated version (1.7) of its CAF, further enhancing its capacity to address labor rights and workplace standards.
