Social Accountability International
Explore SA8000
Social Accountability International

Advancing human rights at work.

We set and steward the standards that make decent work real — home of SA8000, the world’s leading social certification standard. For the companies, certifiers, and practitioners building fairer workplaces, we provide the standard, the tools, and the expertise.

Explore SA8000 How can we help you?
Workers assembling cardboard shipping boxes on a packing line in a factory
5,800+ facilities certified to SA8000
2.4million workers covered
60 countries
Since1997 29 years advancing decent work
A manager explaining workplace practices in a warehouse stacked with packaged goods
Flagship standard SA8000®
Our flagship standard

SA8000: the benchmark for decent work.

For more than two decades, SA8000 has given companies a credible, independently audited way to protect workers’ rights — from child and forced labor to health, safety, and fair wages. It is built on international human-rights norms and verified by accredited certification bodies worldwide.

The path to certification, in three steps

Start SA8000 certification
  1. 01

    Understand the standard

    Review the SA8000 requirements and assess your current practices.

  2. 02

    Prepare and improve

    Use SAI’s tools (Social Fingerprint®, training, registered consultants) to close gaps.

  3. 03 Get certified

    An accredited certification body audits your facility and issues SA8000 certification.

New version of the standard

SA8000:2026 is here.

A new version of the standard is now in effect. If your organization is certified or pursuing certification, here is what the transition means for you and the deadlines you need to know.

Read the SA8000:2026 transition guide
Who we work with

Find your path.

SAI serves everyone working to make decent work the norm. Tell us who you are and we’ll point you to the right place.

Suppliers & factories

Certify your facility to SA8000 and demonstrate your commitment to workers’ rights.

Start certification
Featured programs

Beyond the standard.

Our programs tackle the hardest problems in decent work — from closing the gap to a living wage to worker-driven problem solving.

See all programs
Loading station at an oil palm plantation Program Living Wage Helping companies move from minimum to living wages. Program TenSquared Worker-and-manager teams solving workplace problems together. Baled paper and cardboard sorted for recycling at a materials facility Tools Social Fingerprint® Tools to measure and build social-performance management.
From our resource library

Standards, guidance, and research — free to use.

Browse the full Resource Library
Standard

The SA8000 Standard

The full text of the standard, covering the nine elements of decent work and the management system that sustains them.

Guidance

SA8000 Guidance Document

Practical interpretation of each requirement, with examples to help facilities and auditors apply the standard consistently.

Research

Closing the Gap: Living Wage in Global Supply Chains

Findings from factory pilots on what it takes to move workers from minimum to living wages.

Two garment workers talking and smiling on the lawn outside their factory
Support our work

Decent work doesn’t fund itself.

SAI is a non-profit. Your support helps us bring living-wage tools to more supply chains and train more worker advocates. Every gift extends the reach of the standards that protect workers worldwide.

Stay close to the work.

Get SA8000 updates, transition deadlines, new guidance, and research — straight to your inbox.

Latest news

All news
September 24, 2026 SAI publishes transition guidance for SA8000:2026 Read article August 12, 2026 TenSquared expands to new garment facilities in South Asia Read article July 3, 2026 New research on closing the living wage gap in agriculture Read article
Get in touch

What can we help you with?

Choose what you want to do and we’ll take you to the right team or form. You can always reach us at info@sa-intl.org.

I want to…
Goes to SA8000 certification team, certification@sa-intl.org
Start certification