Apparel retailers in the Covid-19 world need to be more mindful than ever of ethical treatment of workers.  Not only are consumers increasingly influenced by sustainability and the ethical creation of the garments they buy, but so are investors.  It’s therefore a business imperative to ensure that the suppliers you choose do more than simply source sustainable materials; you need to know that they work in an ethical manner with care and respect for the health and safety of their workforce.

Working with Checkpoint gives you the assurance you need.  Our global production sites are SEDEX members, and also hold SMETA audits.

 

 

What is SEDEX?

SEDEX is one of the world’s leading ethical trade service providers, working to improve working conditions in global supply chains, providing practical tools, services and a community network to help companies improve their responsible and sustainable business practices.
SEDEX enables retailers and suppliers to work together to better manage their social and environmental performance, and protect people working in the supply chain. With over 15 years of expertise operating in responsible sourcing, SEDEX works with some of the world’s most recognisable brands and standard setting organisations, such as the United Nations and Ethical Trade Initiative.

 

What is a SMETA Audit?

SMETA stands for Sedex Members Ethical Trade Audit and is one of the most widely used ethical audit formats in the world. It provides a globally recognised way to assess responsible supply chain activities, including labour rights, health & safety, the environment and business ethics.

The methodology is based on the Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) Base Code.  SMETA audits focus as much on labour conditions and occupational safety as on environmental standards and ethical business practices.

At Checkpoint, we believe in going the extra mile. Not only are all our factories audited annually by independent accredited bodies, we also run programs internally.

There are a high proportion of females working in the apparel industry globally, but they are underrepresented in management positions. We strongly believe in investing in training and creating pathways to promotion for our female employees. For the last 5 years, we have been running a program designed to help women gain skills and confidence to enable them to advance at work and at home. In our China plants alone, we have 8 certified trainers who have provided in work fully paid personal development training and support for more than 400 female employees, with a further 84 scheduled in 2020.

Comprehensive accreditations verified independently, coupled with internal investment in people give you the confidence that with Checkpoint your brand is in safe hands.

We hope this information is useful and please contact us if we can help you with any part of your ethical or sustainability programme.