12 Principles

WRAP’s 12 Principles are based on generally accepted international workplace standards, local laws, and workplace regulations, and include the spirit or language of relevant conventions of the International Labor Organization (ILO), the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)’s Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises.

The 12 Principles encompass human resources management, health and safety, environmental practices, and legal compliance – including imports, exports, customs compliance, and security standards. They are meant to promote responsible business practices and sustainability in supply chain management. They also contribute to the advancement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in particular SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) and SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production).

The WRAP program’s objective is to independently monitor and certify compliance with these standards, ensuring that sewn products are being produced under safe, lawful, humane, and ethical conditions. Participating facilities voluntarily commit to proving that their manufacturing practices meet these standards, and further commit to passing along, on their part, the expectation that their contractors and suppliers comply with them, as well.

1) Compliance with Laws and Workplace Regulations

Facilities will comply with laws and regulations in all locations where they conduct business.
All facilities will comply with the legal requirements and standards of their industry under the local and national laws of the jurisdictions in which the facilities are doing business, along with any applicable international laws. This will cover all labor and employment laws of those jurisdictions, as well as laws governing the conduct of business in general, including rules and standards of ethics dealing with corruption and transparency, and any relevant environmental laws.
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2) Prohibition of Forced Labor

Facilities will not use involuntary, forced, or trafficked labor.
Facilities will maintain employment strictly on a voluntary basis. Facilities will not use any forced, prison, indentured, bonded, or trafficked labor. This will include ensuring that any workers they hire will be under labor contracts that fully comply with all relevant legal requirements and do not impose any form of coercion (including imposing substantial fines or loss of residency papers by workers leaving employment or restricting a worker’s ability to voluntarily end his/her employment). In addition, workers should not be employed subject to any financial or collateral guarantee or debt security; any recruitment fees involved should be borne by facilities, not workers. Further, facilities will ensure that the workers’ travel documents are not withheld, and that all written contracts are in a language understood by the workers.
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3) Prohibition of Child Labor

Facilities will not hire any employee under the age of 15 (14 in less-developed countries) or under the minimum age established by law for employment, whichever is greater, or any employee whose employment would interfere with compulsory schooling.
Facilities will ensure they do not engage in any form of child labor, including, but not limited to, the internationally recognized worst forms of child labor. Consistent with ILO Convention 138, facilities may not employ any person at an age younger than the law of the jurisdiction allows and in any case not below the age of 15 (14 in less-developed countries), even if permitted by local law. In addition, facilities will adhere to local legal requirements regarding mandatory schooling. Further, if, where permitted by local law, a facility employs young workers (defined as workers whose age is between the minimum age of employment and 18 years), the facility will also comply with any applicable legal restrictions on the nature and volume of work performed by such young workers, as well as any other requirements imposed by law, including limitations related to working hours and to ensuring that such young workers do not perform any hazardous work (e.g., chemical handling or operating heavy machinery).
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4) Prohibition of Harassment and Abuse

Facilities will provide a work environment free of supervisory or co-worker harassment and abuse, and free of corporal punishment in any form.
Facilities will ensure a workplace that is respectful of a worker’s rights and dignity. This includes ensuring that no corporal punishment or physical coercion be used. Facilities will not engage in or tolerate — either at the workplace or in residential quarters provided by facilities or labor brokers acting on their behalf – any sexual harassment or abuse, indecent or threatening gestures, abusive tone or language or any other kind of undesired physical or verbal contact, such as bullying. In particular, facilities will ensure proper training at all levels – including management, supervisors, and workers – to secure a workplace free of harassment and abuse.
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5) Compensation and Benefits

Facilities will pay at least the minimum total compensation required by local law, including all mandated wages, allowances, and benefits.
Facilities will ensure proper compensation for their employees for all the work done by providing in a timely manner all the wages and benefits that are in compliance with the local and national laws of the jurisdiction in which they are located. This will include any premiums for overtime work or work done during holidays, as well as any other allowances or benefits, including any mandatory social insurance, required by local law.
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6) Hours of Work

Hours worked each day, and days worked each week and each month, should not exceed the limitations of the country’s law. Facilities will provide at least one day off in every seven-day period, except as required to meet urgent business needs.
Facilities are required by local law to adhere to any limits set on regular working hours, as well as any limits set on overtime work. Long term participation in the WRAP Certification Program is contingent upon meeting the limitations set by local law. WRAP recognizes that this can be a particularly challenging requirement, especially when taking into account local enforcement norms and customs. In light of this reality, WRAP will permit full compliance with local laws on working hours to be achieved incrementally, provided that a given facility meets the following conditions: is fully transparent about its working hours; ensures that those hours are all being worked voluntarily, in conditions that protect worker safety and health; compensates all employees in keeping with WRAP Principle 5; and shows improvement toward meeting the working hours’ requirements from one audit to the next.
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7) Prohibition of Discrimination

Facilities will employ, pay, promote, and terminate workers on the basis of their ability to do the job, rather than on the basis of personal characteristics or beliefs.
Facilities will ensure that all terms and conditions of employment are based on an individual’s ability to do the job, and not on the basis of any personal characteristics or beliefs. Facilities will ensure that any employment decision – involving hiring, firing, assigning work, paying or promoting – is made without discriminating against the employees on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, age, sexual orientation, religion, disability, or other similar factors (pregnancy, political opinion or affiliation, social status, etc.).
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8) Health and Safety

Facilities will provide a safe and healthy work environment. Where residential housing is provided for workers, either directly by facilities or through labor brokers, facilities will ensure it is safe and healthy housing.
Facilities will provide a safe, clean, healthy and productive workplace for their employees. Facilities shall prioritize worker health and safety above all else, and proactively address any safety issues that could arise. This will include a wide variety of requirements, such as, ensuring, among other things, the availability of clean drinking water (at no charge to workers), adequate medical resources, fire exits and safety equipment, well-lighted and comfortable workstations, and clean restrooms. Further, facilities shall adequately train all their workers on how to perform their jobs safely.
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9) Freedom of Association and Collective Bargaining

Facilities will recognize and respect the right of employees to exercise their lawful rights of free association and collective bargaining.
Facilities will respect the freedom of each employee to choose for themselves whether or not to join a workers’ association. Facilities cannot discriminate against workers based on whether or not they choose to associate. Both the facility and the workers shall ensure they conduct themselves in accordance with all relevant laws in this regard. Facilities will ensure an effective mechanism is in place to address any workplace grievances.
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10) Environment

Facilities will comply with environmental rules, regulations, and standards applicable to their operations, and will observe environmentally conscious practices in all locations where they operate.
Facilities will ensure compliance with all applicable legally mandated environmental standards, and should demonstrate a commitment to protecting the environment by actively monitoring their environmental practices. In particular, facilities will ensure proper waste management, including monitoring the disposal of any waste material — whether solid, liquid or gaseous — to ensure such disposal is done safely and in a manner consistent with all relevant laws. Facilities are encouraged to minimize their impact on the environment by applying the principles of reduce, reuse, and recycle throughout their operations.
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11) Customs Compliance

Facilities will comply with applicable customs laws, and in particular will establish and maintain programs to comply with customs laws regarding illegal transshipment of finished products.
Facilities will ensure that all merchandise is accurately marked or labeled in compliance with all applicable laws. In addition, facilities will keep records for all materials and orders, as well as maintain detailed production records.
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12) Security

Facilities will maintain appropriate procedures in order to ensure proper corporate security, transportation security, and people and physical security at the facility.
Facilities will ensure adequate controls are in place to safeguard against introduction of any non-manifested cargo. In this regard, WRAP recognizes the United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP)’s CTPAT Guidelines for Foreign Manufacturers as minimum requirements and has adopted those guidelines under this principle.
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