Mascot International Ltd - SA 8000 certified

5 Apr 2017

As one of Europe’s largest privately owned manufacturers of workwear, it is important that MASCOT take its social responsibility seriously. Besides focusing on social responsibility at the headquarters in Silkeborg, Denmark, MASCOT also focuses on fulfilling its ethical, social and environmental responsibility around the world, including our production facilities in Vietnam and Laos, both of which are SA 8000 certified.

SA 8000 is the most widely recognized international standard for social responsibility

It is an auditable certification standard based on international workplace norms of International Labour Organisation (ILO) conventions, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. It characterises companies that focus on the employees’ rights and wellbeing. A company that has received the SA 8000 certificate guarantees to the outside world and its own employees that the company is a safe place to work and offers good working conditions adjusted to local conditions.

SA 8000 certification is important to MASCOT as we are able to publicly document the safe and secure working conditions that we have at our factories in Vietnam and Laos. A safe working environment and good conditions help to increase morale, which in turn creates reliable cooperation agreements with subcontractors and an improved communication between the manager and the individual employee.

Companies that achieve SA 8000 have, for example:

No child labour, no forced labour, a good working environment adapted to local conditions, labour unions, no discrimination, reasonable working hours and wages, an effective management system for control of subcontractors’ employee relations.

With the SA 8000 certification, the company declares that it wants to abolish child labour. MASCOT wants to ensure the development of its employees and help them to maintain a decent standard of living. The SA 8000 certification of MASCOT’s factories in Vietnam and Laos documents the safe and secure working conditions to our business partners and customers.

MASCOT takes its social responsibility seriously

SA 8000 certification not only ensures that the company follows the established ethical and social guidelines, but also prioritises that the company holds their subcontractors to the same standard. With the SA 8000 certification the company is obligated to also control its subcontractors with regards to their ethical, social and environmental responsibility. MASCOT conducts regular checks and inspections on the basis of MASCOT's manual, and subcontractors are audited in accordance with the rules. With the SA 8000 certification, MASCOT declares that a good working environment, no child labour, equal rights and a decent pay and working conditions are of great importance to the company.

Ongoing control from external certification agencies

Companies that hold the SA 8000 certificate are verified regularly by an external international certification agency. At MASCOT, we believe in the importance of external audits, as our customers and business partners are then guaranteed that MASCOT is in compliance and that MASCOT continuously strives to give our employees the best possible conditions and a good working environment.