Social Compliance Audits: Social CoC Audits and Social Conformity Assessments

Social Compliance · 2026-08-31 · 2 min read · CR Global Assurance Editorial Team

Social audits remain the front line of responsible sourcing. Here is what auditors look at, the findings we see most often, and how to turn an audit into lasting improvement.

A social compliance audit assesses how a workplace treats its people, measured against national labour law, international labour standards and the buyer's code of conduct. CR Global Assurance — built on the social compliance expertise of CR Team — conducts social CoC audits and social conformity assessments for factories and service providers.

What social audits cover

• Child labour and young workers — age verification and restrictions on hazardous work.
• Forced labour — recruitment fees, retention of documents, freedom to resign and freedom of movement.
• Wages and benefits — minimum wage, overtime premiums, leave, maternity benefits and timely payment.
• Working hours — regular hours, overtime limits and rest days.
• Freedom of association — the right to join unions and participation committees.
• Discrimination and harassment — in hiring, pay, promotion and treatment; anti-harassment committees.
• Health and safety — fire, electrical and structural safety, machine guarding, PPE, first aid and welfare facilities.
• Grievance mechanisms — channels workers trust and use.
• Management systems — policies, responsibilities, subcontracting control and continuous improvement.

Social CoC audit vs social conformity assessment

A social CoC audit evaluates the site against a specific brand's code. A social conformity assessment benchmarks the site against legal requirements and recognised good practice, producing a risk-rated gap analysis useful for multiple buyers. For brands participating in SLCP, a verified SLCP assessment can replace some separate social audits.

The most common findings

1. Overtime above legal limits or not recorded accurately.
2. Inconsistent records between time cards, payroll and production.
3. Blocked or locked exits and missing fire drill records.
4. Incomplete personnel files for young or temporary workers.
5. Grievance boxes that are never opened, or no evidence of follow-up.

Making audits lead to improvement

Use findings to build root-cause corrective actions rather than one-off fixes. Worker voice tools such as social and labour surveys and grievance mechanism training address the systemic issues audits keep finding.

Book a social audit with CR Global

CR Global Assurance conducts social audits across Bangladesh, Pakistan and India with experienced auditors who speak workers' languages. Apply for an audit.

Frequently asked questions

What is a social compliance audit?

It is an assessment of labour and working conditions at a workplace against national law, international labour standards and the buyer's code of conduct.

Are social audits announced or unannounced?

Both exist. Announced audits allow document preparation, while semi-announced and unannounced audits give a more realistic picture of day-to-day conditions.

Does CR Global Assurance conduct worker interviews?

Yes. Confidential worker interviews are a core part of CR Global Assurance social audits, conducted in the workers' own language.