The Social Accountability (SA) 8000 standard is a global social accountability standard for decent working conditions based on international workplace norms of the International Labour Organization (ILO) conventions, Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. The standard was developed by Social Accountability International (SAI), established in 1997. Under the auspices of SAI, representatives of all stakeholders including trade unions, human rights organizations, academia, retailers, manufacturers, and contractors as well as consulting, accounting, and certification firms cooperated to develop SA 8000 in 1999 and revise it in 2001. The SA 8000 standard and verification system is a credible, comprehensive, efficient tool for assuring humane workplaces. The major elements of SA 8000 are:

1. Child labor (no workers under the age of 15 years)

2. Forced labor

3. Health and safety

4. Freedom of association and right to collective bargaining

5. Discrimination (no discrimination based on race, caste, origin, religion, disability, gender, sexual orientation, union or political affiliation, or age)

6. Working hours (comply with applicable laws but in any event no more than 48 hours per week with at least one day off for every seven-day period)

7. Compensation

8. Management systems (encourage integration of the standard into organizational management systems and practices)