BLOG · 9 MAR 2025 · 3 MINREAD

Social sustainability between PAS 24000 and SA 8000

Social sustainability is now central to business strategy. Among the standards on ethics and decent work, PAS 24000 looks more appealing than the well-known SA 8000. Let’s see why.

by Itineris

More and more companies are implementing systems that develop so-called corporate social responsibility, or CSR. In this context, numerous national and international standards regulate these aspects, and among them all PAS 24000 is the most complete and inclusive.

The standard defines the requirements for implementing a Social Management System and aims to guarantee a minimum level of social performance, addressing employment relationships, human rights, health, safety and business ethics. It is issued by the British Standards Institution (BSI) and has a structure aligned with the High Level Structure (HLS) of ISO standards, making it easy to integrate with systems already in place (ISO 9001 quality, ISO 14001 environment, ISO 45001 health and safety).

Main requirements

Human rights policy: the organization defines and declares its commitment to respect and promote human rights

Forced and child labour: the use of forced or compulsory labour is prohibited, with measures to prevent child labour

Freedom of association: workers' right to join or form unions and to bargain collectively is guaranteed

Non-discrimination: equal opportunity and fair treatment for all workers

Occupational health and safety: safe and healthy conditions, with preventive measures for accidents and occupational illnesses

Business ethics: spreading values throughout the supply chain, avoiding corruption, extortion and falsification

Benefits of certification

improved reputation and a greater ability to attract talent, clients, markets and investors

reduced social risks associated with business activities and a lower likelihood of incidents, disputes and reputational damage

improved relationships with stakeholders: clients, suppliers, employees and local communities

PAS 24000 versus SA 8000

Both aim to ensure social responsibility, but with significant differences. SA 8000 does not have the HLS structure, unlike PAS 24000, which is aligned with ISO standards and therefore easier to integrate. SA 8000 focuses exclusively on human rights and working conditions along the supply chain, while PAS 24000 aims for broader "social management", including business ethics, governance and sustainability. For this reason the requirements of the two standards are not exactly aligned and sometimes overlap.

If you'd like to learn more or assess which standard might suit you, get in touch.

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