for unexpected peak production times

if staff are absent and others must cover their work.

The UoC should plan work in such a way to minimise the risk of regularly requesting overtime.

review resources

plan work differently

hire additional employees.

consents to work extra hours

is not discriminated against or penalised for refusing overtime.

limits excessive overtime

ensures that overtime requirements are announced in advance when possible

ensures that overtime is voluntary

rotates schedules so that overtime is not always assigned to the same employees

ensures that health and safety training shows how to recognise and manage signs of fatigue and stress.

The UoC should allow regular rest breaks during overtime shifts.

The UoC can maintain open and transparent communication channels with employees to encourage them to provide feedback about their work conditions and overtime hours, and use this input to adjust schedules.

a risk assessment looking specifically at the risk of fatigue

adequate or extra rest breaks and places for employees to rest during long shifts

enough food and drink available for employees to ensure that they are not hungry

avoiding employees who have worked long hours of overtime conducting hazardous work (for example, operating heavy machinery)

ensuring that dark areas are well lit

ensuring that, where possible, employees are not working alone for long hours.

They may choose to work more than eight hours per day and more than 48 hours in one week, if the number of hours averaged over a period of 17 weeks does not exceed a normal workday and normal work week.

Long working hours can mean that employees can get fatigued, which can result in accidents or mistakes.

The UoC should recognise that employees could be working two jobs which, whilst outside the scope of the ASC Farm Standard, is still a risk to their health and safety, and consideration should be given to fatigue caused by excessive working hours.

a risk assessment looking specifically at the risk of fatigue

adequate or extra rest breaks and places for employees to rest during long shifts

enough food and drink available for employees to ensure that they are not hungry

avoiding employees who have worked long hours of overtime conducting hazardous work (for example, operating heavy machinery)

ensuring that dark areas are well lit

ensuring that, where possible, employees are not working alone for long hours.

can help the UoC to protect employees against excessive working hours

The records should indicate

start and finish time

cumulative working hours

any overtime hours worked.

payslips

employee contracts.

is a voluntary negotiation between employers and organisations of employees to establish the terms and conditions of employment by means of a written collective bargaining agreement (CBA)

typically covers wages, working hours and working conditions.

In the event that national legal requirements, collective bargaining agreements and the ASC Farm Standard differ, the strictest rule always applies.

is the longest period of rest available to employees

allows physical and mental recuperation, and a break from the workplace

is paid with normal wages or with additional holiday pay on top of the normal wage (e.g. 13th month)

can be taken in days or weeks, with employees being allowed at least a 2-week block, as suggested by ILO standards.

Laws in many nations set fixed monthly and yearly minimum leave days.

3 weeks of leave for 1 year of service

typically accrued monthly

calculated pro-rata to their contracted working hours,

30 days of annual leave for 1 year of service.

set by governments for cultural or historical reasons

not counted as part of annual leave days.

maternity leave

cash benefits

employment security, which includes a return to the same or a similar position after taking maternity leave.

This requirement extends some or all of these benefits to employees at the UoC.

Some countries also have similar legal requirements for the provision of paternity protection for male employees.

Maternity leave can include both pregnancy leave and leave following the birth of the child. 

electronically

through a printed copy

on or before the payday.

Loans provided by an employer can be an important source of funds for employees in some places.

Clarity of loan calculations and repayment are particularly important, as loans can be an element driving forced labour if employees are not able to repay within a reasonable amount of time based on their wages.

at or below bank rates

included in receipt of information on advances, loans, hours worked, pay and the calculation of any deductions.

employee name

ID/roll/employee number

month/week/pay period

number of regular hours worked

number of overtime hours worked

mandatory deductions towards social security, health insurance and taxes, etc.

deductions towards repayment of advances or loans taken by the employee (see also Indicator 3.2.9).

be provided in paper or digital form.

be provided in a language and format easily understandable to employees.

be countersigned by employees unless the payment is traceable by bank transfer.

It is particularly important that employees understand the calculation of hourly premium wages for overtime work.

Employees should be able to raise any issues they may have related to doubts on calculations on wages, including overtime wages. The UoC should communicate a clear process on how employees can raise such issues.

notes which banks no longer exchange

notes which are not accepted (for example, too small)

currency which is unusable due to inflation

in-kind benefits (food, housing, etc) of any kind.

statutory pensions

health insurance

taxes.

a government can sometimes require the withholding of salary to pay overdue child-care support costs to another parent or pay overdue taxes

salary deductions, as defined in a contract or collective bargaining agreement, that are agreed by both parties. For example, an agreed voluntary deduction for housing costs could be allowable.

bonuses, which are considered optional and additional to the agreed salary and benefits. However, if clearly defined performance targets related to a bonus payment, as defined in a contract have been achieved, then the bonus cannot be withheld.

recruitment or agency fees

cost of airfare

employment visas

any fees or costs incurred in the recruitment process for employees to secure employment or placement, regardless of the manner, timing or location of their imposition or collection.

list all categories of employees who are paid below a living wage

include targets and timelines for improvements for all categories of employees who are not receiving a living wage

be developed for a three-year period

include reporting on progress towards the previous year’s goal and where goals have not been met, a justification should be provided.

A wage improvement plan template has been developed to support the UoC’s compliance with this Indicator.

The UoC may also choose to develop their own wage improvement plan format, as long as it includes all of the elements listed above.

The UoC may choose to use a tool such as the GIZ Living Wage Costing Tool to develop the improvement plan.

gain insights into national and regional wage gaps, which will inform the future development of ASC’s living wage requirements

foster open discussions about the challenges of paying a living wage

discuss the role in the payment of living wage of the collaborative effort and shared responsibility of participants in the whole supply chain

develop strategies to raise wages and enhance benefits over time.