New Administrative Suspensions – Improvements for Ethics Case
The APSCA Ethics Team has implemented an enhancement to APSCA’s investigation and disciplinary processes. Recently, administrative suspensions have been put in place to support efficiencies during case reviews. Administrative Suspensions are only utilized should a Member fail to meet the expected deadlines put forth in communications from the Ethics Team as part of the investigation efforts or when the Disciplinary Board deems that alleged unethical behaviour is highly egregious and presents a possible danger to APSCA or the Social Compliance Auditing Profession at large. When a Member Auditor faces an Administrative Suspension, their ability to conduct social compliance audits using their APSCA Member number for APSCA Member Firms will be immediately halted until the suspension is lifted. Suspensions will be communicated to all associated Member Firms when assigned. Whenever possible, Administrative Suspensions for Member Firms will be applied regionally, with aim to address specific location or personnel engaged in unethical behaviour.
Collaborative Program Working Group – Inaugural Meetings APSCA’s Ethics Team have implemented a Working Group with Collaborative Programs. This moment marks a significant step forward in fostering a culture of ethical excellence within the social compliance auditing profession to standardize, professionalize and provide enhanced support to our Members. The primary purpose of our Working Group is to establish a platform where like-minded organizations can come together to share ideas, knowledge, and best practices. By doing so, we aim to identify gaps in our respective compliance programs and, most importantly, forge strong collaborations to address systemic ethical and integrity challenges within the industry. The first meeting focused on introductions determining mutual compliance program alignment and variations. Each participating organization generously shared insights into its existing processes, enabling us to create a solid foundation of collective knowledge. Our second meeting led to the conceptual development of additional tools for data sharing and strategies to improve Ethics investigations across the board. The APSCA Ethics Team is confident regarding the possibilities of what lies ahead for this group. We believe that by collaborating effectively, we can significantly influence and shape the future of compliance programs in the social compliance profession. We also aim to improve processes and provide increasingly valuable support for APSCA Member Auditors and Member Firms. Together, we have the potential to raise the bar of ethical standards and drive positive change, ensuring a fair, safe, and sustainable environment for workers across the globe. | 
