amfori BSCI Audit: How Suppliers Prepare

A retail or brand customer has asked you to complete an amfori BSCI audit. Before preparing, establish what it is: a social compliance audit of how you treat the people who work for you, conducted on site against a shared code of conduct. If wages, hours, safety, and records are in order, it is manageable.

Platform details and links checked 4 October 2026.

What amfori BSCI is

amfori BSCI (Business Social Compliance Initiative) is a supply chain social compliance system run by amfori, a business association of retailers, importers and brands. Instead of each buyer sending its own labor audit, member companies rely on one shared amfori BSCI audit against the amfori BSCI Code of Conduct. You are audited once; multiple member buyers can see the result.

amfori calls this the "RSP" (responsibility) principle. One member holds the RSP for your site and manages the audit cycle. The audit results are then made available to all members sourcing from you. amfori says only its members and their audited suppliers can access full audit reports, on the amfori Sustainability Platform. The PDF version is a summary only.

amfori is explicit that BSCI is not a certification. It does not deliver a pass or fail verdict. The audit is a snapshot of conditions on the day, and the rating shows where work is needed.

BSCI is about social and labor conditions — working hours, wages, health and safety, no child or forced labor — not primarily carbon or environmental performance, though there is an environmental performance area. If the customer wants a sustainability score, that is usually EcoVadis; if they want assurance about labor conditions in your facility, that is BSCI or a comparable audit such as SMETA. If EcoVadis is what is actually on the table, the free EcoVadis readiness check shows where you would stand before committing.

What the audit covers

An amfori-approved auditor assesses the site against 13 performance areas, which amfori groups into four themes:

Social management and workplace relations

• PA 1: Social management system and cascade effect — a system to implement the Code, a responsible senior manager, and how you check your own business partners
• PA 2: Workers involvement and protection — worker awareness of their rights, training, and an effective grievance mechanism
• PA 3: Freedom of association and collective bargaining
• PA 4: No discrimination, violence, or harassment

Employee well-being and fair practices

• PA 5: Fair remuneration — legal minimum wage, timely payment, legal deductions only, legally required benefits
• PA 6: Decent working hours — no more than 48 standard hours a week, overtime in line with the Code, daily breaks, one day off in seven
• PA 7: Occupational health and safety — the largest area: risk assessment, fire safety, escape routes, first aid, machine guarding, PPE, drinking water, building safety

Protection of vulnerable workers

• PA 8: No child labor — including age verification at recruitment
• PA 9: Special protection for young workers
• PA 10: No precarious employment — documented, recognized employment relationships
• PA 11: No bonded, forced labor, or human trafficking — including how migrant workers are recruited

Ethical practices

• PA 12: Protection of the environment — impacts, permits, waste, and water
• PA 13: Ethical business behavior — anti-corruption, accurate records, no falsified information, data privacy

The amfori audit rating guide says the audit asks 81 questions across these areas. PA 7 alone has 25 of them.

The environmental area expects basic awareness of the site's impacts. If you have never put a figure on emissions, the free carbon calculator produces a starting figure from energy bills.

How the rating works

amfori explains the method in its audit rating guide. The auditor answers each of the 81 questions "Yes", "No", "Partial", or "Not applicable". Each of the 13 performance areas is then rated A to E. The area ratings combine into one overall rating from A (very good) to E (unacceptable). The auditor also documents specific findings.

• 20 of the 81 questions are "crucial". They carry more weight. amfori says they represent the most significant risk of harm to workers. Five of them sit in health and safety: the right to leave imminent danger, firefighting equipment, unblocked and marked escape routes, qualified first aid at all times, and drinking water.
• The overall rating follows rules. For example, amfori says an A needs at least seven areas rated A and none rated C, D, or E.
• The algorithm is not public. amfori keeps it private to prevent gaming. Do not trust anyone who claims to know which answers guarantee a grade.
• The auditor does not choose the rating. amfori's System Manual Part 2 says the rating is calculated automatically by the online system.

Some findings go beyond the rating. amfori's Zero Tolerance Protocol applies to factual and flagrant violations involving child labor, forced labor, inhumane treatment, health and safety, and unethical business behavior. An imminent risk to workers' health or lives triggers an alert. amfori says an alert can be raised on serious suspicion alone. The System Manual adds that keeping more than one set of payroll and time records, or showing falsified permits, can lead the auditor to consider the protocol. Treat safety, the youngest-worker checks, and honest records as non-negotiable.

amfori updates the rating method and cycle rules from time to time. Confirm the current version with the customer or in the amfori BSCI document library.

How long a rating is valid

amfori's System Manual describes a two-year audit cycle that starts with a full audit:

amfori says a full audit can only be requested once in each two-year cycle, and it does not support full audits every year. A follow-up can only be requested while the full audit is still valid. Once it expires, the next step is a new full audit.

Full audit or follow-up audit

A full audit covers all 13 performance areas. A follow-up audit is shorter. amfori says the auditor does not ask all 81 questions. The auditor checks only the areas that needed improvement, plus a minimum check of fair remuneration, working hours, and health and safety (PA 5, 6, and 7).

amfori recommends the follow-up take place two to three months after the full audit. Do not push for an earlier date if your findings concern wages or hours. The System Manual says you need at least two months of new payroll and time records to prove a new practice is in place. Otherwise the follow-up can find the same issues again.

Announced, semi-announced, unannounced

amfori stopped accepting fully announced BSCI audits on 1 September 2024. Two types remain:

• Semi-announced. You know a period of time in which the auditor may come, not the date. This is the default when a member requests an audit. amfori's System Manual says the window starts at least two weeks after the request and spans at least four weeks. The window should be a period of normal operations or peak season.
• Fully unannounced. You are not told the audit is coming.

amfori grants exemptions for a fully announced audit only case by case, for example where auditor safety is at risk.

The practical point is the same in each case: BSCI-level compliance is the normal operating state, not a state staged for one day.

Who requests the audit and who pays

Usually the amfori member holding the RSP for your site requests the audit on the amfori Sustainability Platform and chooses an approved auditing company. Since July 2025, amfori says suppliers can also request their own audits on the platform. The member keeps visibility through the RSP.

On cost, amfori's System Manual Part 2 is direct: amfori does not prescribe who pays for the audit, nor how much it costs. It tells members to agree with the supplier who pays before the audit. amfori sets the minimum audit length. Each auditing company sets its own rate. The number of workers on site drives the audit length and the number of worker interviews.

One exception applies. Since 1 October 2025, only the member holding the RSP can pay for a fully unannounced audit. amfori says the previous payment process could reveal the audit date to the site.

Ask the customer who pays, which auditing company it uses, and for a quote before the window opens. Do not rely on a price you found online.

How to prepare

amfori's System Manual Part 4, written for suppliers, gives the clearest preparation route:

1. Sign the amfori BSCI Code of Conduct. amfori asks members to have suppliers sign it before an audit. The auditor checks for a signed copy.
2. Complete the self-assessment. It is on the amfori Sustainability Platform and mirrors the 81 audit questions. amfori says it shows percentages rather than a rating. Linked members can see the results.
3. Use the free training. amfori says members and their linked suppliers can access amfori Academy training free of charge.
4. Assemble the document library (below) and fix gaps before the window opens.
5. Make sure the site is not new. amfori says a site should be in business for at least three months, so payroll and social security records exist.

The document library

The most useful preparation is assembling the evidence. Auditors ask for:

• Payroll and time records — minimum-wage compliance, correct overtime, working-hour limits, for a recent period
• Employment contracts — voluntary employment and lawful terms
• Age documentation and ID records — no under-age workers
• Health and safety records — risk assessments, machine safety, fire drill logs, first-aid provision, PPE issue records, accident log
• Building and equipment certificates — fire safety, electrical and structural inspections where required locally
• Policies — code of conduct, health and safety, anti-discrimination, grievance procedure
• Social insurance and benefit contributions — proof of legally required payments
• A functioning grievance mechanism — and evidence that workers know how to use it

amfori's System Manual Part 4 lists the documents related to each performance area. Beyond the list above, it names items suppliers often miss:

• Management system (PA 1) — job descriptions covering BSCI implementation, production capacity planning, evidence you shared the Code with significant business partners, and their social performance
• Worker involvement (PA 2) — worker representative election records, minutes of worker meetings, a training calendar, signed attendance lists, and records of grievances filed and investigated
• Discipline (PA 4 and 11) — written disciplinary procedures, records of disciplinary cases, and recruitment records, including agency and labor broker contracts
• Pay (PA 5) — the legal minimum wage for your sector, pay slips, legal deduction records, and wage calculations for piece-rate workers. amfori asks for pay data broken down by gender.
• Young workers (PA 9) — a young workers overview, their work schedules, training records, and a risk assessment
• Employment types (PA 10) — overviews of subcontractors, apprentices, and seasonal workers
• Environment (PA 12) — environmental impact assessment, valid permits and licenses, and waste and water management plans
• Ethics (PA 13) — business license, anti-corruption policy, and corruption risk assessment

Auditors also interview workers, management, and worker representatives. The documents and the reality on the floor must match. amfori's System Manual says management cannot attend worker interviews or enter the areas where they take place. You must give the auditor access to records on paper and in digital form. If you deny access or transparency, the audit can be stopped and reported without a rating.

After the audit

At the closing meeting, the auditor explains the findings. amfori's System Manual says management and the worker representative are asked to sign the findings report. The signature does not mean you accept the content. It confirms the audit took place without irregularities. The auditor will also remind you to define improvement actions in the Continuous Improvement function on the amfori Sustainability Platform.

1. Fix safety and zero-tolerance items first. They carry the most weight and the hardest consequences.
2. Find the root cause. A missing fire drill log usually points to a missing owner or schedule, not a missing document.
3. Document each fix. A photo of the new exit signage, the updated policy, the corrected payroll run.
4. Record actions on the platform. amfori encourages members to see Continuous Improvement actions closed before they request a follow-up audit.
5. Plan for the follow-up. With a C, D, or E rating, the follow-up checks the areas with findings. Wage and hour fixes need at least two months of new records.
6. Keep the evidence. It feeds the next audit cycle and any other buyer's audit.

Much of this evidence is reusable across supplier assessments. A response system means the next audit — BSCI, SMETA, or a customer questionnaire — starts from the existing document library.

What not to do

• Do not coach workers to give scripted answers. Auditors interview workers without management present, and coaching can turn a finding into an integrity issue.
• Do not create back-dated records. Falsified documents are among the most damaging findings possible.
• Do not keep two sets of payroll or time records. amfori's System Manual says this can lead the auditor to consider the Zero Tolerance Protocol.
• Do not treat it as a one-day event. Keep records current year-round. With no fully announced audits, there is no fixed date to prepare for.
• Do not neglect the grievance mechanism. PA 2 asks for an effective one, and amfori lists records of grievances filed and investigated as evidence.
• Do not buy a promised grade. The rating algorithm is not public, and no consultant can guarantee a result.

The bottom line

An amfori BSCI audit checks fair pay, legal hours, safe conditions, no child or forced labor, and a working grievance channel, verified on site against records and workers' experience. Get payroll, safety, and age-verification documentation in order, keep it current, and close findings promptly. The result is shared with every amfori member linked to your site.

Official References

• amfori BSCI
• amfori BSCI help topics: rating, cycle, follow-up audits, RSP
• amfori BSCI Code of Conduct (PDF)
• amfori BSCI audit rating overview (PDF)
• amfori BSCI System Manual Part 2: monitoring approach (PDF)
• amfori BSCI System Manual Part 4: guidelines for business partners (PDF)
• amfori steps away from fully announced social audits
• Payment procedure change for amfori BSCI audits
• amfori support — how the BSCI audit rating works

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