Factory audit

Starbucks is the name of a chain coffee company in the United States. It was established in 1971 and is the largest coffee chain store worldwide. Its headquarters is located in Seattle, Washington, USA. The retail products of Starbucks include over 30 top-quality coffee beans from around the world, handcrafted espresso, various coffee hot and cold beverages, fresh and delicious assorted pastries and foods, as well as a wide range of coffee machines and coffee cups. Starbucks has nearly 21,300 branches worldwide, covering North America, South America, Europe, the Middle East and the Pacific region. Starbucks conducts factory inspections for human rights and counter-terrorism. 

I. The evaluation levels of Starbucks are as follows: 

The review cycle is 3 years. 

B review cycle: 2 years 

The C review cycle lasts for 18 months. 

D review cycle: 1 year 

ZT does not accept 

II. All factories that Starbucks requires to undergo review must unconditionally meet the following standards:

(1) Transparency: Starbucks expects suppliers to provide transparency regarding their operations, policies, procedures, and related records to Starbucks or a designated third party. Suppliers must disclose the names, locations, and ownership of all factories that produce products for Starbucks, including the use of subcontractors.

(2) Bribery: No form of bribery, including money or gifts, shall be offered to Starbucks or a designated third party.

(3) Use of Subcontractors: Suppliers must disclose the names, locations, and ownership of all factories that produce products for Starbucks, including the use of subcontractors. Factories must not use unapproved subcontractors for production and must inform Starbucks of any changes for approval. 

(4) Examples of lack of transparency: Without transparency, we would not be able to know the true situation of the factory.

1. Concealing the actual working conditions and/or other production locations.

2. Inconsistent wages and production records.

3. Providing money or gifts to third-party auditors.

4. Committing to continuous improvement: Starbucks expects suppliers to be able to commit to continuous improvement and implement it during the rectification process.

5. Child labor: Legal working age: Suppliers are not allowed to employ individuals younger than 16 years old or below the legal working age.

6. Forced labor: Forced labor means that workers are forced to work under non-autonomous and voluntary conditions, with penalties used to coerce workers to work.

7. Voluntary work: Provide all workers with the right to work or provide services voluntarily, without any coercive means to force workers. Overtime work is voluntary rather than compulsory.

8. Debt labor and prison labor: Employee employment should not be subject to debts or other restrictions, and the factory should not use prison workers or outsource work to prisons.

9. Document control: Without a system to ensure the free use of employees, the factory shall not keep its original documents such as passports.

10. Personal restrictions: Do not allow workers to leave the factory during working hours for personal reasons (for example: blocking exits, armed guards, etc.).

11. Deposit: Do not require workers to pay a deposit equivalent to more than 1.5 times their monthly salary.

12. Payment of minimum wage: All employees (including piece-rate workers, interns, and temporary workers) should be paid at least the equivalent of the minimum hourly wage stipulated by law.

Timely payment of wages: Workers must receive monetary compensation within 45 days of the period of labor service.

13. Environmental impact: The supplier/factory will not cause significant pollution problems to the surrounding environment that result in direct and immediate environmental damage (such as the discharge of toxic waste).

14. Safety of life: The supplier/factory does not have any major health and safety issues that directly and immediately endanger the lives of employees (such as no second exit, no emergency alarm system, blocked main passage, blocked emergency exit, locked exit and inability to escape, dangerous power lines, unsafe operation structures, no protective devices for employees and machines, etc.)