Thecompliance social and labour is a term that refers to compliance with rules and regulations relating to labour and social issues within an organisation. In other words, it involves ensuring that the company complies with all laws and ethical standards in the workplace, as well as its social responsibilities towards its employees and the wider community.
To this end, management systems are required for the compliance, such as the UNE 19604 standard. In this post, we’ll explain the key features of this regulation, its benefits and how it’s applied. Read on!
How and why was the UNE 19604 standard developed?
The world of work is becoming increasingly complex and regulated. Against this backdrop, companies face significant challenges in maintaining a safe and stable working environment. The UNE 19604 standard Social and labour compliance management systems. Requirements and guidance for use, has emerged in response to this need.
The UNE 19604 standard was developed by the Spanish Association for Standardisation, through a collaborative process that lasted almost two years. During this time, a range of stakeholders were involved to ensure that the standard reflected a variety of perspectives and experiences, which in turn contributed to its relevance and effectiveness.
Finally, the regulation is published on 26 July 2023 to ensure safety and stability in the workplace and to promote the adoption of good working practices. Since then, it has served as an important tool for companies seeking to ensure compliance with labour regulations.
Features of the UNE 19604 standard
So, what characteristics make the UNE 19604 standard in Spain? We’ll tell you all about it below:
- Clear objective: Its aim is to foster and promote a positive culture of compliance in the workplace and within the wider community within organisations.
- Requirements and recommendations: sets out both the essential requirements and the recommendations for the effective implementation of a social and labour compliance management system.
- Universal applicability: It is applicable to all types of organisations, regardless of their size, nature or sector of activity.
- Defined areas of application: It covers various aspects, such as constitutional rights in the workplace, individual and collective labour relations, social protection, and any other social and labour obligations that the organisation undertakes to fulfil.
- Specific exclusions: Although broad in scope, the regulation explicitly excludes the area of obligations relating to the risk prevention social and labour issues.
- Guided development and implementation: provides detailed guidelines for effectively establishing, developing, implementing, evaluating, maintaining and improving a social and labour compliance management system within the organisation.
Benefits of implementing the management systems standard compliance social and labour
As we mentioned earlier, since its implementation, the UNE 19604 standard It has become a useful tool for both companies and their employees. These are the benefits:
- Improved regulatory compliance: ensures compliance with social and labour laws and regulations, thereby reducing the risk penalties and legal disputes.
- Improved reputation: It reinforces the company’s image as an employer committed to respecting labour and social rights.
- Increased confidence: It creates a more transparent and ethical working environment, fostering trust and loyalty amongst employees.
- Risk reduction: minimises the risks associated with non-compliance with labour regulations, thereby protecting the company’s assets and reputation.
- Audit and certification: The UNE 19604 standard is subject to third-party audits and certification, which helps to enhance the organisation’s reputation relative to its competitors, strengthens stakeholder confidence and promotes a corporate culture based on compliance and transparency.
How is the UNE 19604 standard applied?
Finally, it is important to note that in order to apply the UNE 19604 standard Several requirements must be met:
- Risk identification: The organisation must draw up a risk map to identify potential breaches of regulations and labour commitments. This ensures that such risks are managed proactively.
- Control design: Based on the risk map, the organisation must design controls tailored to its regulatory context, thereby ensuring an effective response to the potential vulnerabilities identified.
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