The notice arrives on Monday
A brand's ethical audit is booked for the following fortnight. The auditor's pre-audit questionnaire asks for a list of workers, their contracts, twelve weeks of time records and payslips, right to work documents, training records, a fire drill log and several policies. Some of it is in the payroll software, some in the HR folder, some in a filing cabinet, some on a supervisor's laptop.
The office manager and the owner spend the next week copying, scanning and discovering that a handful of files are incomplete.
The records exist, scattered
Most of what an auditor asks for already exists, because you produce it to run the factory. It is scattered because each record was created for its own purpose, not for being shown to someone else.
- Time records are in the clocking system, payslips in payroll, contracts in an HR folder.
- Right to work checks and ID copies are kept on paper, some from years ago.
- Training and induction records are sign-in sheets in a drawer.
- Maintenance, fire drill and first aid records are held by different people.
- Nobody knows which records are missing or expired until someone asks.
What the scramble costs
The obvious cost is a week of management time before every audit, and several brands may audit you. Less obvious is that gaps found in a hurry are hard to fix properly, and auditors notice records that look recently assembled. What your records should contain, and what a brand's code requires, is for you and your advisers to judge. We do not give compliance advice or promise any audit outcome. What we build makes sure the records you keep are complete, current and quick to find.
An evidence library over the records you already keep
- We list the record types your brands' auditors typically request, from their questionnaires, and map each one to where it lives today.
- Where records are already digital (payroll exports, clocking data, HR files in Microsoft 365 or Google Drive), the library links to them or copies them in on a schedule.
- Paper records are scanned once, named consistently and filed by worker or by topic.
- Each worker has a file showing which of their records are present, and which are missing or due to expire, such as a time-limited right to work document.
- Factory-level records (drills, maintenance, training sessions) have a log with dates, so a missed drill or overdue check shows up in advance.
- When an audit notice arrives, the auditor's list is matched against the library and an evidence pack is assembled, with gaps listed for you to deal with.
| Record | Where it is now | In the library |
|---|---|---|
| Time records and payslips | Two separate systems | Linked per worker and period |
| Right to work | Paper in a cabinet | Scanned, with expiry dates flagged |
| Training | Sign-in sheets | Logged by session and worker |
| Fire drills and maintenance | Held by different people | One dated log |
| Auditor's request list | Answered by hand | Matched and packed, gaps listed |
Access is restricted, because these are personal records. Only the people you choose can see worker files, and every view is logged.
The next audit notice
When the notice arrives, the office manager runs the request list against the library, sees the few gaps, and fixes them with time to spare. Expiring documents are dealt with when they expire, not when an auditor finds them. The owner spends audit week running the factory.
Is audit week like this?
- Every audit means a week of finding and copying records.
- Records are split across payroll, clocking, HR folders and paper.
- Missing or expired documents are found by the auditor, or just before.
- Several brands audit you with slightly different lists.
- Only one or two people know where everything is.