APPENDIX 3
Auditors ’ Insights from Vietnam : A Run-Down of a Typical Remediation
APPENDIX 3
Auditors ’ Insights from Vietnam : A Run-Down of a Typical Remediation
Ms . Ngo recounts another instance where she found child laborers and was not given the contact details of the client to send the report to . Instead , the factory removed the child laborers , hired another audit company and passed the inspection . Because the factory was her client and not the brand , she had to keep her findings confidential .
In addition to the challenges above , Ms . Ngo also feels that a lack of awareness about child labor by factory management contributes to capacity gaps at the HR level :
“ For the initial audit , before the brand signs the agreement with the factory , the factory management is not aware what the definition of child labor is and they are not aware that they cannot hire child laborers . It is very common in Vietnam in the factory ’ s first social compliance audit and when the factories are far from Ho Chi Minh City . The parents of the child laborers in these areas are often taking their children with them to factories because they want to control their children . There are two reasons for the factories to hire child laborers : 1 ) lack of employees ; 2 ) cheap labor ( the salary of child laborers is only 50 % of normal workers ),” Ms . Ngo explains .
“ Female auditors are more into details , spending more time on auditing and the male [ auditors ] are not too detailoriented . Some auditors don ’ t look cross the production line or at the faces and bodies of the workers , so they can not find the child laborer .”
Being able to adapt your communication style is another must-have skill for an auditor , Ms . Ngo stresses . Children shouldn ’ t be asked direct questions as this may scare them off .
“ When we talk to the children , we change our voice and we use different ways to address them ( brother , sister , etc .), like we talk to the children and family members .”
When it comes to improving the performance of auditors , Ms . Ngo feels that more training is the way to go . “ Brands should pay more attention to monitoring and making sure the auditors are providing the true information . The brands should also provide auditing trainings ,” she adds .
With so many challenges thrown in an auditor ’ s path , it goes without saying that auditors themselves need to be well trained and tactful . According to the results of CCR CSR ’ s online auditor survey , 58 % of auditors interviewed were male and interestingly , Ms . Ngo believes there are some differences :
29 Best Response : Auditors ’ Insights on Child Labor in Asia 30