Third-party auditors are evaluating workplace conditions as part of a new social compliance program started by Tyson Foods Inc. The program, along with a new workplace safety initiative, highlight the fifth and final segment of Tyson Foods’ latest sustainability report.

The segment, titled Workforce and Culture, outlines the 2015 launch of a social compliance program designed to assess working conditions and social responsibility in the company’s plants. It involves an internal oversight committee and an outside auditing firm that evaluate plant performance in such areas as worker treatment, worker voice, compensation, safety and environmental management.

The auditor typically spends several days at a plant reviewing employment records and interviewing dozens of randomly selected workers. The audit results, which reflect how a plant is performing and where it needs improvement, are shared with plant and corporate management and may also be provided to customers.

“We believe we’re a caring, responsible company but also know we must strive to be better in all we do,” said Joe Lloyd, vice president of ethics and compliance for Tyson Foods. “This new program enhances our social compliance efforts and is intended to help us be more transparent with our customers about our working conditions.”

The last segment of the sustainability report also describes a new worker safety initiative Tyson Foods launched in 2015. It includes the creation of an executive safety council and a pilot project designed to improve plant safety communications, awareness and practices. The pilot project initially involved nine locations but was recently expanded to 19 and may include more plants by early summer.

Progress is being made in workplace safety. During fiscal 2015, Tyson Foods reduced its injury and illness rate by 12 percent compared to fiscal 2013, the time frame covered in the company’s last sustainability report.

Other topics covered in the Workforce and Culture segment include human rights and labor relations, hiring, compensation and benefits, and diversity and development.

The segment also provides more transparency about Tyson Foods’ workforce. The company reports that in fiscal 2015, its retention rate for all team members was 72 percent and that more than half of current Team Members have been with the company for five years or more. Females represented nearly 39 percent of the workforce.

Previously released segments of Tyson Foods’ new sustainability report include Animal Well-Being, Corporate Social Responsibility, Environmentand Marketplace.

Source: Tyson Foods