EFC relaunches Compliance+

 Fairfirst Sri Lanka obtains Compliance+ certification from EFC

The branded audit certification of the Employers’ Federation of Ceylon (EFC) ‘Compliance+’, which was initially launched in 2014, was recently relaunched, giving this audit tool more muscle. This patented certification was developed with technical assistance from the International Labour Organization (ILO), and is supported by the International Organization of Employers (IOE). 

The certification, as EFC Director General Kanishka Weerasinghe noted, is a reflection of the EFC’s commitment to encourage its member companies to champion voluntary standards pertaining to labour, occupational safety and health, and other environment related matters. “The EFC with its 90 years of history is proud to be associated with a membership of employers who are not only compliant with local labour laws, but also of international tools. Compliance+ is one of the most recent innovative branded certifications of ours, which has been commended by the ILO as a model to be followed when it was first presented to the Employers Group of the ILO at the International Labour Conference in 2015.”

The Compliance+ brand, as the EFC Chief further remarks, is a product that would enable employers and enterprises to place themselves as ‘exemplary businesses’ that surpass mandatory standards, and excel in the areas of equal opportunities for employment, employer-employee relations, work arrangement practices, and environment. The certification is open to both EFC member companies as well as non-members.

The certification goes beyond the legal framework and recognises a healthy employer-employee relationship is also a means of championing industrial peace, said EFC Assistant Director General Chameel Perera. “The brand, which is based on the cornerstones of ‘recognition’, ‘credibility’ and ‘corporate image’ of an enterprise, is an internationally valid tool for all business sectors which compete in the international market.” 

The audit for the certification process will be conducted by an independent and internationally acclaimed firm, whose audit teams will facilitate the exercise. The certified employers will be entitled for the Compliance+ certification, valid for a period of two years. During this valid period, the certified employers are entitled to use the brand name Compliance+ in the company letterheads, email signatures, visiting cards, etc. The certified companies will also be provided with a flag with the brand name, and stickers indicating the certified period. 

As Perera further noted, in keeping with the EFC’s partnership with ‘Great Place to Work’, arrangements have been made for employers who are ‘Great Place to Work’-certified to receive due weightage when being assessed for the certification. 

Fairfirst Insurance Ltd., the first EFC member company to receive Compliance+ certification since its recent relaunch, perceives it to be “immensely gratifying” as an external validation in their practice of fairness, the company’s CEO Dr. Sanjeev Jha said.

“At Fairfirst, we always aspire to be driven by fairness. A core component of being a fair employer is ensuring compliance with the principles articulated by the EFC.” As he further elaborated, business is a force for good if done with the right mix of empathy, authenticity, transparency and social responsibility. “Submitting our internal practices to the EFC’s scrutiny is our way of being transparent and authentic. I would encourage other companies wanting to create a transparent and authentic environment to explore the significance of Compliance+,” Dr. Jha added.