• ensures that you and entities in your supply chain aren’t inadvertently supporting unlawful labour practices;
• minimises time spent assessing tenders and managing contracts;
• drives the delivery of cleaning services that attract and retain tenants;
• is an anti-slavery mechanism which can be included in Modern Slavery Act statements; and
• reduces the risk of being involved in a contravention of workplace laws through accessorial liability provisions under section 550 of the Fair Work Act.

• provides tools to deliver and maintain competitive and compliant cleaning contracts to property owners;
• ensures that entities are not inadvertently supporting unlawful labour practices; and
• reduces the risk of being involved in a contravention of workplace laws through accessorial liability provisions under section 550 of the Fair Work Act.

• contributes to a sustainable future for the cleaning industry by balancing price and performance instead of rewarding ‘rock-bottom’ pricing; and
• recognises those participants that are adopting better and best practices within the cleaning industry.

• ensures correct wages, rights and entitlements have been applied in the workplace
• helps drive improvements in labour standards; and
• gives a voice in upholding quality cleaning and decent work.

• provides quality cleaning by experienced cleaners who are respected and safe at work and are receiving their minimum legal pay and entitlements;
• minimises the risk of potential reputational damage for significant tenants where exploitation of cleaners is uncovered;
• is an anti-slavery mechanism which can be included in Modern Slavery Act statements; and
• demonstrates ethical sourcing strategies and company due diligence over indirect supply chains.

CAF will conduct a supply chain assessment of the nominated building or precinct against the CAF 3 Star Standard. This will include an assessment of procurement practices, contract management practices, employment policies and procedures, and a sample check of payroll compliance.

Concurrent to the desktop supply chain assessment taking place, CAF undertakes a worker engagement assessment with cleaners at the building. This includes face to face meetings in paid time, a survey about cleaners’ working conditions, and the nomination of a CAF Representative.

CAF’s worker engagement processes and remediation processes are codified in the CAF Worker Engagement Protocol and the CAF Remediation Procedure which have been developed in consultation with stakeholders from government, academia, business, the cleaning workforce and their union. CAF’s unique approach to worker engagement is considered best practice as it relies on direct verification from cleaners on workplace compliance and aims to equip cleaners with the tools and support to assist in maintaining ongoing compliance beyond the initial assessment.

Where issues are raised by cleaners through the worker engagement process that require further investigation, relevant stakeholders will be guided through the CAF Remediation Procedure to ensure that appropriate investigation and remediation occurs in a manner that protects cleaners’ anonymity and mitigates the risk of negative repercussions for speaking up. The CAF Remediation Procedure is based on best-practice methods to provide:

• assurance of remediation,
• access to justice for cleaners,
• improvements to employment practices, and
• other proactive risk mitigation strategies to ensure that labour rights violations reported by workers are addressed in a manner that promotes sustainable compliance.

CAF has a Certification Panel comprised of workplace relations experts from employer/business groups, unions, academia and government. The Certification Panel is appointed by the CAF Board and is responsible for determining whether a building has qualified for a CAF Star Rating.

In practice, the CAF Certification Panel will consider the supply chain assessment report, the worker engagement report and any other relevant material (i.e. remediation reports related to issues raised through worker engagement) and on this basis provide advice on any steps that may be required to be taken pre- and post-certification to demonstrate compliance with the CAF Standard. Stakeholders will also receive copies of the above mentioned reports.

Where remediation of issues discovered through the supply chain assessment or the worker engagement process is required to achieve certification, CAF will direct stakeholders on what evidence to provide to CAF demonstrating that the requirements have been met.

Once a CAF 3 Star rating has been awarded, the applicant will be provided with a certificate and access to CAF branding (subject to the terms of the CAF Licensing Agreement and trademark usage guidelines). CAF will work with stakeholders at the building to promote certification across CAF’s channels.

Certification is valid for the length of the contract subject to ongoing compliance with the CAF Standard and CAF Terms and Conditions. Where a contract change has occurred that retains the incumbent supply chain, CAF Certification will continue with some additional minor checks.

In order to maintain certification, stakeholders must demonstrate ongoing compliance for the duration of the cleaning contract. This will help to ensure that compliance is not simply determined at a moment in time but is sustainable and verifiable throughout the certification period. CAF’s ongoing compliance tools and mechanisms also ensure that there are clear processes in place that allow stakeholders to raise and address any issues that impact on cleaners’ labour rights that may arise during the certification period. 

While CAF has a number of processes in place to maintain oversight of ongoing compliance, the primary method of verifying this is through annual health checks. The check includes worker engagement, evidence of implementation of CAF recommendations, and a payroll compliance check. 

Cost of Certification

The annual CAF Certification fee encompasses the assessment, investigation and remediation process, as well as ongoing education and advisory activities with all stakeholders (owners through to cleaners), as well as any promotional activities throughout the year.

The first-year application fee is higher due to the detailed nature of the assessment that takes place . There are small additional fees associated with CAF Certification, mainly related to the worker engagement component. You can find more information on these costs in the following section. All fees are exclusive of GST.

Commercial Office Building

* NLA = Net Lettable Area
** A precinct is two – four buildings under the same contract (for precincts that include more than four buildings, the certification fee will be priced on application).

Shopping Centre

* GLA = Gross Lettable Area

Note on additional costs for worker engagement

CAF Worker Engagement video and survey session and worker meetings (paid by applicant/owner)

Each year, cleaners will be paid for 1 hour of CAF worker engagement activities. This includes 15 minutes as part of their shift to watch the CAF video and complete the CAF survey, and 45 minutes for a paid-time.

CAF Representative Allowance (paid by applicant/owner)

The CAF Representative will receive an allowance to compensate them for performing additional CAF duties and to provide recognition of their role to represent and advocate on behalf of their colleagues.  The CAF Representative Allowance hourly rates for July 2023 – June 2024 are set out below:

For part-time cleaners working 20 hours a week, this will amount to the following:

• 1 to 10 employees: $28.88 per week
• 11 to 20 employees: $37.16 per week
• 20+ employees: $45.45 per week

CAF Representative training (paid by cleaning contractor)

CAF Representatives receive training to equip them to undertake their role in promoting ongoing compliance at a CAF-Certified building. The CAF Standard allows for paid release for up to two training sessions per year. For most cleaners, this will be 2 x 4-hour shifts, or a total of 8 hours of paid training. The cost of releasing a CAF Representative for 8 hours amounts to approximately $241 each year (incl. super).

Sub-contracting of core cleaning services

Where there is sub-contracting of core cleaning services, the Certification fees will increase to account for the additional assessment relating to any subcontractors. In this case, the certification fee will be priced on application.