CAF 3 Star Standard

CAF Standard 1. Labour

This standard assesses compliance with the Fair Work Act 2009 (FWA), the National Employment Standards (NES) and any applicable industrial instrument e.g. Cleaning Services Award 2010 or collective agreement, tax and superannuation obligations relating to the employment of cleaners, and legislation governing the employment of migrant workers. Assessable elements aligned with domestic legislation and international standards include:

    • Employment policies and procedures
    • Conditions of employment
    • Record keeping
    • Induction and training
    • Job security at change of contract
    • Freedom of association

1A) Employment policies and procedures

  • 1A.1 Maintain relevant employment policies and procedures.
  • 1A.2 Educate employees on their workplace rights.
  • 1A.3 Prevent sham contracting.
  • 1A.4 Provide a workplace of free and voluntary employment.
  • 1A.5 Provide a workplace free from abuse, harassment and discrimination.
  • 1A.6 Ensure cleaners are supported to raise workplace grievances or disputes and/or instances of bullying and harassment.
  • 1A.7 Maintain appropriate policies and procedures to ensure correct employment of overseas workers.
  • 1A.8 Obtain and maintain a license with the Victorian Labour Hire Licensing Authority (where relevant).

1B) Conditions of employment

  • 1B.1 Employees are provided with a written form of engagement or contract.
  • 1B.2 Employees receive a duty/work schedule outlining their duties.
  • 1B.3 Employees are paid in accordance with the Award or Agreement. Where the Award rate is higher than the rate in the Agreement, employees are paid at the higher rate.
  • 1B.4 Pay employees’ wages into their bank accounts (no cash wages).
  • 1B.5 Manage overtime and penalty rates in accordance with the relevant Award or Agreement.
  • 1B.6 Provide employees with correct paid and unpaid leave entitlements (annual, personal and carers’ leave, parental leave, family and domestic violence leave, compassionate leave, and any other leave specified in the applicable instrument).
  • 1B.7 Comply with any Portable Long Service Leave legislation applicable in the jurisdiction.
  • 1B.8 Comply with all superannuation guarantee and tax obligations relating to employees, including PAYG withholding and ATO reporting obligations.

1C) Record keeping

  • 1C.1 Maintain records relating to employment, working hours, wages, superannuation, leave entitlements (all types), in accordance with relevant legislation.
  • 1C.2 Ensure accurate and timely payment of wages and provision of pay slips.
  • 1C.3 Ensure pay slips contain all required information, and in addition, employees’ annual leave balance.

1D) Induction and training

  • 1D.1 Provide a mandatory paid general and WH&S induction to all new employees.
  • 1D.2 Provide ongoing paid training for workers.

1E) Job security at change of contract

  • 1E.1 Cleaners are offered the opportunity to continue working at the site when there is a change of cleaning contract. Redeployment and redundancy provisions apply where cleaners do not wish to stay on.

1F) Freedom of association

  • 1F.1 All stakeholders recognise and uphold the right of cleaners to join and be represented by a union, without hindrance or discrimination.

CAF Standard 2. Responsible Contracting

This standard seeks to ensure that contract cleaning services are procured, delivered and managed transparently and responsibly.

In order to promote transparent and ethical pricing of cleaning contracts, CAF has determined benchmarks for productivity rates and on-costs. This is to determine whether the contract is sufficient to enable cleaners (including employees of any subcontractors) to work within safe productivity levels and be paid at least minimum wages and entitlements.

Subcontracting, where undertaken, is to be conducted transparently and responsibly.

2A) Pricing

  • 2A.1 Meet the CAF benchmarks for productivity rates and on-costs.

2B) Subcontracting

  • 2B.1 Subcontracting of core cleaning services is only undertaken with the agreement of the owner.
  • 2B.2 If subcontracting of core cleaning services is carried out, do so in compliance with contract conditions and ensure that the employment conditions provided to subcontracted staff are no less favourable than those provided to directly employed staff under the conditions set out in the principal contract.
  • 2B.3 Monitor and enforce subcontractors’ compliance with labour standards.

2C) Transparency

  • 2C.1 All stakeholders commit to supply chain transparency.
  • 2C.2 Relevant stakeholders ensure access to documents to permit assessment of compliance with the CAF Standard.

CAF Standard 3. Safe working conditions

This standard aims to ensure a safe working environment is provided for cleaners.

It assesses compliance with Workplace Health and Safety (WHS) legislation, workers’ compensation and public liability insurance obligations, and provision of adequate training, equipment, supplies and personal protective equipment to ensure cleaners’ safety.

  • 3.1 Maintain appropriate certification and insurances.
  • 3.2 Maintain and implement appropriate WHS policies and procedures.
  • 3.3 Disclose any WorkCover and public liability insurance obligations.
  • 3.4 Provide employees with adequate materials, equipment and personal protective equipment (PPE) to enable them to safely complete their duties. Ensure systems are in place for cleaners to report low stock, malfunction or breakage of any materials or equipment.
  • 3.5 Provide ongoing training to employees to ensure they are working safely.

CAF Standard 4. Financial viability

The purpose of this standard is to ensure that cleaners and the Owner/Manager can have confidence in the financial viability and responsibility of the Cleaning Contractor.

  • 4.1 Appropriate financial viability checks are undertaken by the Owner when engaging the Cleaning Contractor at the site and periodically throughout the life of the contract.
  • 4.2 The Cleaning Contractor’s audited financial statements do not indicate solvency issues.

CAF Standard 5. Worker engagement

This standard assesses whether cleaners have been sufficiently educated about and involved in the CAF certification process and are able to provide reliable verification that their workplace is complying with the CAF Standard.

  • 5.1 Cleaners attend a minimum of two CAF meetings each year in paid time.
  • 5.2 Cleaners are educated and engaged on the CAF Standard and are encouraged to provide feedback on their working conditions without fear of negative consequences.
  • 5.3 Cleaners at the site nominate one or more CAF Representatives to represent them within CAF and to monitor ongoing compliance with the Standard.

CAF Standard 6. Issue identification and remediation

In line with businesses’ responsibility to remediate labour rights violations that occur in their operations and supply chains, this standard aims to ensure accountability with the CAF Standard throughout the supply chain by ensuring all relevant stakeholders play an active role in investigating and remediating issues both during the certification process and throughout the certification period.

  • 6.1 Participate in good faith in agreed CAF processes to identify, investigate and remediate any breaches of the CAF Standard.
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