UNE 19604 Standard: What should you know?

Socio-labor compliance is a term that refers to compliance with the rules and regulations related to labor and social aspects within an organization. In other words, it is about ensuring that the company complies with all laws and ethical standards in the workplace, as well as with the social responsibilities it has towards its employees and the community in general.  

To do this, compliance management systems are needed, such as the UNE 19604 Standard. In this post we tell you the characteristics of this standard, its benefits and how it is applied. Keep reading! 

How and why did the UNE 19604 Standard arise? 

The world of work is becoming more complex and regularized. In this context, companies face significant challenges in maintaining a safe and stable work environment. The UNE 19604 Standard Socio-labor compliance management systems. Requirements with guidance for their use arises as a response to this need. 

The UNE 19604 Standard was developed by the Spanish Association for Standardization, through a collaborative process that lasted almost two years. During this time, a variety of interest groups were involved to ensure that the standard reflected a variety of perspectives and experiences, which in turn contributed to its relevance and effectiveness. 

Finally, the standard was published on July 26, 2023 to guarantee safety and stability at work and promote the adoption of good labor practices. Since then, it has served as an important tool for companies seeking to ensure compliance with labor regulations. 

Characteristics of the UNE 19604 Standard 

Now, what characteristics make the UNE 19604 Standard unique in Spain? Coming up next, we tell you:  

• Clear objective: its purpose is to foster and promote a positive culture of compliance in the work and social sphere within organizations. 
• Requirements and recommendations: establishes both the essential requirements and recommendations for the effective implementation of a socio-labor compliance management system. 
• Universal applicability: it is applicable to all types of organizations, regardless of their size, nature or sector of activity. 
• Defined scopes of application: addresses various aspects, such as constitutional rights in the work environment, individual and collective work relationships, social protection, and any other socio-labor obligation that the organization undertakes to fulfill. 
• Specific exclusions: although broad in its scope, the standard explicitly excludes the scope of obligations related to the prevention of socio-occupational risks. 
• Guided Development and Implementation: Provides detailed guidelines to effectively establish, develop, implement, evaluate, maintain and improve a social and labor compliance management system in the organization. 

Benefits of implementing the socio-labor compliance management systems standard

As we told you before, since its implementation the UNE 19604 Standard has become a useful tool for both companies and their workers. These are the benefits: 

• Improving legal compliance: guarantees compliance with socio-labor laws and regulations, reducing the risk of sanctions and litigation. 
• Improved reputation: reinforces the company’s image as an employer committed to respecting labor and social rights. 
• Increased trust: generates a more transparent and ethical work environment, promoting employee trust and loyalty. 
• Risk reduction: minimizes the risks associated with non-compliance with labor regulations, thus protecting the company’s assets and reputation. 
• Audit and certification: the UNE 19604 standard is subject to audits and certifications by third parties, which contributes to improving the reputation of the organization compared to competitors, strengthens the trust of stakeholders and promotes a business culture based on compliance and transparency. 

How is the UNE 19604 Standard applied? 

Finally, it is necessary to know that to apply the UNE 19604 Standard it is necessary to comply with several elements:  

• Risk identification: the organization must create a risk map that detects possible violations of regulations and work commitments. In this way, proactive management is ensured. 
• Design of controls: based on the risk map, the organization must design controls adapted to its regulatory context, which guarantees an effective response to the potential vulnerabilities identified. 

You may be interested in reading about...

• What are the trends in international tourism?
• Vacation days in Spain: What does the Law say?