FEL Factory Receives Fast Forward Leading Status

The Fashion-Enter Ltd (FEL) factory has received excellent news on their recent Fast Forward Audit. A factory audit was conducted on an unannounced basis in April 2021 and once again has achieved ‘Leading Status’ – the highest stranding.

Fast Forward is a next-generation supply chain labour standards improvement programme that works for all suppliers and service providers, in all sectors, at all stages of their social compliance journey.

ASOS.com became a founding member of Fast Forward in 2014, an initiative involving other major UK retailers, aimed at addressing UK-specific supply chain issues. Throughout the year Fast Forward auditors make scheduled and unannounced visits to the Factory to undertake thorough inspections and cover the following topics:

– Has the business implemented appropriate management systems to ensure that only legally eligible and properly registered workers are actually working at the site(s)?

– Are working hours legal and reasonable?

– Does the business have appropriate health and safety management processes in place?

– Does the business have appropriate health and safety management processes in place?

– Is a safe and hygienic workplace provided?

– Does the business operate to well developed and integrated ethical labour standards policies and procedures?

– Does the business operate to well developed and integrated ethical labour standards policies and procedures?

– Has the business developed, implemented and applied effective due diligence processes to monitor the ethical labour standards practices of its suppliers and service providers?

– Has the business developed, implemented and applied effective due diligence processes to monitor the ethical labour standards practices of its suppliers and service providers?

Feedback after every audit is welcomed by the team at Fashion-Enter as we strive to create a production facility that is compliant with the best of working practices. 

The report states that the FEL factory in north London ‘sets an example for good practice’, auditor Peter Warbrick said in his report:

“The process and order of activities were agreed without delay. COVID safety measures were observed at all times. The site has very good management systems in place with staff training at all levels is aimed at developing skills to meet the needs of the business. Wage rates for all employees are above or in line with the national living wage with no difference regarding age on pay rates. Both Employed and free-lance staff interviewed reported a positive work culture enhanced by the management.”

As part of the due diligence with the Fast Forward audit FEL must comply to section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015. Caroline Ash, Production Director, commented: “Thanks to Galaxius we have complete transparency on the factory workforce time. I am delighted to confirm that on average our stitchers earn between £11 and £19 per hour and have continued to earn above London Living Wage for yet another financial year ending May 2021. Galaxius provides us with the finite knowledge of knowing exactly who made what stitch on a garment summarising the exact standard minutes for a garment as well as the resulting money earned. We are totally delighted to have secured our leading status on Fast Forward again for the fifth year running.”

The overall feedback from this year’s audit was extremely positive – this is a real credit to the Fashion-Enter team as very few have achieved this level of stranding.