Frameworks and Industry Systems
Better Work
A joint ILO-IFC program in garment-producing countries that assesses factories, helps them improve, trains people on the ground, and publishes recurring labor findings.
Definition
Better Work is not just an industry collaboration. It is a country-based program that works directly with factories through assessments, advisory support, training, and public reporting on labor conditions.
Users usually encounter Better Work when they want more than a one-time audit, for example whether wage, working-hours, or dialogue issues keep showing up across factories in one country over time.
How this source informs this section
Better Work Overview
The official Better Work overview describes the program as direct factory engagement that includes assessments, advisory services, training, and public reporting.
Why it matters
Better Work matters because it can give teams a richer picture than a one-off audit. It helps place one factory's findings inside a broader pattern of repeated issues, country context, and improvement over time.
It is also a useful example of what a stronger labor program looks like when assessment, follow-up, training, and public reporting are connected.
How this source informs this section
Better Work Overview
The program model shows why Better Work is useful for trend context and improvement tracking rather than only for one-time assessment snapshots.
Nuance
Better Work is not the same as a certification and it is not a substitute for a brand's own due-diligence decisions. A buyer still has to decide what to escalate, how to follow up, and whether the factory's controls are strong enough.
The useful question is not whether a factory is 'in Better Work,' but what Better Work data or engagement actually says about recurring risk, progress, and unresolved issues.
How this source informs this section
Better Work Overview
The source supports reading Better Work as a structured program input, not as a standalone approval decision or replacement for buyer due diligence.
Sources
Better Work Overview
ILO · program overview
ILO overview of how Better Work combines factory assessments, advisory support, training, and public reporting.
