Social Audit & Advisory Services
- Rika Sawatsky
- 7 days ago
- 4 min read
(A joint venture between Clausework and Josée Daris)
Organizations today are facing increased expectations to demonstrate genuine care for the people who make their work possible. Employees, partners, investors, and communities want more than policies — they want workplaces where people feel safe, respected, and able to contribute fully.
At the same time, many organizations don’t have a clear picture of what’s working well, where barriers persist, or how to turn good intentions into measurable progress.
That’s where our work begins.
Who We Are
We are two senior practitioners who each bring a distinct perspective and a shared commitment to building better workplaces:
Rika Sawatsky
Founder of Clausework
Employment & Labour Lawyer (10+ years)
ILO-Certified Participatory Gender Audit Facilitator
Japanese-Canadian, with international and cross-cultural experience including Asia
Rika brings deep expertise in intersectional human rights, labour law, workplace systems, organizational culture, and the practical realities of implementing change. Her background working with multinational companies, SMEs, and unionized environments allows her to translate audit findings into actionable, realistic recommendations.
Josée Daris
Gender Equity & Inclusion Specialist
ILO-Certified Participatory Gender Audit Facilitator
Experienced in Indigenous and community-based engagement
Fluent in English, French, Spanish, and Portuguese
Josée brings extensive experience in gender equity, intersectional inclusion, and participatory methodologies. She has worked with communities and organizations across the Americas and brings a sensitive, trauma-informed, and culturally grounded approach to evidence gathering and stakeholder engagement.
Together, we have worked internationally, across languages, sectors, and cultures — and we approach every audit personally, respectfully, and with curiosity.
Social Audits: What We Offer
We focus on social audits that move beyond compliance. Our goal is not to create reports that sit on shelves — but to help organizations identify meaningful opportunities for change.
1. Workplace Equity & Inclusion Audits
Using the Participatory Gender Audit (PGA) methodology developed and recognized by the International Labour Organization, we examine:
Organizational culture
Decision-making processes
Workforce representation
Barriers to inclusion (visible and invisible)
Policies, programs, and practices
Despite the name, the PGA is an intersectional audit. It assesses equity across gender, race, ethnicity, disability, language, sexual orientation, caregiving status, and other factors affecting worker experience and opportunity.
2. Labour Practices & Employee Relations Audits
These audits draw on Rika’s legal and workplace systems expertise and explore:
Compliance with labour and employment obligations
Workforce climate and worker voice
Risks related to turnover, morale, or conflict
Gaps between policy and practice
Opportunities to strengthen fairness, safety, and communication
These audits are especially valuable for organizations in construction, infrastructure, manufacturing, transportation, and other people-intensive industries.
3. Social Governance / ESG Readiness Assessments
We help organizations assess their “S” (Social) performance in ESG reporting, including alignment with:
GRI standards
UNGP (UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights)
Workplace equity and safety benchmarks
Culture and labour standards relevant to procurement or investor expectations
4. Public-Sector & Development-Project Audits
We provide tailored audits for institutions, NGOs, and development organizations that require:
Participatory and community-engaged methodologies
Trauma- and violence-informed approaches
Cross-cultural or multilingual facilitation
Practical, context-sensitive recommendations
How We Work
Our collaboration is intentionally small.
That means every audit is:
Partner-led from beginning to end
Agile and responsive
Structured but human-centered
Tailored to the organization’s culture, context, and goals
We follow a clear, transparent framework:
Discovery & Scoping — Understanding goals, challenges, and context
Engagement & Evidence Gathering — Interviews, focus groups, surveys, document reviews
Analysis & Benchmarking — Using ILO, GRI, UNGP, and organizational standards
Recommendations & Action Planning — Practical steps tied to real organizational capacity
Optional Follow-Up — Advisory support to help implement changes
Our process is respectful, conversational, and grounded in workplace reality — not bureaucracy.
Why Work With Us
Large firms often take a compliance-first approach. Their processes can be templated, costly, and impersonal. Much of the work may be conducted by junior staff, with limited cultural or contextual depth.
We offer something different:
A Boutique, High-Expertise Alternative to Big 4 Audits
Senior expertise on every audit
Intersectional, participatory methods rooted in ILO best practices
Practical, legally informed recommendations
Cultural and linguistic fluency
International experience across sectors
A values-driven, human approach
Organizations who work with us often tell us they feel seen and heard — and that this respect shows up in the quality and impact of the work.
Who We Serve
Our services are especially well-suited for:
Mid-market companies seeking credible but accessible audits
Organizations with multicultural or international teams
Public agencies, NGOs, and development organizations
Companies in labour-intensive or safety-sensitive industries
Organizations beginning or strengthening their ESG commitments
If your organization values expertise, curiosity, and a collaborative approach to building better workplaces, we’d be happy to explore whether we’re a fit.
Let’s Build Workplaces Where People Do Their Best Work Because the Structures Make It Possible
If you’d like to learn more, discuss an upcoming project, or explore whether a social audit could support your organization’s goals, you can reach us at:
Founder, Clausework
Employment & Labour Counsel | ILO-Certified Social Auditor
Gender Equity & Inclusion Specialist
ILO-Certified Social Auditor
