Social Audit & Advisory Services

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:

1. Discovery & Scoping — Understanding goals, challenges, and context
2. Engagement & Evidence Gathering — Interviews, focus groups, surveys, document reviews
3. Analysis & Benchmarking — Using ILO, GRI, UNGP, and organizational standards
4. Recommendations & Action Planning — Practical steps tied to real organizational capacity
5. 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:

Rika Sawatsky
‍Founder, Clausework
Employment & Labour Counsel | ILO-Certified PGA Facilitator

Josée Daris
‍Gender Equity & Inclusion Specialist | ILO-Certified PGA Facilitator