amfori will provide night shift amfori BSCI audits for Walmart suppliers

amfori is committed to supporting its members in building resilient and sustainable supply chains. As part of this commitment, we are sharing an important update from Walmart’s Responsible Sourcing team, which will affect all amfori BSCI audits linked to Walmart.

What is changing?

Starting 1 November 2025, all amfori BSCI audits scheduled or contracted on or after this date must include coverage of all shifts, including night shifts, if production or production-related activities occur during those hours.

This requirement is part of Walmart’s enhanced responsible sourcing standards and applies to all audits submitted to Walmart.

What is a night shift audit?

In line with the ILO Convention C171 – Night work Convention (1990), night work is defined as work performed during a period of at least seven consecutive hours, including the interval from midnight to 5.00 am. A shift is defined by the ILO, as a method of organising working time where workers succeed one another at the workplace, allowing operations to extend beyond the hours of individual workers.

Walmart considers night shifts as:

• Shifts starting at or after 17:00/5 PM, and/or
• Ending before 08:00/8 AM the following morning.

During these shifts, amfori BSCI auditors must be able to:

• Conduct a facility site tour, and
• Interview workers present during the shift.

What activities are included?

Production-related activities include, but are not limited to:

• Cleaning and sanitisation of production areas
• Third-party services (excluding security and maintenance)

Note: For audits scheduled before 1 November, facilities should be prepared to allow auditor access during any shift, as previously communicated.

Recommendations

To support the successful implementation of night shift amfori BSCI audits, amfori recommends businesses supplying to Walmart to plan and coordinate with the auditing company to :

• Prioritise auditor safety during overnight visits
• Consider potential cost increases and limited auditor availability
• Fill in the pre-audit questionnaire when requesting an audit, mentioning that you are supplying to Walmart
• Allow for longer planning timelines when scheduling audits

Resources

Walmart’s official supplier communication is available in multiple languages: [English] [French] [Spanish] [Chinese]