Hanesbrands Inc. (NYSE: HBI) announced in March 2008 that the company has joined the Fair Labor Association and will undergo the FLA’s two-year implementation process for accreditation of the company’s global social compliance program.

“Hanesbrands is pleased to join the Fair Labor Association because of our shared commitment to high labor standards,” said Hanesbrands Chief Executive Officer Richard A. Noll. “We are confident that the FLA’s independent external monitoring process will confirm what employees, communities, investors and the apparel industry already know – that Hanesbrands is a leader in providing workers with a safe, clean and productive work environment.”

The Fair Labor Association, headquartered in Washington, D.C., works with industry, civil society organizations and colleges and universities to protect workers’ rights and improve working conditions in factories around the world.

“The FLA is pleased to welcome Hanesbrands Inc. as an addition to a growing number of companies dedicated to protecting workers’ rights and to meeting and exceeding international labor standards,” said FLA President and CEO Auret van Heerden. “We look forward to Hanesbrands’ active engagement with the FLA and appreciate the company’s commitment to fair labor standards.”

Participating companies in the FLA are required to fulfill 10 company obligations, including conducting internal monitoring of facilities, submitting to independent monitoring audits and verification, and managing and reporting information on their compliance efforts. The FLA conducts unannounced independent external monitoring audits of a sample of a participating company’s plants and suppliers, and publishes the results of those audits and any corrective action plans that may be needed, for the public to review.

“Our extensive corporate social responsibility efforts and the resources we put behind them have made Hanesbrands a leader in doing business around the world in a highly ethical and socially responsible manner,” said Gerald Evans, Hanesbrands’ president of global supply chain.

Hanesbrands has a formal corporate social responsibility program that consists of four initiatives: a Global Business Practices ethics program for all employees worldwide; a Facility Compliance program that seeks to ensure company and supplier plants meet Hanesbrands’ labor and social compliance standards; a Global Environmental Management System that seeks to reduce the environmental impact of our operations; and a commitment to Corporate Philanthropy assisting the communities where we do business provide access to life’s basic necessities.

For more information on Hanesbrands Inc.’s core values, visit: http://www.hanesbrands.com/hbi/en-us/OurValues/Default.htm

Hanesbrands Inc.

Hanesbrands Inc. is a leading marketer of innerwear, outerwear and hosiery apparel under strong consumer brands, including Hanes, Champion, Playtex, Bali, JustMySize, barelythere and Wonderbra. The company designs, manufactures, sources and sells T-shirts, bras, panties, men’s underwear, children’s underwear, socks, hosiery, casual wear and active wear. Hanesbrands has approximately 50,000 employees in more than 25 countries. More information about Hanesbrands Inc. may be found on the internet at http://www.hanesbrands.com.

You can learn more about human rights issues for the fashion industry at the human rights section on Apparel Search.