ARKET
Harm on record. Has recent confirmed harm to workers that it hasn't put right.
Last researched 2 November 2026 · 7 sources
H&M Group brand selling everyday clothing, shoes and homewares.
In 2023, a rights group documented 20 cases of abuse at H&M Group suppliers in Myanmar, including wage theft and forced overtime.
Also worth knowing
ARKET has only partly put this right.
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Why it's graded Harm on record
- Not met: Meets 2 of 6 Good requirements.
- Holds the grade back: It has 4 red flags: no evidence of a living wage, clear breaches of labour conditions, forced or child labour and a problem with pay, rights or safety with no fix shown. Two or more red flags means a poor grade.
- Holds the grade back: It's Harm on record because of a serious confirmed problem from the last 5 years that it has only partly put right: abuse of workers, last recorded in 2023.
Good requirements 2 of 6
- Not met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: no evidence
- Not met: Respects worker rightsA confirmed problem counts against it: abuse of workers, last recorded in 2023
- Met: Supply chain independently audited or certified, or at least 80% made in countries with strong labour standards
- Not met: No child or forced labour findings or links
- Met: Names the factories or farms that make its products, or is fully certified by a scheme that holds and audits that listPublishes its supplier list
- Not met: High-risk raw materials (cotton, leather and cashmere) traced or certified, or not a major part of its rangeNot traced or certified: cotton
Red flags 4
- Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
- Red flag: Clear breaches of labour conditions
- Red flag: Forced, slave or child labour found in or linked to its supply chain
- Red flag: A confirmed problem with pay, rights or safety not shown to be put rightShown to explain the grade. It isn't one of the 3 red flags that set it.
Stars it would earn as Good
None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Where it's made
China has the largest share, 35%. Türkiye is next, at 17%.
| Country | Share | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| China | 35% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Türkiye | 17% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Very high |
| Bangladesh | 13% | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| India | 10% | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
| Portugal | 7% | Strong protections | Close to a living wage | Low |
| Italy | 5% | Strong protections | Close to a living wage | Low |
| Romania | 4% | Regular violations | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Vietnam | 2% | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Myanmar | 1% | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Very high |
| Bulgaria | 1% | Regular violations | Below a living wage | High |
| Pakistan | 1% | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | High |
| Poland | 1% | Regular violations | Close to a living wage | Moderate |
| Spain | 1% | Strong protections | Close to a living wage | Low |
| Sweden | 1% | Strong protections | About a living wage | Low |
| Thailand | 1% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
Evidence
What we found
- Publishes supplier list
- Signed the International Accord on garment factory safety
- Modern slavery statement
- Actively empowers workers (ownership, worker committees, union agreements, training)
- Independent social audits of all its main factories
- Doesn't show where its cotton comes from. Cotton is linked to forced labour in Xinjiang and Turkmenistan, and child labour in several growing regions, so it can't be graded Good until it traces or certifies it.
- Uses leather and cashmere in only a few products and doesn't show where they come from. That doesn't count against it for Good, but the "Open supply chain" star needs all of them traced, certified or upcycled.
Research notes ARKET's latest brand supplier list (2023, covering Dec 2021-Nov 2022) names 292 production units: China 108, Türkiye 51, Bangladesh 37, India 28, Portugal 20, Italy 15, plus Myanmar 4; it includes homeware. Shares use that count. Good On You (2026) rates its labour record 'It's a start', finding a wage programme but no evidence of living wages. Cashmere (Good Cashmere Standard or recycled) and leather are used in a minority of lines. Group policies apply: IndustriALL agreements, the Accord and third-party verified audits.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report | Listed | Rated as part of owner H&M Group, which scored 48 out of 100 in the 2026 Ethical Fashion Report (average 31.5), after 57 in 2024; ARKET is not listed among the group's brands on the report's page. View |
| Fashion Transparency Index (Fashion Revolution) | Listed | H&M Group brands scored 71% in the 2023 Fashion Transparency Index. View |
| Australian Modern Slavery Register | Listed | Covered by the H&M Group 2025 modern slavery statement, which includes its Australian entity. View |
| UK Modern Slavery Statement Registry | Listed | Covered by the H&M Group 2025 modern slavery statement for its UK entities. View |
| Business & Human Rights Resource Centre | Problem found | Records 20 cases of abuse at H&M Group suppliers in Myanmar (2022-23) and the group's responses. View |
Confirmed issues 4
Only confirmed problems are listed, and old ones drop off after 10 to 15 years. A problem the company has fully put right no longer counts against it, and nor does one it finds and is fixing itself. How problems are counted
| Last recorded | What happened | Made amends? |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | H&M Group's 2025 modern slavery statement reports 10 cases of workers paying recruitment fees at suppliers in 2025 and 8 in 2024, mostly small fees for medical checks or notary costs.Found by the company, fix not shown The company found and published this itself but hasn't shown it is fixing it, so it counts against the grade. | Not known |
| 2023 | The Business & Human Rights Resource Centre documented 20 cases of abuse at H&M Group suppliers in Myanmar in 2022-23, including wage theft, unfair dismissal and forced overtime (Al Jazeera, 2023; BHRRC, 2024). Source · archived copy | PartlyH&M Group investigated, said all but one case was resolved and announced a phase-out of sourcing from Myanmar in 2023. |
| 2021 | In 2021 Jeyasre Kathiravel, a worker at H&M Group supplier Natchi Apparel in Dindigul, India, was murdered after reported sexual harassment by her supervisor (British Safety Council India, 2022). Source · archived copyPut right The company has put this right for the people affected, so it no longer counts against the grade. | YesH&M Group signed the binding Dindigul Agreement on gender-based violence with unions and the supplier in 2022. |
| 2019 | H&M Group's 2013 pledge of a fair living wage for 850,000 supply chain workers by 2018 was not met, and the Clean Clothes Campaign found no evidence any worker was paid one (Clean Clothes Campaign, 2019). | NoNo living wage has been shown across the group's supply chain, and it has no new time-bound target. |
Unconfirmed reports
Credible reports that haven't been confirmed by a regulator, completed investigation or the company. They're shown for your information and don't affect the grade.
- The Clean Clothes Campaign reported wage theft, higher production targets and harassment at H&M Group suppliers in Bangladesh, Cambodia and Indonesia during the pandemic; H&M said workers were paid according to local law (BHRRC, 2021). Source
Sources and actions
Sources 7
Show all 7 sources
- Arket (Good On You directory) · search the archive · People 3/5 (June 2026); no evidence of living wages; uses leather, wool, cashmere, down, much recycled or certified
- H & M Hennes & Mauritz AB - Baptist World Aid Good Shopping Guide · search the archive · 2026 Ethical Fashion Report: H&M Group scored 48/100 (average 31.5); FTI 2023 71%
- H&M's response to allegations of abuses in Myanmar garment factories, Feb 2024 update (BHRRC) · archived copy · 20 cases at Myanmar suppliers; all but one reported resolved; Myanmar phase-out
- H&M Group and Indian clothing company pledge to prevent sexual harassment (British Safety Council India) · archived copy · Jeyasre Kathiravel case at Natchi Apparel and the 2022 Dindigul Agreement
Published by ARKET or its owner
- ARKET suppliers 2023 · search the archive · 292 production units: CN 108, TR 51, BD 37, IN 28, PT 20, IT 15, RO 11, VN 6, MM 4; products Dec 2021-Nov 2022
- Material library (ARKET) · search the archive · Cotton 60% of 2025 fibre use; Good Cashmere Standard and recycled cashmere; vegetable or synthetic tanned leather
- H&M Group Modern Slavery Statement 2025 · search the archive · Covers UK and Australian entities; third-party verified factory assessments; recruitment fee cases in 2024 and 2025
Company details
- Headquarters
- Sweden
- Last researched
- 2 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is ARKET ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/arket, last researched 2 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Harm on record means
Better-graded basics
JoyyaClothing & footwearFair trade organic tees and bagsIts own factories in India hold WFTO Guaranteed Fair Trade.GoodGoes Above and Beyond: Gives workers a real voice; Open supply chain; Finds and fixes problems, or invests in communities5 starsCitizen WolfClothing & footwearMade-to-measure tees and polosIts own factories in Australia hold Ethical Clothing Australia accreditation.GoodGoes Above and Beyond: Open supply chain3 starsPaisley's PatternsClothing & footwearKids, family and maternity clothingIts own factories in Australia hold Ethical Clothing Australia accreditation.GoodVerified
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Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent ARKET.