Champion
Harm on record. Has recent confirmed harm to workers that it hasn't put right.
Last researched 2 November 2026 · 7 sources
US sportswear brand known for hoodies, sweatshirts and T-shirts.
In 2024, workers at a factory in El Salvador making Champion's clothes were denied about US$2 million in pay and severance.
Also worth knowing
Champion has only partly put this right.
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Why it's graded Harm on record
- Not met: Meets 1 of 6 Good requirements.
- Holds the grade back: It has 3 red flags: no evidence of a living wage, unaudited production in high-risk countries and a failing or very low rating (Ethical Fashion Report 9/100 in 2026, for the company it's rated with). 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: unpaid or underpaid wages, last recorded in 2024.
Good requirements 1 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: union rights breach, last recorded in 2024
- Not met: Supply chain independently audited or certified, or at least 80% made in countries with strong labour standards
- Met: No child or forced labour findings or links
- Not met: Names the factories or farms that make its products, or is fully certified by a scheme that holds and audits that list
- Not met: High-risk raw materials (cotton) traced or certified, or not a major part of its rangeNot traced or certified: cotton
Red flags 3
- Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
- Red flag: Made mostly in countries with poor worker rights, without a full independent audit of its supply chain
- Red flag: Failing or very low score on an independent rating: Ethical Fashion Report 9/100 (2026, the company it's rated with)
Stars it would earn as Good
None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Where it's made
These are its parent group's countries across all its brands; Champion doesn't say where its own products are made. The rest is shown as where clothes and shoes are usually made.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Bangladesh | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| Vietnam | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| India | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
| Indonesia | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| CambodiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| TürkiyeUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Very high |
| Brazil | Systematic violations | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Spain | Strong protections | Close to a living wage | Low |
| Thailand | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| PakistanUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | High |
Evidence
What we found
- Modern slavery statement
- 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.
Research notes Since 2025 Champion clothing in Australia has been made and sold by licensee Brand Collective, whose suppliers are in Bangladesh, Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Spain, Thailand and Vietnam; it publishes no factory list or country shares, gives no audit results and refers only to minimum wages. Owner Authentic Brands Group licenses the brand and has not signed the International Accord. Both confirmed issues date from former owner HanesBrands.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report | Problem found | Australian licensee Brand Collective scored 9 out of 100 in the 2026 Ethical Fashion Report (average 31.5). View |
| Australian Modern Slavery Register | Listed | Brand Collective's 2024 modern slavery statement names suppliers in Bangladesh, Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Spain, Thailand and Vietnam but gives no shares, audit results or living wage commitment. View |
Confirmed issues 2
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? |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | The Worker Rights Consortium found in 2024 that 831 workers at the APS factory in El Salvador, which made Champion apparel, were denied about $2 million in wages and severance after it closed in 2022. Source · archived copy | PartlyHanesBrands offered only a token payment; other buyers agreed to pay $1.34m, leaving about $659,000 owed to workers (WRC, 2024). |
| 2024 | The Worker Rights Consortium found that HanesBrands blacklisted union leaders from its closed Jasper factory in Honduras, which made Champion collegiate apparel, from rehiring at a nearby plant (WRC, 2025). Source · archived copy | PartlyAfter WRC engagement HanesBrands rehired most, but not all, of the union leaders before closing its last nearby factory in December 2024. |
Sources and actions
Sources 7
Show all 7 sources
- Brand Collective - Shop Ethical (ethical.org.au) · search the archive · 2026 Ethical Fashion Report: Brand Collective scored 9/100 (average 31.5); Champion licensed via Authentic Brands Group
- Authentic Brands Group - Shop Ethical (ethical.org.au) · search the archive · ABG owns Champion; has not signed the International Accord (CCC, 2025)
- WRC findings, recommendations and company response at APS El Salvador · search the archive · 831 workers denied about $2m in wages and severance; buyers' contributions
- Blacklisting of Workers from Former Hanesbrands Collegiate Factory (Honduras) - WRC · archived copy · Jasper factory made Champion collegiate apparel; union leaders blacklisted; most later rehired
- Brand Collective snaps up Champion ANZ licence (Ragtrader) · search the archive · Brand Collective takes Champion licence from Hanes Australasia from 31 January 2025; ABG bought Champion in 2024
- Report: Central American garment workers owed $2 million after factory closure (ASI) · archived copy · APS El Salvador made Champion apparel; closed August 2022; HanesBrands offered only a token amount (WRC, 2024)
Published by Champion or its owner
- Brand Collective 2024 Modern Slavery Statement · search the archive · Suppliers in Bangladesh, Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Spain, Thailand, Vietnam; no supplier list or living wage commitment
Company details
- Owned by
- Authentic Brands Group (owner since 2024); Brand Collective is the Australian and NZ licensee
- Headquarters
- United States
- Last researched
- 2 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Champion ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/champion, 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 activewear
No activewear brand selling new goods is Good yet. These are the strongest so far. Second-hand and refurbished goods create no new factory work, so they're Good by rule and come first.
Something missing or wrong?
Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Champion.