Columbia
Harm on record. Has recent confirmed harm to workers that it hasn't put right.
Last researched 2 November 2026 · 7 sources
US brand selling outdoor clothing, footwear and accessories.
Linked to Unpaid or underpaid wagesAbuse of workers
In 2026, an Indonesian supplier made staff work over 250,000 unpaid hours, denied paid leave and failed to stop sexual harassment.
Also worth knowing
Columbia has only partly put this right.
Better-graded outdoor
Graded higher than Columbia, selling the same kinds of things. Second-hand first.
Second-hand and refurbished goods create no new factory work, so they're Good by rule and come first.
Know something we've missed? Send evidence. Represent Columbia? Send a right of reply.
Compare Columbia with another brand
Why it's graded Harm on record
- Not met: Meets 4 of 6 Good requirements.
- Holds the grade back: It has 2 red flags: no evidence of a living wage and clear breaches of labour conditions. 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 2026.
Good requirements 4 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 2018
- Met: Supply chain independently audited or certified, or at least 80% made in countries with strong labour standards
- Met: No confirmed child or forced labour findings or linksAn unconfirmed report of forced labour is listed below. It doesn't affect the grade.
- 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
- Met: High-risk raw materials (cotton) traced or certified, or not a major part of its rangeOnly in a few products: cotton
Red flags 2
- Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
- Red flag: Clear breaches of labour conditions
Stars it would earn as Good
None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Where it's made
Vietnam has the largest share, 52%. Bangladesh is next, at 28%.
| Country | Share | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vietnam | 52% | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Bangladesh | 28% | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| Indonesia | 9% | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| India | 9% | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
| China | 2% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
Evidence
What we found
- Uses cotton in only a few products, so the raw-material check doesn't hold it back for Good. It doesn't show where its cotton comes from. The "Open supply chain" star needs all of it traced, certified or upcycled.
- Publishes supplier list
- Independent social audits of all its main factories
- Modern slavery statement
Research notes Columbia does not own factories. In 2025 its apparel was made in 16 countries, mainly Vietnam (35%), Bangladesh (30%), Indonesia and India (10% each), and its footwear in four, mainly Vietnam (80%) and China (10%); shares shown weight these by sales, with about 14% in unnamed countries. It publishes its supplier factories, uses its own and third-party audits and is an ILO Better Work partner, but has no living wage commitment, has not signed the International Accord and leaves remedy for wage theft largely to suppliers.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Fashion Transparency Index (Fashion Revolution) | Listed | Scored 37% in the 2023 Fashion Transparency Index, above the 26% average. View |
| UK Modern Slavery Statement Registry | Listed | Publishes a joint UK/Canada/California supply chain statement for 2025 reporting 343 Tier 1 and 200 Tier 2 audits, with no living wage commitment. View |
| Business & Human Rights Resource Centre | Listed | Profile notes alignment with the Transparency Pledge and no public evidence that suppliers pay a living wage (Fashion Checker, 2023). (2023 edition; latest is 2026) View |
| News reporting and NGO investigations | Problem found | Worker Rights Consortium reported unresolved wage, leave and harassment violations at Indonesian factory PT Gaha Green Garment in 2026. View |
Confirmed issues 3
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? |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | The Worker Rights Consortium found in 2026 that PT Gaha Green Garment in Indonesia, which made Columbia university-logo goods, forced over 250,000 hours of unpaid off-the-clock work, denied paid leave and failed to stop sexual harassment. Source · search the archive | PartlyOff-the-clock work stopped and some fixes were made, but Columbia did not secure back pay (up to US$2.84m) and went months without answering the WRC (WRC, 2026). |
| 2021 | The Worker Rights Consortium found that PT Dong-A Decal in Indonesia, which decorated Columbia university apparel, withheld several days' wages from 314 workers in 2020. Source · search the archivePut right The company has put this right for the people affected, so it no longer counts against the grade. | YesAfter WRC intervention, the factory repaid the US$20,717 withheld from 314 workers: US$6,216 in April 2021 and US$14,501 in December 2021 (WRC, 2022). |
| 2018 | The Worker Rights Consortium found in 2018 that managers at Columbia supplier Shahi Exports' Unit 8 in Bangalore, India, beat and threatened to kill workers to stop union organising and a wage rise. Source · search the archive | PartlyVictimised workers were reinstated; by July 2018 Shahi had fired five of the eight managers involved and begun proceedings against two, but union recognition was not secured (WRC, 2018). |
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.
- Shop Ethical says Sheffield Hallam University's 2021 'Laundering Cotton' report covers brands owned by Columbia Sportswear and Uyghur forced labour in Xinjiang cotton, without naming the brand or supplier; the link has not been confirmed in the report itself (ethical.org.au, 2021). Source
- iNews reported in 2024 that abuse at Fine Apparel, a Needle Craft factory in Jordan that Columbia calls a manufacturing partner, was linked to a migrant worker's suicide, with harmful conditions reported to persist; Columbia and other buyers commissioned an independent review (BHRRC, 2024). Source
Sources and actions
Sources 7
Show all 7 sources
- Unresolved Violations at Columbia Sportswear Factory in Indonesia (WRC) · search the archive · PT Gaha Green: 250,000+ unpaid hours, denied leave, harassment; up to US$2.84m owed; Columbia slow to respond
- WRC Finds Beatings, Death Threats at Indian Factory Supplying Columbia · search the archive · Shahi Unit 8, Bangalore, 2018: violence against union activists; managers kept on
- WRC memo on unpaid wages at PT Dong-A Decal · search the archive · 314 workers' withheld wages (US$20,717) from 2020 paid in December 2021
- Columbia Sportswear - Good Shopping Guide (ethical.org.au) · search the archive · FTI 2023 37%; Transparency Pledge aligned; not an Accord signatory; Laundering Cotton 2021 link
- Columbia Sportswear Form 10-K FY2025 · search the archive · No owned factories; apparel VN 35%, BD 30%, ID 10%, IN 10%; footwear VN 80%, CN 10%; about 9,620 employees
- Columbia Sportswear Q4 and FY2025 results (8-K exhibit) · search the archive · 2025 sales: apparel/accessories US$2,712m, footwear US$685m; Columbia brand US$2,973m
Published by Columbia or its owner
- Columbia Sportswear joint supply chain statement RY2025 · search the archive · Own and third-party audits, Better Work partner; 343 Tier 1 and 200 Tier 2 audits; no living wage commitment
Company details
- Headquarters
- United States
- Employees
- About 9,620
- Last researched
- 2 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Columbia ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/columbia, last researched 2 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Harm on record means
Something missing or wrong?
Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Columbia.