Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 6 sources
US PC brand selling laptops, desktops, monitors and accessories.
There's no proof Dell pays more than the legal minimum, which in China is below a living wage.
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Why it's graded Lacks transparency
- Not met: Meets 3 of 6 Good requirements.
- Holds the grade back: It doesn't show that workers are paid a living wage, and isn't certified as working towards one. On Track needs at least one of these.
- It isn't Harm on record: the most serious problem on its record (unsafe conditions, last recorded in 2013) is more than 5 years old.
- Lacks transparency is still a poor grade: in supply chains like this, workers who can't be seen to be treated fairly are usually underpaid or unprotected.
- Checks its own supply chain. Dell looks for problems in its own supply chain and publishes what it finds. It found unsafe conditions in 2025 and forced labour in 2025 and is fixing them, so they don't count against the grade. Another problem on its record counts against the grade: unsafe conditions in 2013. They're listed below under Confirmed issues.
Good requirements 3 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: unsafe conditions, last recorded in 2013
- 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 it isn't fixingIts own checks found forced labour, which it is fixing. That's listed below and doesn't count against the grade. Unconfirmed reports of forced labour are listed below. They don'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
- Not met: Traces its cobalt, gold and other conflict minerals to the mine
Red flags 2
- Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
- Red flag: A confirmed problem with pay, rights or safety not shown to be put right
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, 31%. Taiwan is next, at 18%.
| Country | Share | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| China | 31% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Taiwan | 18% | Strong protections | Close to a living wage | Low |
| Vietnam | 13% | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Mexico | 10% | Regular violations | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Thailand | 8% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| United States | 5% | Systematic violations | Below a living wage | Low |
| Brazil | 3% | Systematic violations | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Ireland | 3% | Strong protections | About a living wage | Low |
| Poland | 3% | Regular violations | Close to a living wage | Moderate |
| India | 3% | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
| Malaysia | 3% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
Evidence
What we found
- Risk across the industry, not a finding about this company: cobalt, tin, tantalum, tungsten and gold mining carry child and forced labour risk (DR Congo, Indonesia), and assembly overtime is widespread. (partly offset by certification or direct sourcing)
- Publishes supplier list
- Modern slavery statement
- Independent social audits of all its main factories
- Uses recycled metals or fibres
- Uses high-risk raw materials such as tanned leather, mica or artisanal gold.
- It publishes its smelters or uses some recycled or responsibly mined metals, but can't yet trace its cobalt and gold to the mine.
Research notes Dell's December 2025 supplier list, covering over 95% of spending, names 39 final assembly sites: 9 run by Dell (China, US, Brazil, Ireland, Poland, India, Malaysia) and 30 run by contract makers such as Foxconn, Compal and Wistron, mainly in China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Mexico and Thailand; shares shown are by site count. Dell is a founding RBA member and had suppliers repay recruitment fees to 6,419 workers in FY26, but its own data show 11% of supplier workers over 60 hours a week in FY25. It scored 26/100 in KnowTheChain's 2025 benchmark and has no living wage commitment.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Australian Modern Slavery Register | Listed | Dell Technologies' FY26 statement reports US$352,090 in recruitment fees repaid to 6,419 supplier workers and 16,139 worker interviews. View |
| UK Modern Slavery Statement Registry | Listed | Dell Corporation Limited publishes statements under the UK Modern Slavery Act, most recently in 2026. View |
| Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report | Listed | Graded in the B band in Baptist World Aid's 2016 Electronics Industry Trends report, with no living wage found. View |
| Business & Human Rights Resource Centre | Problem found | Company profile records a Taiwan migrant worker story and Dell's response on Uyghur forced labour import rules. View |
| KnowTheChain | Listed | Scored 26/100, 11th of 45, in KnowTheChain's 2025 ICT benchmark. 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? |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Dell's own FY25 supplier monitoring found 11% of supplier workers worked more than 60 hours a week, above the RBA limit (Dell FY25 Impact by the Numbers, 2025). Source · search the archiveFound and being fixed by the company Not counted against the grade while the company is actively fixing it, because it found and published it itself. | PartlyDell ran 171 closure audits in FY25 and reports 94% of priority and 74% of major findings closed or downgraded. |
| 2025 | Dell's own supplier monitoring found workers had paid prohibited recruitment fees, a forced labour risk; suppliers repaid US$352,090 to 6,419 workers in FY26 (Dell Modern Slavery Statement FY26, 2026). Source · search the archiveFound and being fixed by the company Not counted against the grade while the company is actively fixing it, because it found and published it itself. | YesDell had suppliers repay US$352,090 in recruitment fees to 6,419 workers in FY26. |
| 2013 | DanWatch and China Labor Watch found heavy overtime, chemical exposure and student interns, some under 18, at four Chinese factories making Dell PC parts (PCWorld, 2013). Source · search the archive | Not knownDell said it had audited the factories and would investigate; no outcome for workers was published. |
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.
- KnowTheChain recorded two allegations of forced labour in Dell's supply chains and found Dell did not disclose what it did about them or any remedy for workers (KnowTheChain, 2025). Source
- Hefei Bitland, a Chinese laptop component maker that one outlet reported supplies Dell (others named HP and Lenovo), was accused of using Uyghur workers transferred under government programmes and was added to the US Entity List in July 2020 (ChannelNews, 2020). Source
Sources and actions
Sources 6
Show all 6 sources
- KnowTheChain 2025 ICT Benchmark scorecard: Dell Technologies · search the archive · Scored 26/100, 11th of 45; full supplier list; no-fee policy; two forced labour allegations without disclosed remedy
- Dell Technologies Modern Slavery Statement FY26 (Australian Modern Slavery Register) · search the archive · FY26: US$352,090 fees repaid to 6,419 workers; 16,139 worker interviews; about 97,000 staff; own sites in US, MY, CN, BR, IN, PL, IE
- Dell faces scrutiny for alleged labor violations at factories in China (PCWorld, 2013) · search the archive · DanWatch and China Labor Watch found excessive overtime, chemical exposure and underage student interns at four Dell suppliers
- PC manufacturers face human abuse bans (ChannelNews, 2020) · search the archive · Hefei Bitland, accused of using Uyghur forced labour, reported to supply HP, Sony and Dell
Published by Dell or its owner
- Dell Technologies Public Supplier List (December 2025) · search the archive · 341 sites, at least 95% of FY25 spend; 39 final assembly/ODM sites, 9 run by Dell; China 12, Taiwan 7, Vietnam 5, Mexico 4, Thailand 3
- Dell Technologies FY25 Impact by the Numbers · search the archive · 270 initial and 171 closure audits; 88.9% of workers within 60 hours; 94.1% priority findings closed; about 108,000 employees
Company details
- Owned by
- Dell Technologies Inc.
- Headquarters
- United States
- Employees
- About 97,000
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Dell ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/dell, last researched 3 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
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