Dyson
Harm on record. Has recent confirmed harm to workers that it hasn't put right.
Last researched 2 November 2026 · 7 sources
Family-owned company selling cordless vacuums, air purifiers and hair tools.
In 2021, migrant workers at a Malaysian factory making Dyson's products worked illegal overtime and lived in substandard housing, signs of forced labour.
Also worth knowing
Dyson 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 forced or child labour. 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: forced labour, last recorded in 2021.
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 rightsMost of its products are made in countries such as China and Malaysia, where unions are heavily restricted, and it has no full supply chain audit.
- Not 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
- Not met: Names the factories or farms that make its products, or is fully certified by a scheme that holds and audits that list
- Met: High-risk raw materials (such as timber and cotton) traced or certified, or not a major part of its rangeNone recorded in a major share of its range
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: Forced, slave or child labour found in or linked to its supply chain
Stars it would earn as Good
None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Where it's made
Dyson names some of the countries it makes in: Singapore, the Philippines, Malaysia and China. The rest is shown as where homewares and appliances are usually made.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Malaysia | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Singapore | Strong protections | Not rated | Low |
| Philippines | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| VietnamUsual for the industry | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| IndiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
| PolandUsual for the industry | Regular violations | Close to a living wage | Moderate |
| IndonesiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
Evidence
What we found
- No high-risk raw materials (such as timber and cotton) are recorded in a major share of its range, so the raw-material check doesn't hold it back for Good.
- Modern slavery statement
- Makes part of its range in its own factories
Research notes Dyson makes motors and some products in its own factories in Singapore and the Philippines and uses contract manufacturers in Malaysia, the Philippines and China, but does not say how production is split or publish a supplier list. It is a Responsible Business Alliance member, runs semi-announced and unannounced supplier audits and promotes ethical recruitment agencies, but has no living wage commitment. It cut ties with Malaysian supplier ATA in 2021 over labour abuses and in 2026 settled a UK lawsuit by former ATA workers without admitting liability.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Australian Modern Slavery Register | Listed | Dyson Appliances (Aust.) lodged a modern slavery statement for 2025 (approved April 2026), naming own factories in Singapore and the Philippines and contract manufacturers in Malaysia, the Philippines and China. View |
| UK Modern Slavery Statement Registry | Listed | Dyson publishes an annual UK modern slavery statement, most recently for 2025. View |
| Business & Human Rights Resource Centre | Listed | Records the UK lawsuit by former ATA workers over alleged forced labour, settled in February 2026 with no admission of liability. View |
| News reporting and NGO investigations | Listed | In December 2021 Malaysia's labour department charged Dyson supplier ATA IMS with four breaches of worker housing standards. View |
Confirmed issues 1
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? |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | At ATA Industrial, a Malaysian factory making Dyson products, migrant workers worked overtime beyond legal limits and lived in substandard housing; Malaysia charged ATA with four labour law breaches (Reuters/FMT, 2021). Source · archived copy | PartlyDyson ended its ATA contract in 2021. In February 2026 it settled a UK lawsuit by 24 former workers on undisclosed terms, denying liability; no wider remedy is reported. |
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.
- Twenty-four migrant workers from Nepal and Bangladesh sued Dyson in London alleging forced labour, false imprisonment and assault at its former Malaysian suppliers ATA and Jabco in 2012-2021; the case settled in February 2026 without admission of liability (Leigh Day, 2026). Source
Sources and actions
Sources 7
Show all 7 sources
- UK: Dyson reaches settlement agreement with workers (BHRRC) · search the archive · February 2026 settlement with 24 Nepali and Bangladeshi workers, no admission of liability
- JTC: The Ferrari of home appliances made in Singapore · search the archive · Dyson's first in-house digital motor facility is in Tuas, Singapore, and has made over 20 million motors
- Dyson splits with Malaysia supplier (Malay Mail/Reuters) · search the archive · Dyson terminated ATA contract in 2021 over migrant worker treatment
- Dyson supplier ATA charged with 4 labour law violations (Free Malaysia Today) · archived copy · ATA charged over worker housing; overtime above legal limit; Dyson ended contract citing independent audit and whistleblower
- Dhan Kumar Limbu and others v Dyson (Leigh Day, Feb 2026) · search the archive · Claims by former ATA workers settled February 2026; Dyson denies all liability; no terms disclosed
Published by Dyson or its owner
- Dyson Appliances (Aust.) Modern Slavery Statement 2025 · search the archive · Own factories in Singapore and Philippines; contract manufacturers in Malaysia, Philippines, China; RBA member; no living wage or supplier list
- Dyson Canada Modern Slavery and Child Labour Statement 2025 · search the archive · Group HQ Singapore; over 10,000 staff; own factories Singapore and Philippines; contract makers Malaysia, Philippines, China; RBA member
Company details
- Headquarters
- Singapore
- Employees
- About 10,000
- Last researched
- 2 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Dyson ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/dyson, last researched 2 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Harm on record means
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