Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 5 sources
Australian brand of phone cases and screen protectors.
There's no proof EFM pays more than the legal minimum, which in China is below a living wage, and it has no full independent audit.
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Why it's graded Lacks transparency
- 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 untraced high-risk mined materials. Two or more red flags means a poor grade.
- It isn't Harm on record, because there's no serious confirmed problem on its record.
- 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.
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
- 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: Traces its cobalt, gold and other conflict minerals to the mine
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: Relies on high-risk mined materials it can't traceShown to explain the grade. It isn't one of the 2 red flags that set it.
- Red flag: Fails its category's raw-material check (means Lacks transparency)
Stars it would earn as Good
None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Where it's made
EFM names some of the countries it makes in: China. The rest is shown as where electronics are usually made.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| VietnamUsual for the industry | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| TaiwanUsual for the industry | Strong protections | Close to a living wage | Low |
| MalaysiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| South KoreaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Close to a living wage | Low |
| IndiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
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.
- Modern slavery statement
- Relies on metals such as cobalt, gold and tin from artisanal mines where miners, including children, face toxic dust, mercury exposure and deadly tunnel collapses. It hasn't shown any steps to trace these materials to the mine, so it's graded Lacks transparency until it does.
Research notes Stealth Group's 2024-25 modern slavery statement says Force Technology, which owns EFM, sources its goods from a Chinese manufacturer under a vendor trading agreement; the factory is not named. The group surveyed its top suppliers for modern slavery risk but reports no audit results, no confirmed cases and no living wage commitment. EFM is not covered by KnowTheChain or the Baptist World Aid ratings. The statement covers 1 July 2024 to 30 June 2025.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Australian Modern Slavery Register | Listed | Parent Stealth Group Holdings published a 2024-25 statement under the Australian Modern Slavery Act covering Force Technology. View |
| KnowTheChain | Not covered | Not assessed in the 2025 KnowTheChain ICT benchmark, which covers 45 of the largest ICT companies. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 5
Show all 5 sources
- Stealth Group to acquire Force Technology International (ASX, June 2024) · search the archive · Stealth acquires 100% of Force for about $9.5m; EFM is Force's own-label range
- EFM Zurich phone case Galaxy S26 Ultra (Bunnings) · search the archive · EFM cases for 2026 phones are sold at Bunnings
- EFM brand page (Officeworks) · search the archive · Officeworks sells EFM products in store and online
- Force Technology International (CB Insights) · search the archive · Founded 1992, based in Belmont, Western Australia; acquired by Stealth Group in June 2024
Published by EFM or its owner
- Stealth Group Holdings Modern Slavery Statement 2024-25 · search the archive · Force Technology sources goods (including electronics) from a Chinese manufacturer; supplier risk survey of top 105 suppliers; no cases reported
Company details
- Headquarters
- Australia
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is EFM ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/efm, last researched 3 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
Better-graded phones
No phones brand selling new goods is Good yet. This is 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 EFM.