Eight O'Clock Coffee
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 30 October 2026 · 5 sources
US supermarket coffee brand (beans, ground, pods) owned by Tata Consumer.
Eight O'Clock Coffee can't show that the people who grow its coffee in Colombia earn a living wage, which workers there are very unlikely to.
Also worth knowing
It has no full independent audit.
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Why it's graded Lacks transparency
- Not met: Meets 1 of 5 Good requirements.
- Holds the grade back: It has 2 red flags: no evidence of a living wage and a hidden, unaudited supply chain in high-risk countries. 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 5
- Not met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: no evidence
- Not met: Respects worker rightsSome of its coffee is grown in countries such as Colombia and Indonesia, 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
Red flags 2
- Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
- Red flag: Hidden supply chain, partly in countries with poor worker rights
Stars it would earn as Good
None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Estimates for its products
Our rules applied to one kind of product at a time, using Eight O'Clock Coffee's evidence and, where it has product lines, that line's countries. They're estimates: we don't know which factory made any single item.
- A product carrying the Fairtrade mark: Good
Holding one? Scan its barcode for an estimate that uses its care label or ingredients.
Where its coffee is grown
Eight O'Clock Coffee names some of the countries its coffee comes from: Colombia. The rest is shown as where coffee is usually grown.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colombia | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| BrazilUsual for the industry | Systematic violations | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| VietnamUsual for the industry | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| IndonesiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| EthiopiaUsual for the industry | Systematic violations | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| HondurasUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| PeruUsual for the industry | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| UgandaUsual for the industry | Systematic violations | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| GuatemalaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
Evidence
What we found
- Risk across the industry, not a finding about this company: coffee is on the US Department of Labor child or forced labour list for over a dozen countries, and farm-gate prices often fall below a living income.
Research notes Eight O'Clock names Colombia as an origin only through its 100% Colombian Peaks range and names no origin for the beans in its Original and other blends. Some of its coffee carries the Rainforest Alliance seal, but the share is not stated. Its parent's sustainability report covers support for women in coffee in India and Uganda; Tata Consumer's UK modern slavery statement covers its tea brands but says nothing about coffee, and no supplier list or farm-level labour checks are published.
Sources and actions
Sources 5
Show all 5 sources
- Eight O'Clock: certified product (Rainforest Alliance) · search the archive · Eight O'Clock coffee carries the Rainforest Alliance seal; sold in the US and Canada; share of range not stated
- Rainforest Alliance (Tata Consumer Products) · search the archive · Tata Consumer site lists Eight O'Clock Coffee among its brands; Rainforest Alliance content covers tea only
- International Sustainability Impact Report 2025: working in partnership (Tata Consumer) · search the archive · Eight O'Clock supports the International Women's Coffee Association, with programmes in India and Uganda; no coffee certification share or origin list
- Slavery and Human Trafficking Statement FY24-25 (Tata Consumer Products GB) · search the archive · Covers the group's international businesses including the US; addresses tea only, with no coffee sourcing information
Published by Eight O'Clock Coffee or its owner
- Eight O'Clock Coffee (official site) · search the archive · Range includes Original blend, decaf, 100% Colombian Peaks, espresso and flavoured coffee; links to Tata/Tetley sustainability report
Company details
- Owned by
- Tata Consumer Products
- Headquarters
- United States
- Last researched
- 30 October 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Eight O'Clock Coffee ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/eight-oclock-coffee, last researched 30 October 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
Better-graded beans and roasters
Something missing or wrong?
Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Eight O'Clock Coffee.