Epson
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 5 sources
Japanese maker of printers, projectors and scanners.
Until Epson traces its cobalt, gold and tin to the mine, it can't show that the miners who dig them are safe or fairly paid.
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Why it's graded Lacks transparency
- Not met: Meets 3 of 6 Good requirements.
- Holds the grade back: It relies on high-risk mined materials it can't trace. That alone means a poor grade until it takes steps to trace them.
- It isn't Harm on record: the most serious problem on its record (forced labour, last recorded in 2023) has been put right.
- 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. Epson looks for problems in its own supply chain and publishes what it finds. It found forced labour in 2023 and is fixing it, so it doesn't count against the grade. It's 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 rightsJudged on where its products are made: worker rights are poorly protected in China, Malaysia and Indonesia.
- 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.
- Met: Names the factories or farms that make its products, or is fully certified by a scheme that holds and audits that listMakes its products in its own factories
- 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: Relies on high-risk mined materials it can't trace
- 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
From Epson's own disclosure: it makes its products in its own factories. Its list covers only part of its range. 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 |
| Malaysia | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Indonesia | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Japan | Strong protections | Close to a living wage | Low |
| Philippines | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Thailand | 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 |
| 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.
- Owns or runs its own production
- Modern slavery statement
- Independent social audits of all its main factories
- 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 Epson makes most products in its own plants: inkjet printers and projectors in China, Indonesia and the Philippines, with other manufacturing sites in Japan, Malaysia and Thailand and smaller ones in the UK, US, Brazil and Italy; it gives no production shares, and its site list does not say what each plant makes. It joined the RBA in 2019 and its main Asian factories have held RBA Gold or Platinum audit ratings. It reports finding and repaying recruitment fees charged to migrant workers, but publishes no supplier list or living wage commitment.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Australian Modern Slavery Register | Listed | Epson Australia publishes annual modern slavery statements under the Australian Act, most recently approved in September 2025. View |
| UK Modern Slavery Statement Registry | Listed | Epson Europe and Epson Telford (UK ink cartridge plant) publish UK Modern Slavery Act statements. 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? |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Epson reported that migrant workers at one of its manufacturing companies and at an on-site subcontractor (FY2023) had been charged recruitment or broker fees, and workers at another paid for their own pre-employment medical checks (Epson human rights disclosure, 2024).Found 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. | YesEpson had the recruitment fees and pre-employment medical costs repaid to the workers and changed its processes to stop advance payments. |
Sources and actions
Sources 5
Show all 5 sources
- Epson to boost inkjet printer and 3LCD projector production volumes (Wide Format Image) · search the archive · Epson's inkjet printer and projector manufacturing facilities are in China, Indonesia and the Philippines.
Published by Epson or its owner
- Respecting Human Rights - Epson · search the archive · RBA member since 2019; 7 main sites under RBA VAP audits (Gold/Platinum); recruitment fee and medical cost cases repaid.
- Epson global network map · search the archive · Map at November 2024: manufacturing subsidiaries in China, Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, UK, US, Brazil and Italy.
- Epson FY24 Modern Slavery Act statements · search the archive · Statements for Epson Australia, Canada, Europe and Telford; products made by Seiko Epson Corporation.
- Epson Europe modern slavery statement summary (2025) · search the archive · Epson Europe files on the UK modern slavery statement registry.
Company details
- Owned by
- Seiko Epson Corporation
- Headquarters
- Japan
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Epson ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/epson, last researched 3 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
Better-graded laptops and computers
No laptops and computers 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 Epson.