ercol

Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.

Last researched 3 November 2026 · 6 sources

Family-owned British furniture maker known for Windsor chairs.

There's no proof ercol pays more than the legal minimum, which in China and Türkiye is below a living wage, and it has no full independent audit.

Better-graded furniture

Graded higher than ercol, selling the same kinds of things.

JardanMissing: where its earlier stages happen · Homewares, furniture & appliancesAustralian-made sofas and furniturePays or is working towards a living wage, with gaps still to close.On TrackPartly verified KoskelaMissing: where its earlier stages happen, a named supplier list and traced raw materials · Homewares, furniture & appliancesAustralian-made furniture and homewaresPays or is working towards a living wage, with gaps still to close.On TrackPartly verified PlyroomMissing: where its earlier stages happen · Homewares, furniture & appliancesPlywood furniture and storagePays or is working towards a living wage, with gaps still to close.On TrackPartly verified

None of the furniture brands we know to make furniture is Good yet. These are the strongest so far. Le Klint is Good, but we don't know that it makes furniture.

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Why it's graded Lacks transparency

Not met: Meets 1 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, 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.

How grades are decided

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 Türkiye, 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: High-risk raw materials (timber) traced or certified, or not a major part of its rangeNot traced or certified: timber

Red flags 2

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

Stars it would earn as Good

None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars

Where it's made

ercol names some of the countries it makes in: the United Kingdom, Türkiye and China. The rest is shown as where homewares and appliances are usually made.

Where it's made, share by country, and conditions there
Country	Share	Worker rights	Legal minimum wage	Forced labour risk
China	Not given	No guarantee of rights	Below a living wage	Moderate
United Kingdom	15%	Regular violations	Close to a living wage	Low
VietnamUsual for the industry	10%	Systematic violations	Well below a living wage	Moderate
Türkiye	Not given	No guarantee of rights	Below a living wage	Very high
IndiaUsual for the industry	7%	No guarantee of rights	Well below a living wage	High
PolandUsual for the industry	7%	Regular violations	Close to a living wage	Moderate
IndonesiaUsual for the industry	6%	No guarantee of rights	Well below a living wage	Moderate
MalaysiaUsual for the industry	5%	No guarantee of rights	Below a living wage	Moderate

Evidence

What we found

Modern slavery statement
Doesn't show where its timber comes from. Timber is linked to illegal logging linked to forced labour, so it can't be graded Good until it traces or certifies it.

Research notes ercol makes furniture such as its Windsor chairs in its own Princes Risborough factory, with about 150 UK staff, and says around half its manufacturing is in the UK. The rest comes from suppliers mainly in Europe, with some in Turkey and China; the European countries are not named and no split is given for them. It says it audits key suppliers and requires at least minimum wage, but publishes no supplier list or results. Some ranges use Grown in Britain ash; no FSC share is given.

What independent sources say

Source	Result	Details
UK Modern Slavery Statement Registry	Listed	Publishes a UK Modern Slavery Act statement (May 2025) naming supplier regions and describing audits, but reporting no audit results. View
Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report	Not covered	Baptist World Aid's Ethical Fashion Report does not assess furniture makers. View
Business & Human Rights Resource Centre	Unclear	No labour allegations against ercol appear in Business & Human Rights Resource Centre reporting. View

Sources and actions

Sources 6

Show all 6 sources

Grown in Britain and ercol case study (GOV.UK, 2025) · search the archive · Buckinghamshire maker using Grown in Britain certified home-grown ash
Timeless designs, responsible sourcing and four generations (Manufacturing Today, 2025) · search the archive · Around 50% of manufacturing in the UK; family-owned, fourth-generation chairman Henry Tadros; British ash
Temperature Design and ercol (Habitus Living, 2017) · search the archive · Temperature Design is the exclusive supplier of ercol in Australia and New Zealand

Published by ercol or its owner

ercol Modern Slavery Statement (2025) · search the archive · About 150 UK staff; suppliers mainly in Europe, some in Turkey and China; audits of key suppliers; minimum or living wage required
ercol Responsible Sourcing Policy (2025) · search the archive · ILO core conventions; supplier visits, third-party reviews and Sedex audits; Grown in Britain timber on select ranges
Inside the ercol factory · search the archive · Factory and offices in Princes Risborough, Buckinghamshire, where Windsor chairs are made

Company details

Owned by: Ercol Holdings (family-owned)
Headquarters: United Kingdom
Employees: About 150
Last researched: 3 November 2026
Cite this page: Labour Lens, "Is ercol ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/ercol, 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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