Labour Lens

FXD Workwear

Lacks transparency

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

Clothing & footwear

Partly verified: what this means

Last researched 2 November 2026 · 5 sources

Australian brand of technical work pants, shirts and boots.

FXD Workwear's parent, Globe International, scored 16/100 in the 2024 Ethical Fashion Report, and we couldn't confirm where it makes most of its technical workwear and work boots.

Also worth knowing

Most clothes and shoes are made in countries such as China and Bangladesh, where pay is usually below a living wage and unions are heavily restricted.

Better-graded workwear and uniforms

Graded higher than FXD Workwear, selling the same kinds of things. Second-hand first.

14 op shops and resale platforms, Good by ruleBuying second-hand or refurbished: Blue Spinach and SWOP Clothing Exchange and 12 more · See them allGoodAssembled ThreadsClothing & footwearAustralian-made safety uniformsIts own factories in Australia hold Ethical Clothing Australia accreditation.GoodGoes Above and Beyond: Gives workers a real voice3 starsGame Clothing CompanyClothing & footwearCustom teamwear and activewearIts own factories in Australia hold Ethical Clothing Australia accreditation.GoodGoes Above and Beyond: Open supply chain3 starsHellwegClothing & footwearBody armour, duty belts, leather goodsIts own factories in Australia hold Ethical Clothing Australia accreditation.GoodVerified

Second-hand and refurbished goods create no new factory work, so they're Good by rule and come first.

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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, probably in high-risk countries and a failing or very low rating (Ethical Fashion Report 16/100 in 2024, for the company it's rated with). 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.

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 rightsWhere clothes and shoes are usually made, such as China and Bangladesh, 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 (cotton) traced or certified, or not a major part of its rangeNot traced or certified: cotton

Red flags 3

  • Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
  • Red flag: Probably made mostly in countries with poor worker rights, without a full independent audit of its supply chain
  • Red flag: Failing or very low score on an independent rating: Ethical Fashion Report 16/100 (2024, the company it's rated with)

Stars it would earn as Good

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

Where it's made

Not confirmed

We couldn't confirm where FXD Workwear makes most of its products, so this shows where clothes and shoes are usually made.

Where it's made, share by country, and conditions there
CountryShareWorker rightsLegal minimum wageForced labour risk
China30%No guarantee of rightsBelow a living wageModerate
Bangladesh20%No guarantee of rightsFar below a living wageModerate
Vietnam15%Systematic violationsWell below a living wageModerate
India10%No guarantee of rightsWell below a living wageHigh
Cambodia8%No guarantee of rightsFar below a living wageModerate
Türkiye7%No guarantee of rightsBelow a living wageVery high
Indonesia5%No guarantee of rightsWell below a living wageModerate
Pakistan5%No guarantee of rightsFar below a living wageHigh

Evidence

What we found

  • Modern slavery statement
  • Doesn't show where its cotton comes from. Cotton is linked to forced labour in Xinjiang and Turkmenistan, and child labour in several growing regions, so it can't be graded Good until it traces or certifies it.

Research notes FXD does not say where its clothing and boots are made. Parent Globe International reports its Tier 1 suppliers across all brands are mainly in China (59%), India, Bangladesh, the USA, Vietnam, Mexico and Fiji, but gives no breakdown for FXD and publishes no supplier list. Globe asks suppliers in high-risk countries for SEDEX membership or a recent social audit, though 16% of those factories had neither in 2025. Its supplier code requires only legal minimum wages and it has no living wage commitment.

What independent sources say

SourceResultDetails
Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion ReportProblem foundParent Globe International, which owns FXD, scored 16 out of 100 in the 2024 Ethical Fashion Report, well below the 31.3 average. (2024 edition; latest is 2026) View
Australian Modern Slavery RegisterListedCovered by Globe International's modern slavery statement; in 2025 its Tier 1 suppliers were 59% in China, 12% India and 10% Bangladesh, with 16% of high-risk factories lacking a current audit. View

Sources and actions

Sources 5

Show all 5 sources
  1. Globe International - Good Shopping Guide (ethical.org.au) · search the archive · 2024 Ethical Fashion Report score 16/100; FXD Workwear and FXD Work Boots listed as Globe brands; most products made in China (2024 edition; latest is 2026)
  2. Globe International Ethical Sourcing Policy (Dec 2024) · search the archive · Wages must meet local legal minimums; no living wage clause; APSCA audits and SEDEX for high-risk suppliers
  3. Globe International - Proprietary brands · search the archive · FXD launched in Australia by Globe International in 2012; workwear apparel and work boots

Published by FXD Workwear or its owner

  1. Globe International Modern Slavery Statement (year to June 2025) · search the archive · FXD is a Globe brand; Tier 1 suppliers China 59%, India 12%, Bangladesh 10%, USA 6%, Vietnam 4%; 16% of high-risk factories unaudited
  2. Globe International Modern Slavery Statement (year to June 2022) · search the archive · 94 Tier 1 suppliers, 55 in China; living wage research only a future goal; no supplier list

Company details

Headquarters
Australia
Last researched
2 November 2026
Cite this page
Labour Lens, "Is FXD Workwear ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/fxd, last researched 2 November 2026, accessed [date].
Method
Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means

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