Haworth

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

Last researched 3 November 2026 · 7 sources

Family-owned US office furniture maker selling chairs and desks.

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

Better-graded furniture

Graded higher than Haworth, 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 2 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 2 of 6

Not met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: no evidence
Not met: Respects worker rightsSome of its products are made in countries such as China and India, 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
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: 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 partly 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

From Haworth'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 homewares and appliances are usually made.

Where it's made, and conditions there
Country	Worker rights	Legal minimum wage	Forced labour risk
China	No guarantee of rights	Below a living wage	Moderate
India	No guarantee of rights	Well below a living wage	High
Poland	Regular violations	Close to a living wage	Moderate
Germany	Strong protections	About a living wage	Low
France	Regular violations	About a living wage	Low
Portugal	Strong protections	Close to a living wage	Low
United States	Systematic violations	Below a living wage	Low
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
MalaysiaUsual for the industry	No guarantee of rights	Below a living wage	Moderate

Evidence

What we found

Owns or runs its own production
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 Haworth makes most of its furniture in its own plants in the US (Michigan, North Carolina, Mississippi), China (Shanghai), France, Germany, India, Poland and Portugal, plus partner suppliers; group sites in Italy and Switzerland mainly serve its Italian design brands. No country split or supplier list is published. A SMETA audit of the Shanghai plant in 2024 found full compliance, and 98% of suppliers have signed its code, but supplier audit results are not reported. No living wage commitment covers factory workers. Wood is used widely in desks and storage; 45% of group sites hold FSC or PEFC certification, with no certified share of timber given.

What independent sources say

Source	Result	Details
Australian Modern Slavery Register	Not listed	No Haworth statement on the Australian Modern Slavery Register. View
Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report	Not covered	Furniture makers are not assessed in Baptist World Aid's Ethical Fashion Report (latest edition 2024). (2024 edition; latest is 2026) View

Sources and actions

Sources 7

Show all 7 sources

Haworth Inc. - 2026 (FDMC 300) · search the archive · Plants in Michigan, North Carolina, Mississippi, China, France, Germany, India, Portugal, Poland, Italy, Switzerland; makes casegoods and tables
Haworth Inc. (Wikipedia) · search the archive · Privately held, family-owned; owns majority of Poltrona Frau group (Poltrona Frau, Cassina, Cappellini)

Published by Haworth or its owner

Haworth CSR Report 2024 · search the archive · Plants incl. Shanghai, Chennai, St. Hilaire, Bad Münder, Conover; 2024 SMETA at Shanghai fully compliant; 98% signed supplier code
Haworth 2025 sustainability report appendix · search the archive · 8,495 employees at end 2025; 45% of manufacturing sites FSC or PEFC certified; no living wage figure
Haworth supply chain transparency · search the archive · Haworth-owned manufacturing plus partner locations; supplier code covers forced labour; some third-party supplier audits
Haworth and the Chinese market (Haworth, 2024) · search the archive · Haworth upgrading its own plant in Shanghai's Waigaoqiao Free Trade Zone for local manufacturing
Showroom Melbourne, Australia (Haworth) · search the archive · Haworth showroom at 75-77 Flinders Lane, Melbourne, plus Sydney showroom

Company details

Headquarters: United States
Employees: About 8,495
Last researched: 3 November 2026
Cite this page: Labour Lens, "Is Haworth ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/haworth, 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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