Hermès
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 2 November 2026 · 7 sources
Family-controlled Paris luxury house selling leather goods and silk.
There's no proof Hermès pays more than the legal minimum, which in the United States is below a living wage.
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Why it's graded Lacks transparency
- Not met: Meets 3 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.
Good requirements 3 of 6
- Not met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: no evidence
- Met: Respects worker rights
- 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
- Met: High-risk raw materials (cotton, leather, natural rubber, silk and cashmere) traced or certified, or not a major part of its rangeTraced or certified: leather and silk. Only in a few products: cotton, natural rubber and cashmere
Red flags 1
- Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
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 Hermès'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.
Bags & backpacks, Shoes, Sandals & thongs, Sneakers, Boots, Dresses & skirts, Knitwear, Jackets & coats, Shirts, Pants & trousers: Lacks transparency, the same as Hermès overall, because nothing we know differs between them.
Holding one? Scan its barcode for an estimate that uses its care label or ingredients.
Where it's made
Hermès says which countries it makes its products in, but doesn't name the factories.
| Country | Share | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| France | 50% | Regular violations | About a living wage | Low |
| Switzerland | Not given | Regular violations | About a living wage | Low |
| Italy | Not given | Strong protections | Close to a living wage | Low |
| United Kingdom | Not given | Regular violations | Close to a living wage | Low |
| United States | Not given | Systematic violations | Below a living wage | Low |
| Portugal | Not given | Strong protections | Close to a living wage | Low |
| Australia | Not given | Strong protections | About a living wage | Low |
Evidence
What we found
- Passes the raw-material check for clothes and shoes: traces or certifies all of its silk and most of its leather.
- Modern slavery statement
- Makes part of its range in its own factories
- Traces all of its silk to the country of origin or beyond, or buys all of it certified
- Shows where its earlier production stages happen (materials and components), and they're in low-risk countries or independently audited
- Uses cotton, natural rubber and cashmere in only a few products and doesn't show where they come from. That doesn't count against it for Good, but the "Open supply chain" star needs all of them traced, certified or upcycled.
- Traces or certifies most but not all of its leather. That doesn't count against it for Good, but the "Open supply chain" star needs all of it traced, certified or upcycled.
Research notes Hermès makes about 55% of its products in its own workshops and 75% in France, including all its leather goods, across 63 French sites and 16 abroad (Switzerland, Italy, the UK, the US, Portugal and Australia); the rest comes from outside suppliers it doesn't name. Its supplier code asks only for pay in line with local law and industry standards, with no supply chain living wage commitment. It reports more than 700 supplier audits a year but scored poorly on KnowTheChain's 2023 forced labour benchmark (12/100). No confirmed labour abuses have been reported.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Australian Modern Slavery Register | Listed | Hermès Australia's 2025 modern slavery statement says about 55% of group products are made in in-house workshops and 75% are made in France. View |
| UK Modern Slavery Statement Registry | Listed | Hermès (G.B) Limited's 2025 statement reports more than 700 supplier audits across the group, including over 100 each at tier 1 and tier 2 suppliers. View |
| Fashion Transparency Index (Fashion Revolution) | Listed | Placed in the 20-30% band in the 2023 Fashion Transparency Index. View |
| Business & Human Rights Resource Centre | Listed | Company profile shows a score of 12/100 in KnowTheChain's 2023 apparel and footwear forced labour benchmark; no labour abuse cases recorded. View |
| Corporate Human Rights Benchmark (World Benchmarking Alliance) | Unclear | Scored 24.1/100 in the 2023 Corporate Human Rights Benchmark (apparel), with 0 of 2 on supply chain living wages; no result shown for the 2026 edition. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 7
Show all 7 sources
- Hermès company profile (Business & Human Rights Resource Centre) · search the archive · KnowTheChain 2023 apparel and footwear benchmark score 12/100
- Hermès CHRB scorecard 2023 (World Benchmarking Alliance) · search the archive · Overall 24.1/100 in 2023; no evidence of supplier living wage work
- Leatherbiz: Hermès acquires a second French box calf tannery · search the archive · Acquisition of Tanneries du Puy brings Hermès-owned tanneries to six: five in France/Italy, one in Louisiana, US.
Published by Hermès or its owner
- Hermès Australia Pty Ltd Modern Slavery Statement FY2025 · search the archive · 55% of products made in in-house workshops; 75% made in France in 2025; no living wage commitment
- Hermès (G.B) Limited Modern slavery statement FY2025 · search the archive · 26,494 employees; over 700 supplier audits; pay required in line with local laws and industry standards
- A house of artisans and human values (Hermès) · search the archive · 63 production sites in France, 16 abroad; 75% made in France, 100% of leather goods; 55% in-house
- Hermès FAQ: Manufacture · search the archive · Leather goods made in its French workshops; all silk items woven and printed in the Lyon region; cashmere from Mongolia, wool from Scotland
Company details
- Headquarters
- France
- Employees
- About 26,494
- Last researched
- 2 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Hermès ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/hermes, last researched 2 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
Better-graded bags and accessories
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 Hermès.