Hoover
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 7 sources
US-founded brand of vacuums and carpet cleaners.
There's no proof Hoover pays more than the legal minimum, which in China 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
- Not met: Respects worker rightsJudged on where its products are made: worker rights are poorly protected in China, Vietnam and Hong Kong.
- Met: Supply chain independently audited or certified, or at least 80% made in countries with strong labour standards
- Met: No confirmed child or forced labour findings or linksAn unconfirmed report of forced labour is listed below. It doesn't affect the grade.
- 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 (such as timber and cotton) traced or certified, or not a major part of its rangeNone recorded in a major share of its range
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
Where it's made
These are its parent group's countries across all its brands; Hoover doesn't say where its own products are made. The rest is shown as where homewares and appliances are usually made.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Vietnam | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Germany | Strong protections | About a living wage | Low |
| Hong Kong | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Low |
| Taiwan | Strong protections | Close to a living wage | Low |
| Thailand | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| United States | Systematic violations | Below a living wage | Low |
| IndiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
| PolandUsual for the industry | Regular violations | Close to 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
- No high-risk raw materials (such as timber and cotton) are recorded in a major share of its range, so the raw-material check doesn't hold it back for Good.
- Modern slavery statement
- Independent social audits of all its main factories
- Makes part of its range in its own factories
Research notes TTI says most products it sells in Australia, including Hoover floor care, come from TTI-owned factories in China, Germany, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand, the US and Vietnam, with the rest outsourced to suppliers in countries such as Bangladesh, Cambodia, India and Myanmar; no shares or factory list are given. Owned sites have independent SEDEX audits and TTI is an RBA member, but no results, wage data or living wage plan are published. Where the Hoover laundry and kitchen appliances Tempo sells here under an agreement with TTI are made is not disclosed. Haier (through Candy) owns the Hoover name in Europe, a separate business.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Australian Modern Slavery Register | Listed | Hoover floor care is covered by the joint 2025 statement of Techtronic Industries Australia and Vax Appliances (Australia); it reports no audit findings or cases. View |
| Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report | Not covered | Not assessed in Baptist World Aid's Ethical Fashion or Electronics reports; its Good Shopping Guide rates TTI Australia (Hoover, Vax, Dirt Devil) C overall (updated August 2026). View |
Unconfirmed reports
Credible reports that haven't been confirmed by a regulator, completed investigation or the company. They're shown for your information and don't affect the grade.
- Group-level, not Hoover products: in April 2024 US Customs blocked work gloves from Shanghai Select Safety Products, a reported maker of TTI's Milwaukee-branded gloves, over signs of prison labour; a former prisoner has also sued in the US (CBP 2024; Bloomberg Law 2025). Source
Sources and actions
Sources 7
Show all 7 sources
- Techtronic Industries Australia - Good Shopping Guide (ethical.org.au) · search the archive · TTI Australia distributes Hoover, Vax, Dirt Devil; RBA member; overall rating C
- CBP issues Withhold Release Order on Shanghai Select Safety Products and its subsidiaries · search the archive · April 2024 import ban on gloves from a Milwaukee Tool supplier over convict labour indications
- Tempo scores global appliance brand (ChannelNews, March 2026) · search the archive · TTI owns Hoover in AU/NZ; Tempo has a long-term agreement with TTI for Hoover laundry, fridges and dishwashers
- Hoover vacuums and cleaners - The Good Guys · search the archive · Hoover products sold by The Good Guys, an Australian chain with physical stores
- Hoover home appliances history (Whitegoods Help) · search the archive · Candy bought Hoover's European business in 1995 and Haier bought Candy; Hoover North America sold to TTI in 2007
Published by Hoover or its owner
- Techtronic Industries Australia and Vax Appliances (Australia) - Modern Slavery Statement 2025 · search the archive · Covers Hoover; most products from TTI-owned factories in CN, DE, HK, TW, TH, US, VN; SEDEX audits; no findings
- Vax Ltd Modern Slavery Statement FY2025 · search the archive · TTI owned sites SMETA audited, suppliers SMETA or BSCI audited; TTI is an RBA member
Company details
- Owned by
- Techtronic Industries (Hong Kong) in Australia and North America; Haier owns Hoover in Europe
- Headquarters
- Hong Kong
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Hoover ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/hoover, 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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