Joules
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 6 sources
British brand selling clothing, wellington boots and homeware.
Joules can't show that the workers who make its products in Bangladesh and Vietnam earn a living wage, which workers there are very unlikely to.
Also worth knowing
It has no full independent audit.
Better-graded kids and baby
Graded higher than Joules, selling the same kinds of things. Second-hand first.
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 2 of 6 Good requirements.
- Holds the grade back: It has 2 red flags: no evidence of a living wage and unaudited production in high-risk countries. Two or more red flags means a poor grade.
- It isn't Harm on record: the most serious problem on its record (forced labour, last recorded in 2025) was found by its own checks and is being fixed.
- 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.
- Checks its own supply chain. Joules looks for problems in its own supply chain and publishes what it finds. It found forced labour in 2025 and is fixing it, so it doesn't count against the grade. It's listed below under Confirmed issues.
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 rightsMost of its products are made in countries such as China and Bangladesh, 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 it isn't fixingIts own checks found forced labour, which it is fixing. That's listed below and doesn't count against the grade.
- Met: Names the factories or farms that make its products, or is fully certified by a scheme that holds and audits that listPublishes its supplier list
- Not met: High-risk raw materials (cotton and natural rubber) traced or certified, or not a major part of its rangeNot traced or certified: cotton
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
From Joules's own disclosure: it publishes its supplier list. Its list covers only part of its range. The rest is shown as where clothes and shoes are usually made.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Bangladesh | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| Vietnam | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| India | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
| Cambodia | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| Türkiye | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Very high |
| Pakistan | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | High |
| Sri Lanka | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Morocco | Regular violations | Well below a living wage | Low |
| IndonesiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
Evidence
What we found
- Publishes supplier list
- Signed the International Accord on garment factory safety
- 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.
- Uses natural rubber in only a few products and doesn't show where it comes from. That doesn't count against it for Good, but the "Open supply chain" star needs all of it traced, certified or upcycled.
Research notes Joules publishes a tier 1 factory list; the August 2024 list has 95 factories, mostly in China and Bangladesh. Its 2026 statement also names Morocco among nine sourcing countries (share not given). It belongs to the ETI, is covered by the Bangladesh Accord/RSC and uses NEXT's audit team (102 audits, 99% unannounced), with a worker grievance app in some factories. It bans Xinjiang cotton but does not yet trace raw materials and has no living wage commitment. Rubber is used in its wellington boots.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| UK Modern Slavery Statement Registry | Listed | 2025-26 statement: 135 tier 1 suppliers in 9 countries; 102 audits, 99% unannounced; one factory dropped over wage retention. View |
| Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report | Not listed | Not in the 2026 Ethical Fashion Report; owner NEXT scored 49/100, but that rating covers only the Next and Lipsy brands. View |
| Fashion Transparency Index (Fashion Revolution) | Not covered | Not rated separately in the 2023 Fashion Transparency Index. View |
Confirmed issues 1
Only confirmed problems are listed, and old ones drop off after 10 to 15 years. A problem the company has fully put right no longer counts against it, and nor does one it finds and is fixing itself. How problems are counted
| Last recorded | What happened | Made amends? |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Joules' own audits found wage retention, a forced labour risk, at a supplier factory in 2025-26 (Joules Modern Slavery Statement, 2026). Source · search the archiveFound and being fixed by the company Not counted against the grade while the company is actively fixing it, because it found and published it itself. | PartlyJoules ended work with the factory after it showed no willingness to improve; no repayment to workers was reported. |
Sources and actions
Sources 6
Show all 6 sources
- Next (Shop Ethical!) · search the archive · NEXT's 2026 Ethical Fashion Report rating covers the Next and Lipsy brands only
- Next acquires majority stake in Joules (FashionUnited) · search the archive · NEXT bought a majority stake in Joules out of administration in 2022
- Joules Tier 1 Manufacturing Sites (August 2024) · search the archive · 95 factories: China 45, Bangladesh 27, India 13, Cambodia 4, Sri Lanka 2, Turkey 2, Pakistan 1, Vietnam 1
- Joules brand page (Next Australia) · search the archive · Joules clothing and wellies sold online to Australia through Next's Australian site
Published by Joules or its owner
- Joules 2026 Modern Slavery Statement · search the archive · 74% NEXT owned; 9 countries incl. Morocco; ETI, Accord/RSC; 102 audits; wage retention case, factory disengaged; Xinjiang ban
- Material Approach (Joules) · search the archive · Better Cotton and organic cotton used via NEXT; LWG leather; no shares given
Company details
- Headquarters
- United Kingdom
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Joules ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/joules, last researched 3 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
Something missing or wrong?
Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Joules.