Knoll
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 7 sources
US furniture maker known for the Barcelona chair.
There's no proof Knoll pays more than the legal minimum, which in the United States is below a living wage.
Know something we've missed? Send evidence. Represent Knoll? Send a right of reply.
Compare Knoll with another brand
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
- 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 (leather and timber) traced or certified, or not a major part of its rangeNot traced or certified: timber
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
From Knoll'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.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | Regular violations | About a living wage | Low |
| Italy | Strong protections | Close to a living wage | Low |
| United States | Systematic violations | Below a living wage | Low |
| ChinaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| VietnamUsual for the industry | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| 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
- Modern slavery statement
- 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.
- Uses leather 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 Knoll furniture is mostly made in its own plants in East Greenville and Muskegon (US), Toronto (Canada) and Foligno and Graffignana (Italy), using parts bought from suppliers; no supplier list is published. MillerKnoll's group statements describe a supplier code and third-party social audits at supplier factories but give no audit numbers or results, and report no forced or child labour found. No living wage commitment is disclosed. Wood is used widely, with FSC options but no certified share; leather is used in some seating.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| UK Modern Slavery Statement Registry | Listed | Covered by MillerKnoll's UK modern slavery statement (December 2024), which reports risk-based supplier audits and no forced or child labour cases found. View |
| Australian Modern Slavery Register | Not listed | No MillerKnoll or Knoll statement on the Australian Modern Slavery Register. View |
| Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report | Not covered | Furniture and homewares makers are not assessed in Baptist World Aid's Ethical Fashion Report (latest edition 2026). View |
Sources and actions
Sources 7
Show all 7 sources
- MillerKnoll Form 10-K, fiscal 2026 · search the archive · Owned plants in East Greenville, Muskegon, North York, Foligno and Graffignana; products made mainly by own subsidiaries
- Knoll Inc. Form 10-K FY2019 (SEC) · search the archive · Knoll manufacturing sites in East Greenville PA, Michigan, New York, Connecticut, Toronto, and Foligno and Graffignana, Italy
- Living Edge welcomes Knoll · search the archive · July 2024: Living Edge adds Knoll to its Australian showrooms in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth
- Knoll, Inc. (Wikipedia) · search the archive · Acquired by Herman Miller in 2021
Published by Knoll or its owner
- MillerKnoll report on forced labour and child labour in Canada (FY2023) · search the archive · Covers Knoll, Inc., with manufacturing sites in East Greenville, Muskegon and Toronto; third-party supplier audits; no forced or child labour found
- MillerKnoll modern slavery and human trafficking statement · search the archive · Dec 2024 group statement: in-house and outsourced production, risk-based third-party supplier audits, no forced or child labour found
- MillerKnoll global forest protection policy · search the archive · Prioritises FSC chain-of-custody suppliers; leather also covered; no certified share given
Company details
- Owned by
- MillerKnoll, Inc.
- Headquarters
- United States
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Knoll ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/knoll, last researched 3 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
Better-graded furniture
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.
Something missing or wrong?
Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Knoll.