Miele
VerifiedMiele treats its workers well: its factories are SA8000 certified, which includes a living wage requirement, and workers have a real say through committees or agreements.
Last researched 8 October 2026
A safe choice. Workers earn enough to live on, can stand up for their rights, and the whole supply chain is checked for child and forced labour. What this grade means
Good: 5 of 5
- Pays a living wage
- Respects worker rights
- Full supply chain audit, or made only in countries with rigorous labour standards
- No child or forced labour findings
- Publishes where its products are made (supplier list, named farms or its own factories)
Great: 1 of 3
- Pays beyond a living wage
- Finds and fixes problems, or invests directly in workers' communities
- Actively empowers workers
Needs all Good requirements plus two of these.
Red flags: 0
None found.
Where it's made
| Country | Worker rights | Legal wages | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Germany 60% | Strong protections | Close to a living wage | Low |
| Poland 15% | Some protections | Slightly below a living wage | Low |
| Czechia 7% | Strong protections | Slightly below a living wage | Low |
| China 7% | Systematic violations | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Romania 4% | Some protections | Below a living wage | Low |
| Austria 4% | Strong protections | Close to a living wage | Low |
| United States 3% | Regular violations | Below a living wage | Low |
Country conditions from the ITUC Global Rights Index, Global Slavery Index and living wage benchmarks. Certifications and audits can raise a company above its countries' baseline.
Why this grade
- Timber, cotton textiles and ceramics carry moderate raw-material risk; illegal logging is linked to forced labour in some regions. (partly offset by certification or direct sourcing)
- SA8000 factories: Factory standard with a living wage requirement, independently audited.
- Owns or runs its own production
- Independent social audits of all its main factories
- Modern slavery statement
- Actively empowers workers (ownership, worker committees, union agreements, training)
Miele, a family-owned German company, makes most of its appliances in its own 14 plants: eight in Germany plus plants in Poland (Ksawerów), the Czech Republic (Uničov), Romania (Braşov), China (Dongguan), Austria and the USA. Its plants are SA8000 certified with twice-yearly external audits, its German workforce is covered by an IG Metall collective agreement, and 94 percent of production materials by value come from Germany and other European countries. Washing machine production is moving from Gütersloh to Poland by 2027. Miele does not publish production shares by country or a supplier list, and its supplier code requires the legal minimum wage rather than a living wage. Production shares shown are estimates.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| UK Modern Slavery Statement Registry | Found | Miele Company Limited lodges modern slavery statements on the UK registry, most recently for 2024. View ↗ |
| Australian Modern Slavery Register | Unclear | No Miele Australia statement could be identified on the Australian Modern Slavery Register. View ↗ |
| Business & Human Rights Resource Centre | Unclear | The Business & Human Rights Centre has a company page for Miele Company Limited; no labour allegations against Miele were found in news coverage. View ↗ |
Sources (9)
- Miele Sustainability Report 2025 · archived copy · 14 own production sites, eight in Germany, others in Austria, Poland, Romania, Czech Republic, China and USA (since 2024); all production plants SA8000 certified with external audits twice a year; 100
- SA8000 certificate, Miele multisite (TÜV Nord) · archived copy · SA8000:2014 certificate issued by TÜV Nord, valid 2025-2028, first certified 2012, covering nine Miele sites in Germany.
- Miele production sites - Gütersloh · archived copy · Gütersloh makes washing machines and electronics; Braşov (Romania) makes electronics; plants also at Uničov (Czech Republic) and Ksawerów (Poland).
- Miele wächst weiter und baut ein Werk in den USA (press release, March 2023) · archived copy · 16 production plants: eight in Germany, one each in Austria, China, Czech Republic, Romania, Poland and USA, plus two Steelco plants.
- Miele announces global restructuring and relocates washing machine production to Poland (Industry Insider, Feb 2024) · archived copy · Washing machine manufacturing moving from Gütersloh to Ksawerów, Poland, gradually by 2027; up to 2,000 jobs cut worldwide.
- IG Metall - Einigung bei Miele: Standorte bis 2028 sicher (June 2024) · archived copy · Collective agreement with IG Metall and the general works council: German sites guaranteed to 2028, 1,300 job cuts to be voluntary, no operational layoffs until end of 2027.
- Miele Supplier Code of Conduct V1.3 (July 2026) · archived copy · Requires at least statutory minimum wage (no living wage), 48-hour week, voluntary overtime, freedom of association, bans forced and child labour; no amfori BSCI reference.
- Miele - Human rights · archived copy · Annual LkSG risk analysis; no priority risks in own operations in 2024; occupational safety the priority risk at direct suppliers; independent ombudsperson complaints procedure.
- Miele Company Limited Modern Slavery Statement · archived copy · UK subsidiary publishes a modern slavery statement under the UK Modern Slavery Act; suppliers expected to meet SA8000-based social criteria; no cases reported.
Last researched 8 October 2026 · details still being verified. Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Represent this company and think something is wrong? A right-of-reply form is coming soon.