Labour Lens

On

Harm on record

Harm on record. Has recent confirmed harm to workers that it hasn't put right.

Clothing & footwear

Partly verified: what this means

Last researched 2 November 2026 · 7 sources

Zurich sportswear company best known for Cloud running shoes.

In 2026, an Indonesian subcontractor printing On's shoes sacked 112 union members, and workers faced excessive hours and harassment.

Also worth knowing

On has only partly put this right.

Better-graded footwear

Graded higher than On, selling the same kinds of things. Second-hand first.

14 op shops and resale platforms, Good by ruleBuying second-hand or refurbished: Blue Spinach and SWOP Clothing Exchange and 12 more · See them allGoodJumbo Ugg AustraliaClothing & footwearAustralian-made sheepskin ugg bootsIts own factories in Australia hold Ethical Clothing Australia accreditation.GoodVerifiedRedback BootsClothing & footwearAustralian-made leather work bootsIts own factories in Australia hold Ethical Clothing Australia accreditation.GoodGoes Above and Beyond: Open supply chain3 starsVejaClothing & footwearSneakersHolds Fair Trade USA factory certification.GoodGoes Above and Beyond: Finds and fixes problems, or invests in communities3 stars

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 Harm on record

  • Not met: Meets 3 of 6 Good requirements.
  • Holds the grade back: It has 2 red flags: no proof yet of a living wage and clear breaches of labour conditions. Two or more red flags means a poor grade.
  • Holds the grade back: It's Harm on record because of a serious confirmed problem from the last 5 years that it has only partly put right: abuse of workers, last recorded in 2026.

How grades are decided

Good requirements 3 of 6

  • Not met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: working towards one
  • Not met: Respects worker rightsA confirmed problem counts against it: abuse of workers, last recorded in 2026
  • 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 listPublishes its supplier list
  • Met: High-risk raw materials (cotton) traced or certified, or not a major part of its rangeOnly in a few products: cotton

Red flags 2

  • Red flag: No proof yet that it pays a living wage (it's working towards one)
  • Red flag: Clear breaches of labour conditions

Stars it would earn as Good

None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars

Where it's made

Vietnam has the largest share, 63%. Türkiye is next, at 14%.

Where it's made, share by country, and conditions there
CountryShareWorker rightsLegal minimum wageForced labour risk
Vietnam63%Systematic violationsWell below a living wageModerate
Türkiye14%No guarantee of rightsBelow a living wageVery high
Indonesia10%No guarantee of rightsWell below a living wageModerate
Portugal5%Strong protectionsClose to a living wageLow
China2%No guarantee of rightsBelow a living wageModerate
Italy2%Strong protectionsClose to a living wageLow
Slovenia2%Strong protectionsNot ratedModerate
South Korea2%No guarantee of rightsClose to a living wageLow

Evidence

What we found

  • Uses cotton in only a few products, so the raw-material check doesn't hold it back for Good. It doesn't show where its cotton comes from. The "Open supply chain" star needs all of it traced, certified or upcycled.
  • Publishes supplier list
  • Public plan to pay a living wage within 5 years, or with measurable steps due within 5 years

Research notes On publishes a Tier 1 and Tier 2 supplier list (March 2026) with worker numbers: 42 finished-goods sites, 26 of them in Vietnam, plus Turkey, Indonesia, Portugal, China, Italy, Slovenia and South Korea. It says 80.9% of assessed Tier 1 factories meet a living wage benchmark, but this is self-reported, and it pushed its 100% target from 2025 to 2026. Public Eye found workers at an Indonesian direct supplier on the legal minimum, well below a living wage. On admits an October 2025 audit missed the abuses at its subcontractor. Good On You rates its labour practices 'Not Good Enough'.

What independent sources say

SourceResultDetails
News reporting and NGO investigationsProblem foundPublic Eye (2026) documented union busting, excessive hours and harassment at On's Indonesian subcontractor Yihong, and legal-minimum pay below a living wage at direct supplier Long Rich. 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 recordedWhat happenedMade amends?
2026A Public Eye investigation (2026) found that Yihong (PT YNI), an Indonesian subcontractor printing On shoes, sacked 112 union members in 2025 and had excessive hours, missing contracts and harassment. Source · archived copyPartlyOn paused new orders at the subcontractor; after brand and NGO pressure 64 of 112 sacked union members were reinstated in 2026 with part of their lost wages repaid.

Sources and actions

Sources 7

Show all 7 sources
  1. Campaign success: Indonesian On supplier reinstates dismissed union members (Public Eye) · search the archive · 112 union members sacked at Yihong in 2025; 64 reinstated with partial back pay in 2026; direct suppliers pay legal minimum
  2. Is On Running sustainable? (Good On You) · search the archive · Labour rating 'Not Good Enough'; no certification of its supply chain to labour standards
  3. On imposes order freeze on subcontractor following Public Eye investigation (blue News) · search the archive · On froze orders at Yihong and admitted an October 2025 independent audit missed the abuses
  4. On - Tier 1 & Tier 2 Suppliers List (March 2026) · search the archive · 42 Tier 1 sites: Vietnam 26, Turkey 6, Indonesia 4, Portugal 2, China, Italy, Slovenia, South Korea 1 each
  5. On Impact Progress Report 2025 · search the archive · 80.9% of assessed Tier 1 factories meet GLWC living wage benchmarks; 100% target moved to 2026; over 4,000 staff
  6. Union Members Reinstated at Indonesian Supplier (On press release) · archived copy · On confirms violations at Tier 2 subcontractor PT YNI, pause in production and reinstatement of 64 union members

Published by On or its owner

  1. Transparency (On) · search the archive · On links its supplier list and describes a workplace standard monitoring programme

Company details

Headquarters
Switzerland
Employees
About 4,000
Last researched
2 November 2026
Cite this page
Labour Lens, "Is On ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/on, last researched 2 November 2026, accessed [date].
Method
Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Harm on record means

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