O'Neill
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 2 November 2026 · 7 sources
Californian surf brand selling wetsuits and surfwear.
There's no proof O'Neill pays more than the legal minimum, which in China is below a living wage.
Better-graded swimwear and surf
Graded higher than O'Neill, selling the same kinds of things.
No swimwear and surf brand selling new goods is Good yet. These are the strongest so far.
Know something we've missed? Send evidence. Represent O'Neill? Send a right of reply.
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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, India and Bangladesh.
- 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
- Not met: High-risk raw materials (cotton) traced or certified, or not a major part of its rangeNot traced or certified: cotton
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
China has the largest share, 58%. India is next, at 18%.
| Country | Share | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| China | 58% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| India | 18% | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
| Bangladesh | 9% | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| Vietnam | 6% | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Myanmar | 5% | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Very high |
| Taiwan | 2% | Strong protections | Close to a living wage | Low |
| South Korea | 1% | No guarantee of rights | Close to a living wage | Low |
| Pakistan | 1% | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | High |
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.
Research notes O'Neill does not own factories and buys finished products from suppliers it shares with other brands. Its July 2026 facility list names 115 sites, mostly in China (67), India (21), Bangladesh (10), Vietnam (7) and Myanmar (6); shares are by site count and include some material suppliers. It is an amfori BSCI member and Accord signatory, and still sources from Myanmar under military rule. Its code only asks suppliers to work progressively towards a living wage, with no target or evidence of wages paid. All its cotton is Better Cotton, bought through mass balance, so it is not traced to farms.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Business & Human Rights Resource Centre | Listed | O'Neill did not respond in 2024 to reports of forced overtime and wage cuts at a Myanmar garment factory supplying it. View |
| Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report | Listed | Not assessed in the 2026 Ethical Fashion Report; Baptist World Aid's Good Shopping Guide lists O'Neill as an International Accord signatory, amfori BSCI and Better Cotton member, aligned with the Transparency Pledge. 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.
- Workers at New Talent Garment in Myanmar, a factory linked to O'Neill, reported in 2024 that they were made to work overtime with only two rest days a month and had pay cut if they refused; O'Neill did not respond when asked (Business & Human Rights Resource Centre, 2024). Source
Sources and actions
Sources 7
Show all 7 sources
- O'Neill Inc - Good Shopping Guide (ethical.org.au) · search the archive · Accord signatory, amfori BSCI and Better Cotton member, Transparency Pledge aligned, modern slavery statement published 2021
- Myanmar: Workers forced to work overtime with just two days off (BHRRC) · search the archive · 2024 reports of forced overtime and wage cuts at New Talent Garment, linked to O'Neill and WE Fashion; O'Neill did not respond
- O'Neill facility list, July 2026 · search the archive · 115 facilities: China 67, India 21, Bangladesh 10, Vietnam 7, Myanmar 6, Taiwan 2, South Korea 1, Pakistan 1
- Profile of O'Neill (Textiles Intelligence) · search the archive · O'Neill part owned by Logo International; O'Neill family kept the wetsuit business
Published by O'Neill or its owner
- O'Neill Europe Sustainability Report 2025 · search the archive · Sources from BD, CN, MM, VN, IN; natural fibres 36% of materials; all cotton is Better Cotton (mass balance); living wage only a code aim
- Govern our impact (O'Neill Europe) · search the archive · Does not own factories; Accord signatory since 2013; MADE in Myanmar programme; leather badges phased out 2020
- Ocean mission: supply chain (O'Neill Europe) · search the archive · amfori member since 2009, most factories BSCI audited; Tier 1 list since 2021, Tier 2 since 2022; commits to legal minimum wages
Company details
- Owned by
- Brand owned by Logo International; O'Neill family keeps the wetsuit business (O'Neill Inc, USA)
- Headquarters
- Netherlands
- Last researched
- 2 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is O'Neill ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/oneill, last researched 2 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 O'Neill.