Palais des Thés
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 5 sources
Paris tea retailer selling loose-leaf and bagged teas.
Palais des Thés can't show that the people who grow its tea in India and Vietnam earn a living wage, which workers there are very unlikely to.
Also worth knowing
It has no full independent audit.
Better-graded tea
Graded higher than Palais des Thés, selling the same kinds of things.
Know something we've missed? Send evidence. Represent Palais des Thés? Send a right of reply.
Compare Palais des Thés with another brand
Why it's graded Lacks transparency
- Not met: Meets 1 of 5 Good requirements.
- Holds the grade back: It has 2 red flags: no evidence of a living wage and a hidden, unaudited supply chain in high-risk countries. Two or more red flags means a poor grade.
- 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 1 of 5
- Not met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: no evidence
- Not met: Respects worker rightsMost of its tea is grown in countries such as India and China, 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 or links
- Not met: Names the factories or farms that make its products, or is fully certified by a scheme that holds and audits that list
Red flags 2
- Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
- Red flag: Hidden supply chain, mostly in countries with poor worker rights
Stars it would earn as Good
None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Estimates for its products
Our rules applied to one kind of product at a time, using Palais des Thés's evidence and, where it has product lines, that line's countries. They're estimates: we don't know which factory made any single item.
- A product carrying the Fairtrade mark: Good
Holding one? Scan its barcode for an estimate that uses its care label or ingredients.
Where its tea is grown
Palais des Thés names some of the countries its tea comes from: China, India, Japan, South Korea, Nepal and Vietnam. The rest is shown as where tea is usually grown.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| India | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
| KenyaUsual for the industry | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| China | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Sri LankaUsual for the industry | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Japan | Strong protections | Close to a living wage | Low |
| South Korea | No guarantee of rights | Close to a living wage | Low |
| Nepal | Regular violations | Below a living wage | Low |
| Vietnam | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| MalawiUsual for the industry | Strong protections | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| IndonesiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
Evidence
What we found
- Risk across the industry, not a finding about this company: tea estate wages in Assam, Sri Lanka and Kenya are among the lowest of any export crop, often paid partly in kind (housing, rations).
Research notes Palais des Thés says its teams visit tea producers several times a year and that it helps some farmers convert to organic farming; its shops hold Ecocert organic certification, but in 2018 organic teas were about 20% of the range. It funds the charity Karuna-Shechen in India and Nepal, and lists single-estate teas from Japan, China, India, Nepal, South Korea and Vietnam without shares, but publishes no supplier list, supplier code, audits or wage commitments, and its range is not Fairtrade or Rainforest Alliance certified. No labour abuses linked to its suppliers have been reported.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Fairtrade (incl. FLOCERT and Fairtrade ANZ) | Not listed | Palais des Thés teas are not Fairtrade certified; its commitments page mentions organic only. View |
| Australian Modern Slavery Register | Not listed | No modern slavery statement from Palais des Thés is on the Australian register. View |
| Business & Human Rights Resource Centre | Not listed | No labour rights allegations against Palais des Thés are recorded. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 5
Show all 5 sources
- Palais des Thés obtient la certification bio (Franchise Magazine) · search the archive · Ecocert organic certification for shops in 2018; 41 organic teas, about 20% of range
- Le Palais des Thés company profile (BusinessCoot) · search the archive · Paris HQ; 250-499 staff (2021); 78 shops in France and 25 abroad (2023); €89.4m network sales 2022
- Palais des Thés Big Ben English Breakfast (Amazon.com.au) · search the archive · Palais des Thés teas listed for sale online in Australia; Yunnan and Assam black tea named
- Palais des Thés products (Ubuy Australia) · search the archive · Australian online retailer selling Palais des Thés teas
Published by Palais des Thés or its owner
- Our commitment (Palais des Thés) · search the archive · Visits producers several times a year; supports organic conversion; single-estate origins Japan, China, India, Nepal, South Korea, Vietnam; no audits or wage data
Company details
- Headquarters
- France
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Palais des Thés ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/palais-des-thes, 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 Palais des Thés.