SB Workwear
Good. Shows the people who make its products are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 2 November 2026 · 3 sources
Victorian brand of merino blend work socks.
SB Workwear makes its merino work socks in Australia and carries the Australian Made label.
Also worth knowing
Ethical Clothing Australia checks that every worker in its Australian supply chain is paid award wages and entitlements.
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Why it's graded Good
- Met: Meets all 6 Good requirements.
- Met: No red flags.
| Star | Awarded for | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Pays above a living wage | Not earned | |
| Gives workers a real voice | Not earned | |
| Open supply chain | Not earned | |
| Finds and fixes problems, or invests in communities | Not earned |
3 stars for the first way it goes above and beyond, and one more for each further way, up to 6. About stars
Good requirements 6 of 6
- Met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: award wages independently checked (Ethical Clothing Australia)
- Met: Respects worker rights
- 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 listFully certified by Ethical Clothing Australia, which holds and audits the list of workshops. SB Workwear doesn't publish its own.
- Met: High-risk raw materials (such as cotton and leather) traced or certified, or not a major part of its rangeNone recorded in a major share of its range
Red flags 0
None found.
Accreditations 2
- Ethical Clothing AustraliaCounts as proof of a living wage for products made in Australia, because it checks workers get the legal pay rates for their job, and in Australia those are about a living wage.
- Australian MadeCounts as made in Australia for the final stage. For Good, the brand also needs to show where its materials and parts are made.
Estimates for its products
Our rules applied to one kind of product at a time, using SB Workwear'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.
Socks, Workwear: Good, the same as SB Workwear overall, because nothing we know differs between them.
Holding one? Scan its barcode for an estimate that uses its care label or ingredients.
Where it's made
SB Workwear is fully certified by Ethical Clothing Australia, which holds and audits its list of workshops.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | Strong protections | About a living wage | Low |
Evidence
What we found
- No high-risk raw materials (such as cotton and leather) are recorded in a major share of its range, so the raw-material check doesn't hold it back for Good.
- Uses little or no cotton (e.g. wool, linen or leather products)
Research notes SB Workwear is accredited by Ethical Clothing Australia, which states that 100% of its products are made in Australia and accredited, so its whole range is checked for award wages and entitlements through the local supply chain. The socks are knitted start to finish in the family business's own factory in Melbourne from merino wool, nylon and Lycra. The brand does not name its owners, headcount or where its yarn is spun, and publishes no wage figures beyond Australian award compliance. No labour complaints about the brand are on record.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Ethical Clothing Australia | Certified | Listed in the current Ethical Clothing Australia directory; 100% of products made in Australia and accredited. View |
| Fair Wear | Not listed | Not known to be a Fair Wear member; a small Australian-made brand would not normally join. View |
| B Corp directory | Not listed | No B Corp certification is claimed. View |
| Business & Human Rights Resource Centre | Not listed | No labour allegations about SB Workwear appear in news or NGO reporting. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 3
Show all 3 sources
- Ethical Clothing Australia: SB Workwear · search the archive · Listed and accredited (checked Nov 2026); 100% made in Australia; merino blend work socks; 70+ years of knitting across three generations.
- Ethical Clothing Australia: brand sitemap · search the archive · SB Workwear is among the 57 brands in the current ECA directory (updated October 2026).
Published by SB Workwear or its owner
- SB Workwear · search the archive · Socks made start to finish in its own Melbourne factory; family business; merino wool, nylon and Lycra (no cotton); ECA accredited.
Company details
- Headquarters
- Australia
- Last researched
- 2 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is SB Workwear ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/sb-workwear, last researched 2 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Good 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 SB Workwear.