Tick Tock

Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.

Last researched 3 November 2026 · 7 sources

Family-owned British rooibos tea brand.

There's no proof the people who grow its tea earn more than the legal minimum, which in South Africa is below a living wage.

Better-graded tea

Graded higher than Tick Tock, selling the same kinds of things.

Trade AidTeaFair trade tea, coffee, chocolateHolds WFTO Guaranteed Fair Trade and publishes its suppliers.GoodGoes Above and Beyond Daintree TeaTeaAustralian-grown unblended black teaMakes its products in its own factories in Australia, where legal wages are close to a living wage.GoodGoes Above and Beyond Numi Organic TeaTeaOrganic and fair trade teasHolds Fairtrade certification.GoodGoes Above and Beyond

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Why it's graded Lacks transparency

Not met: Meets 1 of 5 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.

How grades are decided

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 rightsJudged on where its tea is grown: worker rights are poorly protected in India, Kenya and Sri Lanka.
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 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

Accreditations 1

Certified organicNot a labour standard, so it doesn't affect the grade.

Estimates for its products

Our rules applied to one kind of product at a time, using Tick Tock'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

From product labels; Tick Tock doesn't say where its tea is grown. The rest is shown as where tea is usually grown.

Where its tea is grown, and conditions there
Country	Worker rights	Legal minimum wage	Forced labour risk
South Africa	Regular violations	Below a living wage	Low
IndiaUsual for the industry	No guarantee of rights	Well below a living wage	High
KenyaUsual for the industry	Systematic violations	Well below a living wage	Moderate
Sri LankaUsual for the industry	Systematic violations	Well below a living wage	Moderate
ChinaUsual for the industry	No guarantee of rights	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 Tick Tock's rooibos is grown in the Cederberg region of South Africa, the only place rooibos grows, and packed in the UK by Tick Tock Teas Ltd in Newbury. Most of its range is sold as organic, but it names no farms, publishes no prices paid and holds no Fairtrade or other labour certification, so conditions for South African farm workers who harvest its rooibos are not disclosed. Woolworths has listed Tick Tock organic rooibos in Australia, but those listings are no longer live; it is sold on Amazon Australia.

What independent sources say

Source	Result	Details
Fairtrade (incl. FLOCERT and Fairtrade ANZ)	Not listed	Tick Tock teas are not Fairtrade certified; the Good Shopping Guide rates it Poor on Fairtrade and ethical accreditation. View
UK Modern Slavery Statement Registry	Not covered	No modern slavery statement; as a small family company it is likely below the UK reporting threshold. View
US Department of Labor goods lists	Not listed	South African rooibos is not on the 2024 US Department of Labor list of goods made with child or forced labour. View
Business & Human Rights Resource Centre	Not listed	No allegations involving Tick Tock found on the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre. View

Sources and actions

Sources 7

Show all 7 sources

2024 List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor - US DOL · search the archive · Rooibos from South Africa not listed
Tick Tock Original Rooibos 40 tea bags - Waitrose · search the archive · Listed as organic; packed in UK by Tick Tock Teas Ltd, Newbury; rooibos grown in the Cederberg; no Fairtrade or RA label
Tick Tock Rooibos Tea Bags x40 - McGrocer · search the archive · Cederberg 'only place on earth where rooibos grows'; packed in UK from imported ingredients; independent family company
Tick Tock Tea - The Good Shopping Guide · search the archive · Parent Tea Times Trading Ltd; rated Good on organic, Poor on Fairtrade and ethical accreditation
Rooibos tea's Jewish roots run deep - SA Jewish Report (2020) · search the archive · Bruce Ginsberg founded Dragonfly Tea and its sister brand Tick Tock; family history in Clanwilliam rooibos
Tick Tock Organic Original Rooibos Tea (40) - Amazon.com.au · search the archive · Sold to Australian shoppers through Amazon Australia
Tick Tock Organic Rooibos Original Tea - Woolworths (listing no longer live) · search the archive · Previously listed by Woolworths Australia; page now returns not found

Company details

Owned by: Tea Times Trading Ltd
Headquarters: United Kingdom
Last researched: 3 November 2026
Cite this page: Labour Lens, "Is Tick Tock ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/tick-tock, last researched 3 November 2026, accessed [date].
Method: Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means

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