Tim Hortons
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 5 sources
Canadian coffee and doughnut chain.
We couldn't confirm where Tim Hortons gets most of its coffee.
Also worth knowing
Most coffee is grown in countries such as Brazil and Vietnam, where pay is usually below a living wage.
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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.
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 coffee is usually grown: worker rights are poorly protected in Brazil, Vietnam and Colombia.
- 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
| Star | Awarded for |
|---|---|
| Finds and fixes problems, or invests in communities |
Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Estimates for its products
Our rules applied to one kind of product at a time, using Tim Hortons'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 coffee is grown
We couldn't confirm where Tim Hortons gets most of its coffee, so this shows where coffee is usually grown.
| Country | Share | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brazil | 35% | Systematic violations | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Vietnam | 20% | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Colombia | 10% | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Indonesia | 7% | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Ethiopia | 7% | Systematic violations | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| Honduras | 6% | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Peru | 5% | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Uganda | 5% | Systematic violations | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| Guatemala | 5% | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
Evidence
What we found
- Risk across the industry, not a finding about this company: coffee is on the US Department of Labor child or forced labour list for over a dozen countries, and farm-gate prices often fall below a living income.
- Modern slavery statement
- Invests in worker and farming communities
Research notes Tim Hortons says the verifier Enveritas assesses all of its direct coffee purchases each year, including for child and forced labour, but it publishes no results, origin countries or farm list. Its Coffee for Communities programme (earlier the Coffee Partnership in Guatemala, Honduras, Brazil and Colombia) funds farmer training, childcare centres and child labour monitoring, and says it has supported over 56,000 farms since 2021. Its coffee carries no Fairtrade or Rainforest Alliance certification, and no living income commitment for farmers is published.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| US Department of Labor goods lists | Listed | Coffee from Brazil is listed for child and forced labour, and coffee from Colombia, Guatemala and Honduras, where Tim Hortons has run farmer programmes, for child labour. View |
| Fairtrade (incl. FLOCERT and Fairtrade ANZ) | Not listed | Tim Hortons coffee is not Fairtrade certified; it relies on its own programme and Enveritas verification. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 5
Show all 5 sources
- US DOL List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor · search the archive · Coffee from Brazil listed for child and forced labour; Colombia, Guatemala and Honduras for child labour.
- RBI 2025 Modern Slavery Act Report · search the archive · Canadian forced labour report; Enveritas assesses 100% of direct coffee buys; childcare centres, CLMRS; 56,000+ farms supported.
- RBI: Responsible Sourcing Approach · search the archive · Enveritas assesses all Tim Hortons coffee purchases yearly; Tims Coffee for Communities programme; vendor code.
- Tim Hortons Original Blend ground coffee (Amazon Australia) · search the archive · Tim Hortons packaged coffee sold online to Australian shoppers through Amazon Australia.
Published by Tim Hortons or its owner
- Tim Hortons introduces Partnership Blend coffee (2013) · search the archive · Coffee Partnership with 3,400+ farmers in Guatemala, Honduras, Brazil and Colombia; not a certification.
Company details
- Owned by
- Restaurant Brands International
- Headquarters
- Canada
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Tim Hortons ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/tim-hortons, 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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Something missing or wrong?
Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Tim Hortons.