Western Digital
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 7 sources
US maker of hard drives and external storage; spun off Sandisk in 2025.
There's no proof Western Digital pays more than the legal minimum, which in Malaysia and Thailand is below a living wage.
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Why it's graded Lacks transparency
- Not met: Meets 2 of 6 Good requirements.
- Holds the grade back: It has 2 red flags: no evidence of a living wage and unaudited production in high-risk countries. Two or more red flags means a poor grade.
- It isn't Harm on record: the most serious problem on its record (forced labour, last recorded in 2018) has been put right.
- 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.
- Checks its own supply chain. Western Digital looks for problems in its own supply chain and publishes what it finds. It found forced labour in 2023 and is fixing it, so it doesn't count against the grade. It's listed below under Confirmed issues.
Good requirements 2 of 6
- Not met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: no evidence
- Not met: Respects worker rights78% of its products are made in countries such as Malaysia and Thailand, 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 it isn't fixingIts own checks found forced labour, which it is fixing. That's listed below and doesn't count against the grade. Forced labour was found in its supply chain in 2018, which it has since put right. That's listed below and no longer counts against the grade.
- Met: Names the factories or farms that make its products, or is fully certified by a scheme that holds and audits that listMakes its products in its own factories
- Not met: Traces its cobalt, gold and other conflict minerals to the mine
Red flags 2
- Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
- Red flag: Made mostly in countries with poor worker rights, without a full independent audit of its supply chain
Stars it would earn as Good
None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Where it's made
From Western Digital's own disclosure: it makes its products in its own factories. Its list covers only part of its range. The rest is shown as where electronics are usually made.
| Country | Share | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Malaysia | 33% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Thailand | 22% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| United States | 22% | Systematic violations | Below a living wage | Low |
| China | 12% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Philippines | 11% | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| VietnamUsual for the industry | under 1% | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| TaiwanUsual for the industry | under 1% | Strong protections | Close to a living wage | Low |
| South KoreaUsual for the industry | under 1% | No guarantee of rights | Close to a living wage | Low |
| IndiaUsual for the industry | under 1% | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
Evidence
What we found
- Risk across the industry, not a finding about this company: cobalt, tin, tantalum, tungsten and gold mining carry child and forced labour risk (DR Congo, Indonesia), and assembly overtime is widespread.
- Owns or runs its own production
- Publishes its mineral smelter list and uses independently audited smelters (RMAP) for tin, tantalum, tungsten and gold
- Modern slavery statement
- It publishes its smelters or uses some recycled or responsibly mined metals, but can't yet trace its cobalt and gold to the mine.
Research notes Since spinning off its flash business as Sandisk in February 2025, Western Digital makes hard drives, with its own recording heads and media, at nine named sites: Prachinburi and Bang Pa-In (Thailand), Penang, Johor Bahru and Kuching (Malaysia), Laguna (Philippines), Shenzhen (China) and San Jose and Fremont (US); shares are by site count. It has been an RBA member since 2007 and files a conflict minerals report with a smelter list. It publishes no supplier list, audit results or living wage commitment, and scored 21/100 in the 2025 KnowTheChain ICT benchmark.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| KnowTheChain | Listed | Scored 21/100 in the 2025 KnowTheChain ICT benchmark, up from 15/100 in 2020. View |
| UK Modern Slavery Statement Registry | Listed | Western Digital (UK) Limited publishes statements under the UK Modern Slavery Act. View |
| Business & Human Rights Resource Centre | Listed | Records 2019 NGO findings on recruitment fees at Cal-Comp in Thailand; Western Digital did not respond. View |
Confirmed issues 2
Only confirmed problems are listed, and old ones drop off after 10 to 15 years. A problem the company has fully put right no longer counts against it, and nor does one it finds and is fixing itself. How problems are counted
| Last recorded | What happened | Made amends? |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Western Digital reported suppliers charging workers recruitment fees in FY2023, found through the RBA, and had about 642 workers reimbursed (Western Digital Modern Slavery Statement, 2023).Found and being fixed by the company Not counted against the grade while the company is actively fixing it, because it found and published it itself. | YesWorking with the RBA, over US$271,200 was reimbursed to about 642 supply chain workers. |
| 2018 | Electronics Watch and the Migrant Worker Rights Network found Myanmar migrants at Cal-Comp in Thailand, a supplier to Western Digital, paid fees of 30-90 days' wages and had passports held (Electronics Watch, 2019). Source · search the archivePut right The company has put this right for the people affected, so it no longer counts against the grade. | YesWestern Digital did not respond to the NGOs; in 2019 Cal-Comp agreed to repay recruitment fees to at least 10,000 Myanmar workers. |
Sources and actions
Sources 7
Show all 7 sources
- Electronics Watch statement on Cal-Comp · search the archive · Names Western Digital as a Cal-Comp buyer; excessive recruitment fees and document retention 2016-2018
- Western Digital company page (BHRRC) · search the archive · KnowTheChain ICT 2025 score 21/100 (15/100 in 2020)
- Western Digital Form 10-K FY2026 · search the archive · Own assembly and test in Prachinburi, Bang Pa-In, Penang, Johor Bahru, Kuching, Laguna, Shenzhen, San Jose, Fremont; about 40,000 staff
- Western Digital Conflict Minerals Report 2025 · search the archive · 220 smelters, 216 RMAP-conformant; smelter list in Annex A; cobalt not covered
- Walk Free MSA incidents: Western Digital 2023 (Wikirate) · search the archive · FY2023 statement: over US$271,200 reimbursed to about 642 supply chain workers
- Portable HDD and SSD drives (JB Hi-Fi) · search the archive · WD drives sold by JB Hi-Fi in Australia
Published by Western Digital or its owner
- Western Digital supply chain · search the archive · Regular RBA member since 2007; suppliers invited to RBA VAP; responsible minerals policy
Company details
- Headquarters
- United States
- Employees
- About 40,000
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Western Digital ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/western-digital, last researched 3 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
Better-graded laptops and computers
No laptops and computers brand selling new goods is Good yet. This is the strongest so far. Second-hand and refurbished goods create no new factory work, so they're Good by rule and come first.
Something missing or wrong?
Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Western Digital.