Whirlpool
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 9 sources
US appliance maker selling fridges and washing machines.
Unsafe working conditions were documented in Whirlpool's supply chain in 2017, which it hasn't put right.
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Why it's graded Lacks transparency
- Not met: Meets 2 of 6 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: the most serious problem on its record (unsafe conditions, last recorded in 2017) is more than 5 years old.
- 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 2 of 6
- Not met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: no evidence
- Not met: Respects worker rightsA confirmed problem counts against it: unsafe conditions, last recorded in 2017
- 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
- Met: High-risk raw materials (such as timber and cotton) traced or certified, or not a major part of its rangeNone recorded in a major share of its range
Red flags 3
- Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
- Red flag: Clear breaches of labour conditions
- Red flag: A confirmed problem with pay, rights or safety not shown to be put right
Stars it would earn as Good
None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Where it's made
Whirlpool names some of the countries it makes in: the United States, Mexico and Brazil. The rest is shown as where homewares and appliances are usually made.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | Systematic violations | Below a living wage | Low |
| Mexico | Regular violations | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Brazil | Systematic violations | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| ChinaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| VietnamUsual for the industry | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| IndiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
| PolandUsual for the industry | Regular violations | Close to a living wage | Moderate |
| IndonesiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| MalaysiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
Evidence
What we found
- No high-risk raw materials (such as timber and cotton) are recorded in a major share of its range, so the raw-material check doesn't hold it back for Good.
- Modern slavery statement
- Makes part of its range in its own factories
Research notes Whirlpool lists 17 of its own plants, 10 in the US, 4 in Mexico and 3 in Brazil, and says about 80% of the major appliances it sells in the US are made there. It also sells products made by affiliates it now only part-owns, Whirlpool China and Beko Europe, and its Canadian business buys finished goods from China and the EU. It publishes no supplier list and makes no living wage commitment; its code requires only legal wages. It reported 262 supplier audits in 2025 and no forced or child labour found. US regulators and courts have repeatedly found safety breaches at its US plants.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Open Supply Hub | Listed | OSHA inspection records list 139 inspections, 306 violations and about US$286,000 in penalties at Whirlpool sites, most recently Marion, Ohio in March 2025. View |
| UK Modern Slavery Statement Registry | Listed | Whirlpool UK's statement for 2023 reports 96 supplier audits in 13 countries, minor labour findings corrected and no confirmed forced labour; the UK business moved to Beko Europe in April 2024. View |
| Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report | Listed | Graded D+ in Baptist World Aid's 2016 Behind the Barcode electronics assessment for efforts against forced labour, child labour and exploitation. View |
| Business & Human Rights Resource Centre | Listed | Company profile lists one supply chain item (conflict minerals rule) and no specific factory labour abuse case; Whirlpool did not answer the one response request. 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? |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | US safety regulator OSHA records 306 violations, 120 of them serious, across 139 inspections of Whirlpool workplaces, including fines at its Marion and Findlay (Ohio) and Amana (Iowa) appliance plants from 2023 to 2025; no deaths recorded (OSHA records, 2025). Source · search the archive | Not knownOSHA assessed penalties at each plant; no public account of further remedy for affected workers. |
| 2017 | Ohio's Industrial Commission found Whirlpool broke a specific safety rule by not providing a guarded platform over a running conveyor, after a maintenance technician fell crossing it in November 2017 and later lost his leg; the Ohio Supreme Court upheld the extra award in March 2026 (Ohio Supreme Court, 2026). Source · search the archive | NoWhirlpool contested the extra compensation award for the safety breach up to the Ohio Supreme Court, which upheld it in 2026. |
Unconfirmed reports
Credible reports that haven't been confirmed by a regulator, completed investigation or the company. They're shown for your information and don't affect the grade.
- Hourly production workers filed a proposed class action in Michigan federal court in June 2026 claiming Whirlpool did not pay them for time spent putting on safety gear before shifts (Law360, 2026). Source
Sources and actions
Sources 9
Show all 9 sources
- Whirlpool - Shop Ethical! (ethical.org.au) · search the archive · Behind the Barcode 2016 grade D+; RMI member; Whirlpool Australia is a subsidiary
- Whirlpool Corporation Form 10-K, FY2025 · search the archive · About 41,000 employees in 27 countries; manufactures in four countries; about 80% of US major appliance sales made in the US; minority stakes in Whirlpool India, Whirlpool China and Beko Europe
- State ex rel. Whirlpool Corp. v. Rice, 2026-Ohio-1094 · search the archive · Safety rule breach upheld after 2017 conveyor fall led to leg amputation; decided 31 March 2026
- OSHA record: Whirlpool · search the archive · 139 inspections, 306 violations (120 serious), US$286,166 penalties; Marion OH 2023 and 2025, Findlay OH 2024, Amana IA 2023-24
- Whirlpool didn't pay for PPE donning time, workers say (Law360, 2026) · search the archive · Proposed FLSA collective and class action by hourly production workers, Michigan federal court, June 2026
Published by Whirlpool or its owner
- Whirlpool Canada Modern Slavery Report 2025 · search the archive · 262 supplier audits in 2025; no forced or child labour found; finished goods from affiliates in US, Mexico, China, EU; local-law wage standard
- Whirlpool Sustainability Report - Responsible sourcing · search the archive · 271 supplier code audits in 2024; no supplier list or living wage disclosure
- Whirlpool UK Modern Slavery Act Statement for 2023 · search the archive · 96 supplier audits in 13 countries in 2023; minor findings corrected; UK business transferred to Beko Europe in 2024
- Whirlpool Corporation global locations · search the archive · Manufacturing plants: 10 in the US, 4 in Mexico, 3 in Brazil
Company details
- Headquarters
- United States
- Employees
- About 41,000
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Whirlpool ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/whirlpool, 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 Whirlpool.