Fashion’s unseen workers
How the biggest fashion brands in the UK and Ireland score in their approach to homeworkers
Homeworkers are fashion’s unseen workers. Working from their homes or nearby workshops, they stitch, trim and finish clothes for factories. Homeworkers are found in many supply chains but, because their work is almost always undisclosed, it is often impossible to know which clothes have or have not been in part made by homeworkers.
Key to improving the working conditions of homeworkers is ensuring their work is recognised. This starts with brands setting inclusive, publicly available policies which make it clear to suppliers that the use of homeworkers is valued.
Policies are worthless if they are not implemented. Brands should work with their suppliers to disclose homeworking, map supply chains and improve transparency and conditions for any homeworkers they find.
Take a look below to see how well known brands* rank.
| Inclusive Homeworker policy? | Is the policy publicly available? | Is there public evidence of this brand implementing their policy? e.g. through mapping, improving wages and working conditions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| All Saints |  |  |  |
| ASDA | | | |
| ASOS |  |  |  |
| Barbour | | | |
| Boden | | | |
| Boohoo |  | | |
| Burberry | | | |
| Clarks | | | |
| Dr Martens | | | |
| F&F | | | |
| Gymshark | | | |
| JD Sports | | | |
| John Lewis | | | |
| M&S | | | |
| Matches | | | |
| Monsoon Accesorize | | |  |
| New Look | | | |
| Next | | | |
| Office | | | |
| Pentland | | | |
| River Island | | | |
| Sainsbury's | | | |
| Schuh | | | |
| Sports Direct | | | |
| Superdry | | | |
| TFG Brands London | | | |
| The White Company | | | |
| Very | | | |
*It wasn’t possible to investigate all of the brands operating in the UK, we have aimed to cover all of the major British and Irish retailers with an annual turnover of £250million or above.
All Saints: We were unable to find a publicly available Homeworking policy or any work supporting homeworkers.
ASDA: ASDA is in the process of developing a Vulnerable Worker policy within which a section on homeworking is planned but this is yet to be published.
ASOS: ASOS has a really robust policy explicitly recognising homeworking in their supply chains. In previous Modern Slavery Statements ASOS has provided detailed information on how supply chains are mapped down to the homeworker level, including the number of homeworkers found. However, ASOS’s most recent Modern Slavery Statement does not include any detail of mapping or working with homeworkers.
Barbour: Barbour has an inclusive and public Homeworking policy. We were unable to find publicly available evidence of any current mapping of homeworkers or work with homeworkers in their supply chains.
Boden: Boden has an inclusive and public Homeworking policy. Boden’s Modern Slavery Statement includes homeworkers as tier 2 suppliers and references mapping but there is no detail on the results of this mapping, for example where homeworkers have been found or how many are in their supply chains.
Boohoo: Boohoo has a clause on Homeworking in its Code of Conduct, but this falls short of an inclusive Homeworker Policy.
Burberry: Burberry has an inclusive and public Homeworking policy. We were unable to find publicly available evidence of any current mapping of homeworkers or work with homeworkers in their supply chains.
Clarks: Clarks has not published a specific Homeworking policy but in their Supplier Code of Practice homeworking is allowed.
Dr Martens: Dr Martens’ Code of Conduct contains a clause on Sub-contracting & Homeworking, but this falls short of an inclusive Homeworker Policy. It seeks to prohibit or discourage homeworking, with penalties for disclosure. Such clauses encourage concealment of the use of homeworkers, leaving them invisible to the company and therefore at greater risk of exploitation.
F&F (Tesco): We were unable to find a publicly available Homeworking policy or any work supporting homeworkers.
Gymshark: We were unable to find a publicly available Homeworking policy or any work supporting homeworkers.
JD Sports: We were unable to find a publicly available Homeworking policy or any work supporting homeworkers.
John Lewis: There is an inclusive statement of support of homeworkers on the John Lewis website, but this falls short of a full policy.
M&S: Whilst Marks and Spencer has published a statement regarding the use of homeworking, their full Homeworking policy is not available publicly. The assertion within their statement that there is no homeworking in M&S's supply chain does not encourage disclosure of homeworking by suppliers and is not inclusive.
Matches: We were unable to find a publicly available Homeworking policy or any work supporting homeworkers.
Monsoon Accessorize: Monsoon has the most developed and systematic approach to artisan homeworkers of all the companies in our survey. It has good visibility of their working conditions, with evidence of positive and sustainable impacts on the wages of homeworkers making its products.
New Look: New look has an inclusive and public Homeworker policy.
Next: Next has an inclusive Homeworker policy which is publicly available via their Supplier Hub. They also provide example documents which factories and homeworkers can use to aid in transparency. Next’s 2023 Corporate Responsibility report details a project providing training and health awareness to homeworker communities in North India, but there is no information showing mapping or work to improve working conditions for homeworkers.
Office: Office's Code of Ethics includes a clause on homeworking but this falls short of an inclusive Homeworker policy.
Pentland Brands (Berghaus, Canterbury, Ellesse, Endura, Lacoste, Mitre, Red or Dead, KangaROOS, Speedo): Pentland has an exemplary and inclusive Homeworker Policy. Previously Pentland has worked with the NGOs Homeworkers Worldwide and Cividep to map homeworkers and raise their wages. We were unable to find any evidence of any current mapping or work with homeworkers in Pentlands latest Sustainability and Modern Slavery Reports.
Primark: We were unable to find a publicly available Homeworking policy or any work supporting homeworkers.
River Island: River Island has an inclusive and public Homeworker policy. River Island’s Modern Slavery Statement references partnering with the NGO Goodweave to map homeworkers at a key supplier but does not provide detail of the mapping.
Sainsbury’s: Sainsbury’s published a Homeworking policy in 2024 but it falls short of being inclusive. It specifies that homeworking is only allowed in exceptional circumstances. Such clauses encourage concealment of the use of homeworkers, leaving them invisible to the company and therefore at greater risk of exploitation.
Schuh: We were unable to find a publicly available Homeworking policy or any work supporting homeworkers.
Sports Direct: We were unable to find a publicly available Homeworking policy or any work supporting homeworkers. The company says that it has an approach to homeworkers in assessing new suppliers, but this is not published.
Superdry: Superdry has an inclusive and public Homeworking policy. We were unable to find publicly available evidence of any current mapping of homeworkers or work with homeworkers in their supply chains.
TFG London (Hobbs, Inside Story, Phase Eight, Whistles): TFG London has a really robust policy explicitly recognising homeworking in their supply chains. TFG London’s 2023 Modern Slavery Statement discloses where they have found homeworking and details a supply chain mapping project with Transform Trade and Homeworkers Worldwide.
The White Company: The White Company has an inclusive and public Homeworking policy. The White Company's Modern Slavery Statement details previous (2018-2020) work to map and support homeworkers in their supply chain. For 2020-2022 it says the work was being continued but does not provide any detail.
Very: Very has an inclusive and public Homeworking policy. We were unable to find publicly available evidence of any current mapping of homeworkers or work with homeworkers in their supply chains.