Verification by the FWF

We maintain long-term and cooperative relationships with our producers. Still, we have no direct influence on their employment policies. We attach great importance to ensure that our products are manufactured under humane conditions. For the production of high quality products, we also need qualified and well-experienced staff.

We rely on the Fair Wear Foundation’s (FWF) monitoring system to determine and to avoid cases where the working conditions do not meet international labor standards or national labor laws. 

There were several complaints at the production facilities audited in 2014:

• Not all employees were insured under the statutory provisions.
•  Insurance was not paid 100 percent by the employer.
• Not all employees had an employment contract.
• Employment contracts were missing during probationary periods

There is a need for more education among employees regarding insurance. In some facilities, educational talks have already been introduced.

A high employee turnover rate can be a sign of employee dissatisfaction. This figure is not covered by the Fair Wear Foundation audits. During visits by the production manager, the rate of employee return after major holidays is one of the issues noted.

Labor shortages prevail in the Chinese and Vietnamese textile industries. This poses the risk that producers try to keep workers by illegitimate means. Sometimes, the last month’s wages are not paid when an employee leaves the company, or wages are only paid upon return from holidays. Facilities are checked in the FWF audits regarding this point - see also „Good working conditions for employees" .