BEERG Newsletter - Due Diligence: Undercover at Boohoo

An undercover investigation by London-based The Times has revealed the harsh conditions at the fast-fashion retailer Boohoo’s warehouse in Burnley, where workers label themselves “slaves” and have complained of racism, sexual harassment, gruelling targets, inadequate training and ill-fitting safety equipment. 

The investigation found the conditions, where workers are forced to walk the equivalent of a half-marathon per shift in a sweltering warehouse in which night-time temperatures can reach 32C, have led to workers collapsing in the aisles. An undercover reporter revealed staff complained they are treated as “fodder,” with managers timing their lavatory breaks and no allowances made for injuries they said they had suffered as a result of the manual work. 

Kliemt.HR Lawyers, the German affiliate of the Ius Laboris network, have posted a useful guide to the OECD’s Guidelines for Multinational Employers, with a specific focus on the employment and labour provisions of the Guidelines. With corporate due diligence legislation rapidly moving up the political agenda, the new German law kicks in on January 1 next, it is well worth a read: HERE