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Shein employees say they work long hours, with very few days off, and get paid very little.
11:51, Mon, Jan 13, 2025 | UPDATED: 11:52, Mon, Jan 13, 2025
Some Shein workers told BBC they work up to 12 hours a day (Image: Getty Images)
Shein has come under fire once more due to its working hours for employees.
The company was founded in China in 2012 and is now a leader in fast fashion, shipping to 150 countries.
With its cheap prices and quickly churned out fast fashion trend items, the controversial fashion giant is facing backlash.
Its workers sometimes work 31 days a month, they do not earn much money and are constantly battling against the clock to make as many pieces as possible due to being paid per item.
Some employees say they work 75-hour weeks despite Chinese labour laws stating the work week should not be longer than 44 hours.
Shein sells cheap items and is a huge online fast fashion retailer (Image: Getty Images)
BBC’s China Correspondent, Laura Bicker, investigated the factories used by Shein in Guangzhou.
The company declined to be interviewed but told the BBC in a statement that “Shein is committed to ensuring the fair and dignified treatment of all workers within our supply chain and is investing tens of millions of dollars in strengthening governance and compliance”.
It added: “We strive to set the highest standards for pay and we require that all supply chain partners adhere to our code of conduct. Furthermore, Shein works with auditors to ensure compliance.”
One 49-year-old woman told the BBC: “We usually work, 10, 11 or 12 hours a day.”
She added: “On Sundays we work around three hours less.”
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Many items from Shein cost around £8 to £10 (Image: Getty Images)
The woman said: “We earn so little. The cost of living is now so high.”
She explained: “We get paid per piece. It depends how difficult the item is. Something simple like a t-shirt is one-two yuan [between 11p and 23p] per piece and I can make around a dozen in an hour.”
This comes after the online retailer has made more than £1.5 billion selling cheap clothes online.
The company is gearing up for a stock market listing in London, reports The Sun.
MPs recently quizzed Shein’s lawyer Yinan Zhu over human rights, she was asked about claims the company uses cotton from forced labour camps but refused to answer questions.
Express.co.uk has contacted Shein for comment.
If you have a story you think we should be covering, get in touch with me at alycia.mcnamara@reachplc.com
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