Our view on forced labour
At IKEA, we want to be a force for good for people, society and the planet, inspired by the IKEA vision to create a better everyday life for the many people.
IKEA is committed to respecting human rights across the value chain, based on the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) and the UN Children’s Rights and Business Principles. We are committed to addressing relevant root causes of negative impacts on people, society and the environment. However, we do not hold all the answers and need to work together with others to influence meaningful change and contribute to systemic improvements. We recognise our responsibility to address the negative impacts of our business on people, society and the environment. No matter where we operate, we do not accept any form of forced or bonded labour, anywhere in the IKEA value chain, be it at our own operations or operations in the IKEA value chain.
To make sure that everyone in the IKEA value chain works towards the same goal, we integrate our commitment to respect human rights into our long-term business priorities (the IKEA direction), the IKEA Sustainability strategy and IKEA People strategy and set clear standards and expectations for the IKE A business relationships and ourselves. The minimum expectations we place on our business relationships are found in the IKEA supplier code of conduct IWAY and in the IKEA franchisee code of conduct IConduct.
Both IWAY and IConduct are based on internationally recognised standards and principles, such as the UNGPs, the Ten Principles of the UN Global Compact, the ILO Centenary Declaration for the Future of Work, ILO labour standards and many others.
Supplier requirements and due diligence
We believe one of the key factors to reducing the risk of negative human rights impacts, including forced labour, is having long-term mutually beneficial partnerships with suppliers and service providers based on shared values. For example, the average length of the relationship between IKEA and our home furnishing suppliers is 11 years. This gives us the opportunity to continuously work with our business partners and together tackle social and systemic issues in the IKEA value chain.
IWAY, the IKEA way of responsibly procuring products, services, materials and components and our supplier code of conduct. IWAY is based on the ambitions and commitments in the IKEA Sustainability strategy and the IKEA Supply strategy and has been the base of our work across the value chain since 2000. It is mandatory for all suppliers and service providers, and addresses issues such as child labour, forced or bonded labour, responsible recruitment, wages and working hours, among other topics.
We focus on developing and supporting our suppliers and service providers through everyday business activities. We have competent and experienced teams in social and environmental topics in many regions and countries around the world. They actively work with the IKEA suppliers close to the business operations.
Wherever we operate, we must be able to secure that our mandatory requirements concerning working conditions, and social and environmental standards are being met. To verify compliance with IWAY, we conduct announced and unannounced audits. Any warning signs of forced labour are immediately investigated, always taking into account what is in the best interest of impacted workers. When a case of forced labour is confirmed, we collaborate closely with the supplier to ensure the situation is meaningfully remediated and that workers are supported throughout the process.
If a supplier fails to comply with the IWAY requirements within a given timeframe and despite the support provided by IKEA, the supplier is phased out and the business agreement terminated. When there is a confirmed forced labour case, the business relationship is only terminated after ensuring that any impacted workers are not negatively impacted by the business termination or put at risk of falling back into forced labour. IKEA continues to monitor the case until it is fully remediated.
Our view on working responsibly across our value chain
Business requirements placed on IKEA franchisees
The IKEA brand unites hundreds of organisations all over the world, all of us committed to ensuring our brand is trusted and meaningful.
Requirements expected from IKEA franchisees are described in IConduct – the IKEA franchisee code of conduct. IConduct provides us with a strong base for ensuring that we act on our responsibility, helping us to fulfil the IKEA vision of creating a better everyday life for the many people.
The IKEA franchisees have the responsibility to comply with all applicable laws and regulations, including, health, safety, anti-corruption, data privacy, environmental, and employment laws and regulations and others. In IConduct we outline all specific requirements to live up to in the area of forced or bonded labour, among other topics.
Where IConduct requirements exceed those of applicable laws and/or regulations, franchisees must follow the requirements of IConduct. However, the applicable laws and regulations are followed if they impose standards that are contrary to and/or stricter than those set out under IConduct.
Partnerships
We know that eliminating forced labour from global supply chains and creating a positive impact on society will not be achieved by us alone. We welcome the opportunity to work closely with other stakeholders toward these goals. That’s why we play an active role, along with others, in leading the change we want to see.
One example is protecting vulnerable groups of migrant workers by ensuring responsible recruitment practices. The Leadership Group for Responsible Recruitment (LGRR) supports the Employer Pays Principle to eliminate recruitment fees being charged to workers anywhere in the world by 2026. In South-East Asia, we partnered with International Organisation for Migration (IOM) to support our suppliers in responsible recruitment of migrant workers. In 2024 IKEA Supply and IOM announced a new global partnership to promote the rights and well-being of migrant workers, employed across the IKEA supply chain.
We believe these types of initiatives, alongside dialogue and cooperation with our suppliers, governments and civil society, are crucial in the prevention of forced labour, respecting human rights and achieving our ambition to always seek to create a positive impact on people and society. We will continue to focus our efforts and collaborate to create a movement towards better working conditions and decent and meaningful work across industries. We acknowledge that in some areas and at some moments, this is a challenging journey. But by setting clear expectations, prioritising continuous development and working with others, we believe that we can contribute to a better everyday life where all people’s human rights are respected.