What is fairwashing? Learn what fairwashing is and how to spot it

Fairwashing, which is greenwashing’s insidious cousin that refers to companies covering up or misdirecting attention away from poor labour practices through dishonest or misleading marketing, isn’t as well known but is an extremely important part of the sustainability movement. So, I want to write about it and shed some light on this disturbing practice.

Surprisingly little has been written about this - a quick google search of the word brings up a lot of information about machine learning and AI. And, while I’m sure that stuff is important, it’s not what we want to write about today. 

Since information about fairwashing is relatively scarce (from what I can find, at least), much of this information is based on my own observations and professional opinion as someone who works in marketing, has done work to improve the employee experience at two different companies and is obsessed with sustainability and social justice. Mash all those things together and you end up with someone who has a lot of opinions on topics like fairwashing and greenwashing, haha!

So read on to learn more about fairwashing - what it is, how to spot it, how brands can avoid fairwashing and what consumers can do to avoid buying fairwashed products.

What is fairwashing?

Fairwashing is what happens when companies misrepresent how fair and equitable their company is in terms of wages and equality.

Sometimes this misrepresentation is explicit and takes the form of outright lies, sometimes this misrepresentation is sneaky and involves using meaningless words like “made with care” (but not made with fair wages, which is conveniently forgotten) or out-of-context reports that make the company look more equitable than it really is.

Why do companies fairwash?

In order to avoid taking accountability, save face and save money by not paying their workers fairly. It really is that simple, unfortunately. It all comes down to money and reputation!

Why fairwashing matters

Fairwashing is a big deal because it prevents people from truly voting with their dollar to support truly ethical brands and makes it really difficult to hold shady brands accountable. If a brand says they are “ethically made” in order to draw in conscious consumers, it’s very likely that consumer money will go towards that brand vs a brand that is actually doing things ethically.

And the bottom line is that treating workers unfairly is cruel and unjust, and no one should have to work all day just to barely make ends meet or not make ends meet no matter how hard they work.

Truly ethical brands do the right thing and pay their workers appropriate wages for work done. Brands that are genuinely invested in the wellbeing of their workers also generally offer culturally appropriate benefits that may include health and dental coverage, childminding, small business loans, funding local schools, continuing education funding, agricultural education, gender equity training, diversity and inclusion training and more.  These are the companies we want to support!

How to spot fairwashing

There are a few things to look for when spotting fairwashing. And, while it can be tricky to spot, you can start to develop a knack for spotting the red flags that could indicate fairwashing.

Fairwashing red flag #1: Vague claims that are not verifiable.

If a company claims that their products are “fairly made,” “made with love,” “thoughtfully crafted” etc but the products are not made in a place that has reasonable minimum wage requirements and there is no information available either on their website or by request, that can be a red flag. I should note that sometimes this is simply a case of poor communication - many small, genuinely sustainable brands and companies are run by one or two individuals who have to handle everything from sourcing packaging to making the products to updating their website to managing their social media presence. Sometimes things slip through the cracks in terms of communication or what info is on the website, and it does not necessarily indicate fairwashing. As long as they are willing to provide information and clarify your questions with specific information, that is a good sign. 

Fairwashing red flag #2: Conflating one equality-minded practice with equality and fairness in the whole company.

A good example of this is large corporations (who will remain nameless because I don’t want to be sued) who have one or two products that qualify for fair trade certification but then, through marketing efforts, make it seem like they are committed to fair labour practices throughout their whole product catalogue when most of their products are actually produced using unfair labour. And, don’t get me wrong, it’s great that they are normalizing fair trade and sourcing some products fairly. That is a good thing. What’s not good or ok is deflecting attention from the rest of their problematic behaviour by focusing on one or two anomalous fair products. In my opinion, if those companies would just create the few fair trade products and leave it at that and market them normally, that wouldn’t be fairwashing. That would just be normal product development and honest marketing. Unfortunately, though, that’s just not what happens much of the time. 

Fairwashing red flag #3: featuring marginalized people from the workplace in company/organizational imagery to make themselves look good, while doing nothing to actually support those people in the day-to-day.

This point crosses over into wokewashing territory, but I think it deserves a mention here, too. Many companies and organizations will show off their workers who are part of marginalized groups (people of colour, women, gender-non-conforming people, or those who wear visible religious garments, for example) to try to make themselves seem like a place that champions equality, inclusion and diversity while not tackling the systemic problems within their organization that keep these people oppressed.

How brands can avoid fairwashing 

The biggest thing I look for to determine whether or not a brand is fairwashing or not is honesty. As I always say, brands don’t need to be perfect, but they do need to be honest. So, if you’re a company owner, here are a few things you can do to make sure you avoid fairwashing, and avoid making claims that can be misleading, even if well-intentioned. 

Be honest about your current working conditions and what you could do to improve

If your company is making efforts to provide an equitable and fair working environment but still has some changes to make, that’s ok! Just be clear about how the company could improve and what it will take to get there. Even better if you can show progress for how your workplace(s) has been improving over time.

Voluntarily disclose wage and workplace equity information

One of the things I most appreciate is when brands release a statement about their wages in places where wages are not well understood by whoever their customer base is or not well regulated by the local government.

For example, western shoppers may want to have a breakdown of wages paid to Indian garment workers and how those wages measure up against the minimum wage and a liveable wage. Of course, in respecting the privacy of workers I never expect brands to disclose the exact salaries or wages of specific individuals (save for maybe the President or CEO if it’s a very large company), but a “lowest wage” statement or wage range statement can go a long way to offering transparency.

I also really appreciate brands that disclose gender and racial equality measurements, let consumers know who they employ in different levels and roles in the company, and let us know what they’re doing to ensure all humans have equal opportunities and treatment. 

Offer context for any diversity or equality reports 

Recently I saw one brand break down how many of their employees identified with different gender and racial identities and mapped how many people of visible minorities were in leadership positions. The brand also shared how they wanted to ensure all employees had access to leadership opportunities.

This type of disclosure is so helpful because sometimes companies will report having a 40% black or female workforce, for example, but very few of those people are in leadership positions or offered the same mentorship opportunities as their white or male counterparts, so their claim, while true, is very misleading about how equitable (or not) their company is.

What consumers can do to avoid buying from companies that fairwash

Become educated about different fair trade labels, and look for them in stores. 

Ask companies for wage information before buying from them if their wage practices are not obvious or disclosed.

Write to politicians and let them know that this is something you care about. Even places like Canada and the United States that have minimum wages in place still make use of unfair labour practices (like the piece-rate garment making system) and encounter issues with wage stealing (read my fair trade deep dive for more about this).