Making working conditions fairer for everyone

Fairphone products are assembled under fairer working conditions in fairer factories and mines.

We talk about this a lot. And it’s something we’re very proud of. But what exactly do we mean by fairer working conditions? 

The electronics industry relies on millions of factory workers and miners who frequently face exploitative, unsafe conditions that are hazardous to both their mental and physical health. And for all their effort, they get paid poverty wages. One of our core missions at Fairphone has always been to challenge this inequitable system and change the status quo.

Through our "Fair to People" strategy, we ensure that the people behind our products benefit equitably, prioritizing safe working environments, better wages, and more worker representation. In 2025 alone, 11,084 people experienced fairer working conditions across Fairphone's supply chain. Here is a closer look at how we are making a tangible difference.

Closing the Living Wage Gap

A living wage is a basic human right, yet the broader tech industry repeatedly fails to guarantee one. At Fairphone, we believe that a fair product must pay a fair income. Through our groundbreaking Living Wage Bonus program, Fairphone pays the difference for every hour spent on its production line to guarantee a 100% living wage. In 2025, we distributed $215,000 in living wage bonuses, directly closing the pay gap for 1,650 workers across five supplier factories. This brings our grand total to over $1.25 million paid out to factory workers since the program began in 2019.

Ensuring Zero Exposure and Safer Factories

No one should have to trade their long-term health for a paycheck. Last year alone, nearly 9000 workers experienced healthier and safer working conditions while working on Fairphone devices. We actively guide our suppliers on ways to improve hazard prevention and fire preparedness, successfully helping one particular supplier achieve the rigorous ISO45001 health and safety certification in 2025.

Furthermore, as a signatory of the Towards Zero Exposure (TZE) program, we became the first company to entirely eliminate all Clean Electronics Production Network (CEPN) round two priority chemicals in our final assemblies. 

Amplifying the Worker's Voice

True empowerment requires democratic representation. We actively bring worker perspectives into factory management to ensure employees can safely speak up about their conditions. Fairphone has been providing comprehensive training on effective grievance channels for management and worker representatives at its final smartphone assembly supplier for some time now. By listening directly to worker feedback, we help guide targeted factory investments, such as renovating worker dormitories and building a new nursery room to foster a more inclusive workplace.

Beyond the Factory: Miners and E-Waste Collectors

Our commitment to fairness extends to the very beginning and end of a product's lifecycle. Upstream, we support artisanal and small-scale miners in regions like the Democratic Republic of Congo by purchasing cobalt and copper credits. These credits help mining cooperatives improve local economic and safety conditions, such as building safe changing rooms for women workers. When it comes to e-waste, we are actively exploring partnerships to empower informal e-waste pickers, exploring pre-financing models and providing personal protective equipment to create dignified and safer jobs.

We’re now a Leading Employer in the Netherlands

In June 2026, Fairphone was recognized as a Leading Employer in the Netherlands for 2026 by the Institute of Research & Data Aggregation. This award is given to the country’s top 1% as per the organization’s independent meta-study, placing us in a prestigious club alongside KPN, Ikea, and Deutsche Telekom, among others. For us, this is a unique milestone, proving our workplace culture, now 200 employees strong across 35+ nationalities, is just as impactful as our sustainable hardware.

All of our initiatives just go to show that commercial success and ethical operations are not mutually exclusive. By putting the well-being of workers first, we are demonstrating that a fairer electronics industry is entirely within reach. Here's to making the tech industry fairer for everyone involved across the board.