Better Health for All

The company's core products, fashion items, have no significant direct positive or negative health impact, and thus many health-related KPIs are not applicable. The company focuses on reducing CO2 emissions and microplastics, which are environmental efforts with indirect health effects.

It aims to reduce CO2 emissions by at least 50% by 2030 (from a 2019 base year) and phase out polyester and nylon by 2030. The HUGO BOSS Foundation provided emergency relief in Turkey (earthquake) and Germany (floods) in 2023 and 2024, with total donations exceeding EUR 2 million. For mental health, HUGO BOSS partnered with Youth Aware of Mental Health (YAM) in 2022, donating approximately USD 19,700 from an NFT auction to support a mental health program for young people.

Fair Money & Economic Opportunity

HUGO BOSS AG is a luxury fashion house. The provided articles focus on its labor practices, human rights due diligence, supply chain, and fair compensation for workers. There is no evidence in the articles to suggest that HUGO BOSS AG offers financial services, lending, insurance, or other money-related products to consumers or businesses.

Therefore, all KPIs related to 'Fair Money & Economic Opportunity' are not applicable to the company's business model as evidenced.

Fair Pay & Worker Respect

The company's group-wide employee satisfaction score was 78% in 2022, based on a 70% participation rate in the employee survey.

In Turkey, 28 Hugo Boss employees were dismissed for union membership, which is a violation of Turkish labor law. Local management reportedly harassed and intimidated workers attempting to join the union. Court rulings required the reinstatement of 20 dismissed workers, with 8 cases remaining pending.

Fair Trade & Ethical Sourcing

HUGO BOSS requires supply chain partners to be available for in-person audits on an annual basis.

Follow-up audits are conducted within 3 months for 'Insufficient and Risky' suppliers, within 6 months for 'Improvements Needed' suppliers, and within 12-18 months for 'Satisfying and Good' suppliers. The company reported zero cases of severe violations, such as child or forced labor, in 2023. Corrective action plans are provided to suppliers within 14 days of an audit, and violations are typically resolved within 30-45 days. The HUGO BOSS Supplier Code of Conduct, which defines social and environmental issues, is formally recognized by all suppliers and is available in 30 languages. The company excludes countries with very high human rights risk scores as sourcing markets. In 2023, 98% of cotton purchases were from more sustainable sources, and 92% of leather was sourced from tanneries certified by the Leather Working Group or comparable standards. The company scored 41% in the Fashion Transparency Index 2019, indicating that it is more likely to publish its detailed supplier list, but specific multi-tier traceability coverage is not quantified.

Honest & Fair Business

HUGO BOSS has a formal whistleblower protection policy, offering a Speak Up Channel for confidential and anonymous communication, and an external Ombudsperson (an external lawyer) for reporting misconduct.

International telephone numbers and language support are provided in over 25 languages, and the policy covers issues including discrimination, harassment, corruption, theft, and fraud. Suppliers are also required to establish their own complaint procedures and avoid retaliation. The company has an anti-corruption policy, which includes a group-wide mandatory e-learning program on compliance rules for all employees with computer access, and targeted training for employees in compliance-sensitive roles. Risk analyses and detailed audits are conducted for Group companies, and third-party due diligence is mentioned for suppliers.

Kind to Animals

Hugo Boss is not certified by any recognized cruelty-free organizations like Leaping Bunny or PETA, resulting in 0% cruelty-free certified products.

However, the company states it conducts no animal testing and rejects animal experiments, with a global ban on all animal testing across every product category. No animals have been used in testing by HUGO BOSS. The company has committed to sourcing mulesing-free wool, with 66% of pure wool products containing it in 2023, targeting 100% by 2030. Since 2016, the company has only used down not obtained through live plucking or force-feeding, and uses leather and fur exclusively as by-products of the food industry. In 2023, 87% of finished goods suppliers were covered by a valid social compliance performance assessment. The company committed to contribute approximately 10% of the EUR 100 million target volume to Collateral Good Ventures Fashion I. Hugo Boss engages in extensive dialogue with animal welfare organizations like FOUR PAWS and PETA to promote animal welfare.

No War, No Weapons

In 2022, Hugo Boss generated approximately 6.27 billion rubles (around 70 million euros) in revenue from Russia, a sanctioned regime, with over 15,000 deliveries, despite EU import/export restrictions on luxury goods (over 300 euros).

An article alleges the company circumvented these EU sanctions. The company sold its Russian subsidiary for 40 million roubles ($470,588) on August 2, 2024, after halting retail activities in March 2022. This divestment occurred over two years after the Russian invasion in February 2022, indicating a lack of a timely or robust conflict-zone divestment policy. While the company states compliance with EU sanctions, the continued substantial sales in 2022 and the allegation of circumvention are significant. The company's 2022 Sustainability Report mentions alignment with UN Sustainable Development Goals but does not explicitly commit to the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, nor does it provide evidence of third-party audits for UNGP alignment. The company's Code of Conduct includes ethical 'red lines' regarding corruption, bribery, and anti-trust law, but no specific red lines banning weapons or military engagement are mentioned. There is no evidence of exposure to controversial weapons, nor is there data on procurement from conflict-affected areas. The sale of the Russian subsidiary represents a 100% divestment from that specific asset, but the KPI is about defense-related assets, and the company is a fashion house, so this is not applicable to defense divestment.

Zero Waste & Sustainable Products

In 2024, 37-40% of transport packaging was reused in distribution centers.

For packaging sustainability, 69% of paper packaging was sourced from FSC-certified, controlled, and/or recycled materials in 2022. The company experienced a 4% increase in single-use plastic used in packaging per item in 2024, despite a target to reduce it by 30% by 2030. HUGO BOSS offers repair services and collaborates on resale, with 458 kilograms of products extending their lifetime in 2024. The company has a Circularity Strategy and trains designers to improve product circularity. Waste reduction initiatives include intelligent cutting programs to minimize production waste and reusing cardboard packaging in logistics centers. Waste reduction targets include an 80% circular apparel target by 2030 and a 10% reduction in household waste per employee by 2025 compared to 2018, with a 9% reduction achieved by 2024. Supplier requirements include clear specifications in packaging regulations for transport and a target for 100% of Tier 1 and direct Tier 2 suppliers with wet processes to comply with ZDHC MRSL by 2030. Customer education includes online care guides and how-to-repair videos. Products are designed for longevity using high-quality materials and processing techniques.