Kohl's Corporation — Ethics Grade C-

Kohl's Corporation receives an overall ethics grade of C- (42/100) on CancelCo's corporate accountability database. Sector: Fashion & Apparel. Market cap: Mid Cap.

Category scores

• labor: 40
• privacy: 85
• consumer: 35
• environment: 55
• humanRights: 25

Documented incidents (3)

• California Labor Law Settlement (medium, 2015) — Kohl's paid $2.9 million to settle a class-action lawsuit alleging they failed to pay overtime and provide meal breaks to managers. The suit claimed the company misclassified employees to avoid labor costs.
• Xinjiang Cotton Linking (high, 2021) — A report by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) identified Kohl's as one of many brands potentially benefiting from forced labor in the Xinjiang region of China. The company was urged to audit its cotton supply chain.
• Fake Discount Lawsuit (medium, 2016) — Kohl's faced a class-action lawsuit for 'phantom' sales, where products were never actually sold at the listed 'original' price. This deceived customers about the extent of their savings.

Documented good deeds

• Retail Solar Leadership — Ranked as a top retail user of onsite solar energy in the US, with over 160 locations utilizing solar panels.

Ethical alternatives

• Eileen Fisher — Certified B Corp with radical transparency in their supply chain.