New Report Claims ASOS Factory Workers Are Treated Like ‘Slaves’ and ‘Machines’

If you’ve ever ordered an item from fast fashion giant ASOS, the thought, “how do they do it?” has likely passed through your head. Through a series of interviews with former and current ASOS staff, BuzzFeed has uncovered evidence of unrealistic and strict hourly requirements, managers encouraging employees not to take bathroom or water breaks at certain times, unfair termination due to health issues, last minute shift cancellations without pay, and intrusive security and monitoring. One of the former employees interviewed, Joanne Goddard, claims was terminated after having a panic attack in her position as a “picker”— she’d retrieve the orders from different places within the warehouse’s 26 miles of aisles — and asked to be reassigned to packing.