“Ethical cosmetics company Lush accused of poor working conditions for Australian staff”, 20 August 2020

Workers at global ethical cosmetics company Lush claim they have suffered physical injuries and have developed breathing difficulties due to allegedly poor working conditions in the chain’s Australian factory.

Three current Lush workers … claimed that they have suffered back and wrist injuries and are given personal quotas that result in lifting the equivalent of 500kg of dry materials a day, without adequate equipment or personal protective equipment.

And during the early stages of the … pandemic, a P2 mask shortage meant they had to work for months with only surgical masks, which do not protect against particle inhalation.

Staff who spoke to Guardian Australia also alleged that some reports of sexual harassment and bullying [and homophobic comments] were effectively ignored by the company.

One worker also said he saw another employee … fall and hit his head, but claimed factory management at the time refused to call an ambulance.

In a statement, the director of Lush Australia and New Zealand, Mark Lincoln, said he was aware of complaints, and the company “always” wanted staff to feel safe.

“Since these concerns were raised, we have reviewed every past and present complaint, both formal and informal. Throughout the review period, it has become apparent that many of these issues were things we were previously unaware of, whilst other incidents were recorded and believed to be fully resolved.”

Lush Australia did not respond to specific questions about whether wrist, back and shoulder injuries were common, whether employees had developed breathing difficulties, or about P2 masks.

“Our priority at the moment is providing improved communication on the systems available, so that our staff feel empowered to access what is needed during all the ups and downs of working life,” [Lincoln] said.