London, UK — More than a year after Shein reportedly promised to tackle excessive working hours in its supply chain, it has been revealed that some employees at the Chinese fast-fashion company are still working 75-hour weeks.

According to a report from CNN, an investigation by Public Eye, the Swiss human rights advocacy group that first highlighted the alleged abuse back in 2021, some staff members worked an average 12 hours per day.

“The 75-hour weeks that we found out about two years ago still seem to be common at Shein,” the Swiss organisation said. CNN said the Public Eye interviewed 13 textile workers employed at six factories last summer and found that staff worked an average of 12 hours a day, “excluding lunch and dinner breaks, and usually for six or seven days a week.”

According to the CNN report, Public Eye also claimed that workers’ wages had hardly changed since its 2021 report. They fluctuated between 6,000 and 10,000 yuan per month (US$829 and US$1,382). However, after deducting pay for overtime, wages fell to about 2,400 (US$332) a month — well below the 6,512 yuan (US$900) the Public Eye says is a living wage in China.

However, in a statement to CNN, Shein said that it “does not recognise many of the allegations in (Public Eye’s) report.”

“The Public Eye report is based on a sample of 13 interviewees and, though all voices in our supply chain are important, this small sample size should be seen in the context of our comprehensive ongoing process to continually improve our supply chain, which involves engaging with thousands of suppliers and workers within the supply chain,” it reportedly expressed.

A spokesperson for Shein reportedly told CNN that the company requires its suppliers to cap workers’ schedules at 60 hours per week, including overtime, and to give workers at least one day off a week. Staff also have the right to refuse to work overtime.