Zeeman: Leading the Way with Living Wages

1 June 2026

"Living Wage is not a ceiling, it's a floor"

With approximately 9,000 direct employees across Europe, Zeeman views a Living Wage as a matter of fundamental responsibility: everyone deserves it. Recognising that many strategic suppliers' countries do not meet this standard, Zeeman decided to step up and cover the wage gap in five countries. In the eight European countries where they sell, they already adhere to established Collective Agreements.

Beyond ethics, there is a clear business case. As Joy Roeterdink explained, providing workers with greater financial security has led to increased productivity, improved product quality, better turnover, and stronger employee commitment, a positive outcome that became evident after the pilot program launched.

Pioneering Living Wages in the Supply Chain

Working with over 500 factories globally, Zeeman prioritises long-term supplier relationships, some spanning 40 years. Their Living Wage initiative began as a "learning by doing" pilot, a significant investment aimed at improving factory workers’ lives.

Simone de Vos detailed the expansion: by the end of 2022, the program had grown to involve more suppliers across four countries (Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Turkey), with China joining the program in early 2024. Initially collaborating with another Dutch company, Schijvens, Zeeman adapted the methodology to develop its own program tailored to its business model.

Today, the program encompasses 12 suppliers across five countries, positively impacting 13,000 workers and covering 29% of their total buying value. Zeeman's future commitment is to close the wage gaps for current participants and expand the program to reach 50% of its total buying value.

Practical Implementation and Learnings

The implementation involves Zeeman directly paying a fixed Living Wage "bonus" to every worker in the factory, regardless of their role. This method avoids disrupting the existing factory pay hierarchy and separates the payment from buyer negotiations. Initial supplier hesitancy was overcome through clear communication and, later, measurable results.

A key learning has been the critical importance of transparent and consistent communication with workers, especially after they began incorporating the bonus into their household budgets. A payment delay once caused unrest, prompting Zeeman to improve communication through plenary meetings, posters, and clear tools. They also collaborate with the Fair Wear Foundation for factory visits,not only to validate that payments have been correctly disbursed to workers, but also to support clear communication with workers and help manage expectations around the Living Wage bonus.

Joy Roeterdink acknowledges that while the process isn't perfect, positively impacting +12,000 workers validates the progress. Worker satisfaction surveys confirm that the Living Wage bonus makes a tangible difference, such as enabling families to send their children to school.

The Formula for Closing the Wage Gap

Zeeman calculates the Living Wage for a typical family by combining various data sources, benchmarks, and guidance from local Collective Agreements (e.g., Turkish trade union recommendations in Turkey, WageIndicator benchmarks in Pakistan).

The calculation method evolved from being based on quarterly production (which led to price fluctuations and unreliability) to a simplified approach. They now determine the Living Wage gap between the lowest-paid worker and the required Living Wage at a specific factory. Zeeman then covers a share of this gap amount corresponding to their production share in the factory, based on the previous year's volume (e.g., a 20% production share means closing 20% of the gap).

Zeeman's advice to other hesitant companies is not to wait for a "perfect calculation" but to test implementation, even in complex markets.

Essential Board-Level Commitment

Crucially, the drive for a Living Wage at Zeeman is not limited to the CSR or HR departments; it is championed and supported by the board of directors from the outset. This high-level involvement, including an annual budget allocation for pilots, has enabled teams like the CSR & Quality team to roll out a comprehensive program.

Zeeman's investment and implementation efforts place them among the frontrunners in the sector. While they remain humble, they are certainly pioneers in the Netherlands and one of the first to invest in such supply chain pilots.

The Power of Collaboration

Zeeman actively collaborates with other Dutch brands, such as Prénatal or Schijvens, sharing knowledge, organising workshops, and collectively solving supply chain challenges. A significant observation is often being the sole company running a Living Wage program in a given factory. They recognise that if other brands sourcing from the same supplier followed suit, the worker impact could triple. They prioritise knowledge exchange to encourage other stakeholders to implement Living Wages as well.

Keeping it Simple, as a Business Model

How can Zeeman offer competitively low prices while paying a Living Wage to its direct employees and across 12 factories? Joy Roeterdink explains it's not a secret but the result of an efficient and practical business model. They focus on producing a high volume of a limited number of clothing models, combined with minimal marketing investment and simple store infrastructure without fitting rooms. Simplicity and leveraging economies of scale are their strengths.

Following a 2022-2023 strategy recalibration, Zeeman prioritised being "best in cost" (e.g., basic stores, an automated warehouse, own trucks) and "best in class" (CSR as strategic importance to the business) to maintain market competitiveness. This dual focus demonstrates Zeeman's commitment to proving that social responsibility and affordability can successfully coexist in the fast-fashion market.

Written by:

Paulien Osse, Co-Founder and Global Lead Living Wages

Blanca Civit, Public Relations Lead