DHL
Flagged · AvoidOne of the world's largest international shipping and logistics companies, with EEOC settlements over race and disability discrimination in the U.S. and a repeat tax and labor fraud investigation into its Italian unit.
Last updated September 28, 2026
Reasons to avoid
Issues span:LaborTax
- The EEOC reached an $80,000 settlement with Exel Inc., operating as DHL Supply Chain, in September 2026 after the company denied a reasonable accommodation to a temporary worker with sickle cell disorder who asked for less time in a cold storage cooler. The worker was fired after her request was refused, and DHL agreed to revise its accommodation procedures and train managers on ADA compliance.
- Milan prosecutors seized €46.8 million, about $49 million, from DHL Express Italy in February 2025, accusing the unit of using false invoices and shell cooperatives to supply workers while skipping required tax and social security payments between 2019 and 2023. It was the second such seizure against a DHL unit in Italy on the same charges, after prosecutors took more than €20 million from DHL Supply Chain in 2021.
- The EEOC won an $8.7 million settlement from DHL in April 2024 after finding the company assigned Black delivery drivers in Illinois to routes in higher-crime neighborhoods while giving white drivers safer assignments, and segregated employees by race in dock work. A federal court appointed an independent monitor for four years to oversee the company's compliance with anti-discrimination practices.
- Exel Inc., operating as DHL Supply Chain, paid $2.7 million in March 2023 to settle a class action claiming its blanket ban on hiring anyone with certain past criminal convictions disproportionately screened out Black and Hispanic applicants regardless of whether the conviction related to the job. One plaintiff, a forklift driver working through a staffing agency, was denied a different forklift role over a conviction unrelated to the position.
Ethical alternatives
Shipping
USPS
United States Postal Service - unionized workers, serves all communities, lower carbon footprint.
🏛️ Public Service
Visit →Local Courier Services
Support local delivery companies that treat workers fairly and know your community.
📍 Local Business
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Sendle
Carbon-neutral shipping for small businesses with transparent pricing.
♻️ Sustainable✅ B-Corp
Visit →Common Questions
- Is DHL ethical?
- The EEOC won an $8.7 million settlement from DHL in 2024 after finding the company assigned Black delivery drivers in Illinois to routes in higher-crime neighborhoods and segregated dock work by race. Italian prosecutors separately seized €46.8 million from DHL Express Italy in 2025, accusing the unit of using false invoices and shell cooperatives to dodge tax and social security payments while supplying workers, the second such seizure from a DHL unit on the same charges since 2021.
- Why should I avoid DHL?
- DHL Supply Chain paid $2.7 million in 2023 to settle claims that its blanket ban on hiring anyone with certain past criminal convictions disproportionately screened out Black and Hispanic applicants. The EEOC also settled a disability discrimination case in 2026 after the company denied a cold storage worker's accommodation request for her sickle cell disorder and then fired her.
- What are the best ethical alternatives to DHL?
- USPS employs unionized workers, serves all communities, and has a lower carbon footprint than private carriers. Sendle is a B Corp certified, carbon-neutral shipping option for small businesses. Local courier services are also worth checking for community-based options.