Wayfair sold roughly $200,000 worth of furniture to a migrant children's detention center in 2019 and refused employee demands to halt the sales or donate the profits to immigrant aid organizations. A class action filed in Massachusetts alleges Wayfair required remote customer service employees to spend 10 to 15 minutes logging into systems before each shift without pay and to work during unpaid lunch breaks, violating wage laws in eight states. In April 2026, a Massachusetts jury found Wayfair retaliated against a former manager who took medical leave and awarded her about $4.7 million.

Why are people boycotting Wayfair?

Wayfair was boycotted in 2019 after selling furniture to migrant children's detention centers and refusing to reverse course despite a worker walkout. The company is also facing ongoing wage theft litigation from customer service employees. Hundreds of employees staged a walkout to protest the detention center sales, but management maintained it was company policy to fulfill government contracts.

What are the best ethical alternatives to Wayfair?

Apt2B makes furniture to order in Los Angeles with sustainable materials. Burrow offers modular, sustainably designed furniture with easy assembly. Local furniture stores and secondhand or vintage shops let you find quality pieces while keeping money in your community and reducing waste.

Wayfair

Flagged · Avoid

Punished a manager for taking medical leave, a jury found, and outfitted a migrant children's detention center despite a staff walkout.

Last updated October 13, 2026

Reasons to avoid

Issues span:LaborHuman Rights

Jury found retaliation after medical leave
A Massachusetts jury found that Wayfair retaliated against a former manager after she took medical leave and complained about age bias, and awarded her about $4.7 million. Most of the award was punitive damages, and the jury rejected Wayfair's claim that she was fired for performance.law360.com2026-04-30
Sold furniture to migrant detention center
Wayfair sold roughly $200,000 worth of furniture to a migrant children's detention center in 2019 and refused employee demands to halt the sales or donate the profits to immigrant aid organizations. Hundreds of employees staged a walkout to protest the decision, but the company maintained that refusing government contracts was not its policy.cbsnews.com2019-06-26
Remote workers allege unpaid pre-shift login
A class action filed in federal court in Massachusetts alleges Wayfair required remote customer service employees to spend 10 to 15 minutes logging into work systems before each shift without pay, and to perform job tasks during unpaid lunch breaks. The lawsuit claims Wayfair violated wage laws in eight states including New York, Illinois, and Pennsylvania.customerexperiencedive.com2025-06-12

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Common questions

Is Wayfair ethical?: Wayfair sold roughly $200,000 worth of furniture to a migrant children's detention center in 2019 and refused employee demands to halt the sales or donate the profits to immigrant aid organizations. A class action filed in Massachusetts alleges Wayfair required remote customer service employees to spend 10 to 15 minutes logging into systems before each shift without pay and to work during unpaid lunch breaks, violating wage laws in eight states. In April 2026, a Massachusetts jury found Wayfair retaliated against a former manager who took medical leave and awarded her about $4.7 million.
Why are people boycotting Wayfair?: Wayfair was boycotted in 2019 after selling furniture to migrant children's detention centers and refusing to reverse course despite a worker walkout. The company is also facing ongoing wage theft litigation from customer service employees. Hundreds of employees staged a walkout to protest the detention center sales, but management maintained it was company policy to fulfill government contracts.
What are the best ethical alternatives to Wayfair?: Apt2B makes furniture to order in Los Angeles with sustainable materials. Burrow offers modular, sustainably designed furniture with easy assembly. Local furniture stores and secondhand or vintage shops let you find quality pieces while keeping money in your community and reducing waste.

Know of a documented reason we're missing?

Reasons to avoid

Jury found retaliation after medical leave

Sold furniture to migrant detention center

Remote workers allege unpaid pre-shift login

Ethical alternatives

Home & Gifts

Common questions