The Adidas Group appeared puzzled this week by a lengthy German newspaper report containing allegations that workers contracted through temporary work agencies at a logistical center in Rieste, Germany, were treated unfairly. The article in Die Zeit reports complaints from workers that they were asked to be permanently on call without pay for their waiting time, and that they did not receive overtime pay, among other issues. After a thorough investigation, the group rejected the criticism. The company said that none of the complaints had previously been brought to the attention of the works council, nor had any other internal mechanisms been used to address them anonymously. Adidas said it has created 281 jobs at the center in Rieste since it was opened in 2013, while providing work to 583 people through temping agencies. The Adidas Group has regularly been lauded in the last years for its employment standards, by independent organizations such as the Dow Jones Sustainability Index or Corporate Knights.

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