In November 2021, Gap agreed to pay $73,263 in civil penalties, compensate two workers fired under its policies, train employees, and accept monitoring after DOJ found the company had unjustifiably reverified some non-U.S. citizens’ work authorization and required specific documents. Gap did not admit wrongdoing, disputed that its actions were unlawful, and said its electronic I-9 system was no longer in use.
Investigators found that it did discriminate against certain non-U.S. citizen employees by reverifying their permission to work without reason for doing so. They also found the company required them to produce immigration documents for the re-verification instead of permitting them to choose other valid documentation.
The Justice Department said it resolved claims that the company had reverified certain employees’ permission to work without any legal basis and asked some non-U.S. citizens to provide documentation that they still had permission to work. The department found that Gap’s electronic human resource management system contributed to the discriminatory practices at the company.
In 2007, after a report alleged children worked on Gap garments at an unauthorized New Delhi subcontractor, Gap said it canceled the order, barred the subcontractor, and would pull half its orders from the supplier for at least six months. It also pledged $200,000 for factory improvements. Gap said it knew of no abuse, while holding itself and its vendor accountable.
Some of the biggest names on the British high street are at the centre of a major sweatshop scandal. An Observer investigation has found staff at their Indian suppliers working up to 16 hours a day. Marks & Spencer, Gap and Next have all launched their own inquiries into the abuses and pledged to end the practice of excessive overtime…Workers also say that those who refuse to work the extra hours have been told to find new jobs. Those in the factory supplying Gap and Next also claim staff who refused to work extra hours were threatened and fired, a practice defined under international law as forced labour…The factory [House of Pearl] has pledged to apologise and reinstate anyone who lost their job…Viva Global [the factory supplying Marks & Spencer] say it has now taken steps to address workers' concerns.
Gap Inc. says it it is pulling half its orders from an Indian supplier for at least six months as punishment for letting Gap garments go through a New Delhi sweatshop "where at least one child was seen working on the product."
In December 2022, shareholders’ lawyer argued that Gap’s bylaws could not block a federal derivative claim alleging directors misled investors about company diversity. Gap’s directors denied the allegations and argued the suit lacked merit. The Ninth Circuit’s judges sharply questioned both sides, and the article said the outcome was uncertain.
Gap’s bylaws say all shareholder suits brought on its behalf—derivative suits—must be heard in Delaware state court. But some derivative claims, including the false proxy statements claim in this suit, can only be brought in federal court. The directors, pointing to the bylaws, said the investors’ suit is a legal impossibility.
In a March 23, 2020, response, Gap said it did not source garments from China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, while acknowledging cotton is grown and spun there. The company said it was investigating possible indirect supply-chain exposure and working with suppliers and industry partners on human-rights concerns.
We can confirm that we do not source any garments from the XUAR region. We also recognize that a significant amount of the world’s cotton supply is grown and spun there. Therefore, we are taking steps to better understand how our global supply chain may be indirectly impacted, including working with our suppliers and actively engaging with industry trade groups, expert stakeholders, and other partners to learn more and advance our shared commitment to respecting human rights.
On Sept. 26, 2002, Gap said it was settling all claims against it in a federal class-action lawsuit alleging wage-and-hour violations and other workers’ rights abuses in Saipan garment factories. Gap joined six other U.S. retailers and 23 manufacturers in the global settlement; no settlement terms are provided.
Retailer Gap Inc. on Thursday said it is settling all claims it is facing in a suit alleging violations of wage and hour laws and other workers' rights in Saipan garment factories in the U.S. Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands. Gap, the largest U.S. specialty apparel retailer, said it joined six other U.S. clothing retailers and 23 Saipan garment manufacturers in reaching a global settlement in the federal class-action lawsuit.
A June 5, 2018 report said Global Labour Justice reports highlighted alleged abuse of female garment workers at factories supplying Gap and H&M. More than 540 workers reportedly alleged abuse and workplace violations. Gap and H&M said they would investigate and condemned gender-based violence; the evidence does not give investigation outcomes.
H&M and Gap have been singled out in the two reports from Global Labour Justice, highlighting the “daily reality” of abuse faced by their female garment workers across factories in Asia, according to the Guardian.
Gap said it stopped Russia shipments in March 2022 and had not resumed. Reuters reported customs records showing 1,585 shipments to its Moscow franchisee from March 11 to July 16, most listing Gap Europe as supplier. Gap later said its franchise partner collected its final order in April; it said delayed transit accounted for later arrivals.
In March, clothing retailer Gap Inc joined numerous Western companies in announcing that it was halting deliveries to Russia to protest its invasion of Ukraine...
OpenSecrets lists $880,000 in lobbying for Gap Inc. in 2023. The supplied record does not identify the issues or specific lobbying activity.
FEC records for Gap Inc. Good Government Fund show $271,408.62 in receipts and $215,737.72 in disbursements from January 1, 2025, through October 14, 2026. All reported receipts were individual contributions; $214,500 of disbursements went to other committees. The record lists no independent expenditures.
Ian O’Reilly’s August 8, 2023, California class-action lawsuit alleges Gap gave him only 15 days’ notice of a mass layoff, rather than the 60 days required by the WARN Act. He says he was notified April 27 that his job would end May 12, while office-based staff received 60 days’ notice.
According to a class-action lawsuit filed Aug. 8 in California, Ian O'Reilly claims the company violated the WARN Act when it ended his employment with just 15 days' notice. The national labor law requires employers of 100 or more to notify affected workers 60 days in advance of mass layoffs.
OpenSecrets lists $288,144 in contributions for Gap Inc. and reports $600,000 in direct federal lobbying spending for 2026, with no subsidiary spending. Its figures cover January through June and were downloaded July 23, 2026; the site lists lobbying of Congress and federal agencies on several bills.
After Charlie Kirk’s murder in September 2025, Gap CEO Richard Dickson encouraged employees to share opinions constructively and said the company condemned violence. He described Gap’s internal “Courageous Conversations” forum as a way to explore complex topics, bridge divides and encourage respectful engagement.
In the wake of Charlie Kirk’s murder, Dickson said he was encouraging his workers to speak out, “to share opinions in constructive, not divisive ways. In that spirit, we must be clear: we condemn violence in any form.”
The Human Rights Campaign lists Gap with a 50/50 score for inclusive benefits and 20/25 for inclusive culture. The same page shows 5/20 for “No Penalty” and 5/5 points in a separate score entry; the supplied evidence does not explain the scoring categories further.
On Jan. 21, 2026, Gap CEO Richard Dickson spoke with Bloomberg in Davos about whether consumers will pay more for sustainable products and discussed Gap’s new project with Water.org. The evidence does not specify project details or outcomes.
Gap Inc. CEO Richard Dickson speaks to Bloomberg Surveillance in Davos. Dickson discusses consumer willingness to pay more for sustainable products, and explains Gap's new project with Water.org.
OpenSecrets lists Gap Inc. as spending $950,000 on lobbying in 2024, compared with $880,000 in 2023. It also reports a figure of 778 out of 9,200 for 2024, but the supplied evidence does not explain what that figure measures.
Gap Inc. president and CEO Richard Dickson was named the recipient of the Elizabeth Taylor Commitment to End AIDS Award, to be presented at the foundation’s annual ball on September 26, 2024. The foundation’s executive director cited his longstanding support for people affected by HIV and AIDS.
Dickson has a history of supporting those affected by HIV and AIDS, including through his work with the Children Affected by AIDS Foundation and serving on various boards related to healthcare and business.
On May 28, 2026, the Second Circuit upheld dismissal of a proposed class action alleging Gap misled investors about demand for Old Navy’s plus-size clothing. The court ruled that the plaintiffs could not meet the standard established by the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2024 Macquarie decision.
By Jessica Corso ( May 28, 2026, 9:07 PM EDT) -- The Second Circuit on Thursday upheld the dismissal of a proposed class action accusing The Gap Inc. of misleading investors about demand for its Old Navy brand's plus-size clothing line, ruling that the plaintiffs couldn't overcome a test imposed by the U. S. Supreme Court in 2024's Macquarie decision. . . .
On Feb. 14, 2025, Bloomberg Tax reported that the IRS said Gap overstated a $52 million tax-credit claim by seeking a refund for periods outside the Tax Court’s jurisdiction. Gap had sued over denied research and development and Hong Kong-related foreign tax credits for 2009–2013; the supplied excerpt gives no outcome.
Clothing and accessories retailer The Gap Inc. overstated its $52 million tax credit claim because the company sought a refund for periods over which the US Tax Court lacks jurisdiction, the IRS said.