The Modern Slavery Act 2015 consolidated UK law to combat modern slavery and human trafficking, requiring businesses to identify, prevent, and mitigate modern slavery in their operations, including supply chains.
Under Section 54 of the Act, commercial organisations with an annual turnover of more than £36m must prepare a statement every financial year and include what due diligence processes have been implemented to tackle this issue.
Unfortunately, modern day slavery is not a thing of the past. It’s happening now, all around us. Some victims might be refugees, others may have financial problems. It is difficult to determine the exact number of victims, but it is estimated that there are over 40 million globally, with around 24.9 million in forced labour.
Indeed, it has recently been reported that 3 gang members have been jailed after being convicted of trafficking and modern slavery in relation to 16 victims over a period of more than 4 years, by forcing them to work at either fast food retailer McDonalds or a factory which supplied bread to some of the UK’s leading supermarkets. Key warning signs were missed in those organisations, including that the wages of four employees were being paid into the same bank account, multiple employees had the same home address, and that some of the victims were working up to 100 hours a week.
McDonalds UK says it has since improved systems for spotting potential risks, and there are calls for employers to do more in their efforts to eliminate the risks of exploitation, particularly in supply chains where it is more difficult to spot.
HR can play a significant role in ensuring modern day slavery compliance. As well as reviewing supply chains to ensure ethical sourcing practices, providing awareness training and education to the workforce will be key to spotting the signs.
Our HR & Training Consultant, Jo Mills, has experience of working with the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA) within the recruitment and manufacturing industries, particularly within fresh produce where forced labour is prevalent. GLAA is a government agency whose role is to protect vulnerable and exploited workers and investigate reports of worker exploitation and illegal activity such as human trafficking, forced labour and illegal labour provision.
Jo is experienced in implementing practical steps to reduce the risk of exploitation and her GLAA experience and Stronger Together Standards are at the heart of our Modern Day Slavery support. This can be in the form of awareness training, internal audits, or audits of your supply chain.
If your organisation would like to take steps in the fight against modern day slavery, get in touch on 01942 727200 or email enquiries@employeemanagement.co.uk to find out how we can help.