Preventing modern slavery: guidance for businesses

Slavery is often associated with organised crime which seeks to exploit vulnerable people. Genuine businesses can be targeted by those seeking to exploit individuals, often without the knowledge of that business, or the workers’ realising they are being exploited.

All staff employed within a business should be made aware of the types of exploitation. This can include Human Trafficking along with Labour, Sexual and Criminal exploitation, Domestic Servitude and Organ Harvesting. They should also know how, when and who to report any concerns to. An introduction to these issues could be included in an induction programme.

The signs and symptoms and identification of modern slavery can be included on training days, at team meetings and during one-to-one meetings. It is important to refresh the training of members of staff to ensure they remain vigilant and provide ongoing support.

Temporary workers

Workers outsourced from an agency or hired based on high demand in periods of the year, for example, Christmas, are at a higher risk of exploitation.

Policies are to be in place to ensure that these particular relationships are managed in a way that reduce any potential risk of modern slavery.

For example, having policies such as:

• the business to only use specified reputable employment agencies to source labour
• always seeking specific information from the agency before accepting employees from that agency.

Slavery and human trafficking in supply chains

A commercial organistion with an annual turnover of £36m or more must prepare a slavery and human trafficking statement for each financial year of the organisation.

The statement needs to include what the organisation has done to ensure slavery and human trafficking is not taking place in its supply chains or its own business. The report should include:

• Your organisational structure, its business and its supply chains.
• Your organisational policies in relation to slavery and human trafficking.
• Your due diligence processes in relation to slavery and human trafficking in your organisation and supply chains.
• The parts of your business and supply chains where there is a risk of slavery and human trafficking taking place, and the steps it has taken to assess and manage that risk.
• Your effectiveness in ensuring that slavery and human trafficking is not taking place in your business or supply chains, measured against such performance indicators as it considers appropriate.
• The training and capacity building about slavery and human trafficking available to its staff.

Additional information on slavery and human trafficking in supply chains on GOV.UK.

Victim awareness

Promotional material is available on the Gangmasters Licencing Authority website. Posters should be displayed in prominent areas, these may include staff entrances, canteens, locker rooms and toilets.

Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority

Additional help and guidance involving businesses and slavery are available on the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority website.

Report a case of modern slavery online on the modern slavery helpline website.