Insight 5 April 2022

How to avoid modern slavery in the workplace

When we think of slavery, we often associate it with a bygone era — a time before universal human rights were officially codified into international law. Sadly, however, slavery still exists in modern times — even in countries like the UK, which has strong labour laws protecting workers from exploitation. More than 10,000 people were referred to UK authorities as possible victims of slavery in 2019, according to Anti-Slavery International, the world’s oldest human rights organisation. Of that number, nearly half were children.

Modern slavery is an especially significant problem in certain sectors, such as the construction industry. The Modern Slavery Helpline reports that construction saw more reports of modern slavery during the lockdown period than any other sector. Between March and September 2020, the helpline recorded 57 cases involving 209 potential victims.

These findings align with previous studies on modern slavery in the construction industry. A2018 report from CIOB found that in the EU, construction ranks second only to the sex industry as the most prone to exploitation.

There are many factors why workplaces in the construction industry are susceptible to modern slavery. But one reason is the sector’s high demand for manual, low-waged work — a hotbed for forced labour.

But modern slavery can happen in any workplace and any industry. The key is to identify the signs of exploitation.

What does modern slavery in the workplace look like?

Modern slavery is a broad term that refers to a wide range of exploitative practices. In the workplace, it can exist in the form of:

Human trafficking — This type of criminal exploitation involves moving people (often through international borders) using coercion, deception, fraud, or force for labour. The Essex lorry deaths of 2019, where 39 Vietnamese nationals died of a refrigerated lorry in Essex, were believed to be a human trafficking incident.
Forced labour — This type of modern slavery involves forcing workers to work under threat of harm and punishment.
Bonded labour — Also known as debt bondage, this widespread form of modern slavery involves forcing people to work to pay off their debts, often under poor working conditions and with little control over how their labour translates to debt payments.
Child slavery — Minors (i.e., below 18) are trafficked and/or forced to work, often for very low wages.

Victims of these modern slavery practices all have one thing in common: they work under illegal circumstances. Many victims are forced to work against their will and end up committing crimes during their work.

Criminal syndicates and human traffickers will often target migrant workers with promises of well-paid jobs in another country or city. In many cases, fraudsters use elaborate fake visa schemes to lure victims and take a percentage of their wages.

The poor and vulnerable are more likely to take a risk with these dubious schemes due to their desire to find a job and better their lives. However, even UK citizens can be victims of modern slavery. Anti-Slavery International notes that over a quarter of the 10,000 potential victims of slavery in 2019 were British citizens.

What can employers do to prevent modern slavery in the workplace?

Increase knowledge and awareness of modern slavery

Addressing modern slavery in the workplace requires the entire organisation, including its internal and external stakeholders, to commit to preventing, spotting and reporting labour exploitation.

The only way to do this is for everyone in the organisation to be fully aware of modern slavery and its appearance in the average workplace. More importantly, this helps anyone who’s being exploited know that they’re being victimised.

Fortunately, many small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are taking action. According to a preliminary survey we commissioned in partnership with the University of Nottingham’s Rights Lab, 67% of SMEs stated that their organisation is committed to tackling the issue of modern slavery.

We recommend offering sensitivity training and hosting open discussions about the problem of modern slavery. You can also include the labour exploitation issues in your internal corporate communications, whether it’s your employee newsletter or monthly huddles.

Nurture a culture of participation and action

Perhaps the biggest challenge of reporting modern slavery in the workplace is that it can be very difficult to spot its signs. Employers face the challenge of raising awareness about modern slavery and encouraging their workforce to recognise its signs and take appropriate action.

According to non-profit organisation Justice and Care, the signs that a person is the victim of labour exploitation include:

They show signs of physical and psychological abuse.
They work with insufficient protective equipment or suitable work clothing.
They do not have free movement at work and are always accompanied by someone controlling their every move.
They lack the training to do their work safely.
They appear frightened, withdrawn or confused.
They are transported to and from work, sometimes as part of a large group of workers.
They don’t have access to their legal documents, such as their ID or passport. The immigration agency or employer holds the documents of migrant workers.

Observe recruitment best practices

Whether you’re hiring personnel through your HR department or use a third-party staffing agency, it’s important never to cut corners and conduct thorough background checks.

For starters, that means making sure any candidates have a right to work in the UK and have the documents to show for it. You must vet any recruitment agencies you work with to comply with all relevant regulations.

Accept no shortcuts when it comes to recruitment. This will protect you from the greater risk of heavy fines.

Do your supply chain diligence

Your business is responsible for ensuring modern slavery isn’t used to provide you with raw materials or products and services. This means doing your supply chain due diligence to confirm the provenance of your raw materials and steer your business away from exploitative practices.

However, this is much easier said than done. For example, when Oxfam conducted a human rights study of Finnish supermarket SOK Group’s tomato supply chain, they found the company was sourcing its tomatoes from suppliers in Italy with terrible working conditions.

At CHAS, we offer various supply chain risk management solutions to help your organisation mitigate the risk of issues such as modern slavery. As a CHAS client, sign up free of charge and monitor your entire supply chain’s compliance with UK labour laws.

For contractors, take advantage of our industry-leading certification schemes and risk management resources, including training modules, risk assessment templates, business shield support and more.

Book a callback to learn more about our compliance and supply chain risk management services.

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