Acting on modern slavery

In association with:

In March 2015, the UK government introduced an act that seeks to combat all aspects of modern slavery, including human trafficking, servitude and forced or compulsory labour.

The deadline for publishing a statement is six months after the end of the financial year which ends on or after 31 March 2016. Some organisations will have already been required to publish a statement; however businesses with a January 31 year end will need to prepare a statement by July 2017.

In addition, those businesses that need to comply with the act are likely to require those who supply them with goods or services to demonstrate the steps they have taken to eradicate slavery and human trafficking as part of their due diligence process.

Depending on the complexity of your supply chain, it would be beneficial to engage the relevant teams across the business and the wider network sooner rather than later to ensure sufficient time for due diligence.