Monday 26th October, 2015

From this month, all businesses operating in the UK with a turnover of £36 million or more will need to make a slavery and human trafficking statement every financial year.

This must include “a statement of the steps the organisation has taken during the financial year to ensure that slavery and human trafficking is not taking place in any of its supply chains” or that they “have taken no such steps” as the Modern Slavery Act 2015 comes into effect.

The sectors most at risk include the food and retail sectors whose intricate chains of  subcontracting mean many companies either are, or can claim to be unaware of the conditions under which their goods are made.

This legislation aims to shine a spotlite on along the whole route.

Until now, most supply chain audits have fallen around quality and compliance of the product. In the future companies will also have to look into it from a human rights perspective.

And as the statement will need to be signed off at the top - accountability sits firmly at board level.