All commercial organisations with a global annual turnover of £36 million or above, who do any business in the UK are now required to publish a Slavery and Human Trafficking Statement each financial year following the passing of the UK’s Modern Slavery Act 2015.

Any organisation or group will be required to produce a statement if it:

• is a body corporate or a partnership, wherever incorporated;
• carries on a business, or part of a business, in the UK;
• supplies goods or services; and
• has an annual turnover of £36 million or more.
   

The statement must be accessible from a link on the organisation’s website homepage.  The statement must include ‘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, and in any part of its own business’.

Failure by a commercial organisation to publish a statement may result in the UK Secretary of State obtaining an injunction compelling it to do so.  There is also the possibility of an unlimited fine if the organisation is found to be in contempt of the injunction.

This new legal requirement came into force on 29 October 2015. Any organisation with a current financial year-end date on or after 31 March 2016 will have to publish a statement for this financial year.  Organisations with a financial year-end date before 31 March 2016 will not have to prepare a statement until the next financial year.