News that a branch of McDonald’s and a UK supermarket bread supplier unwittingly employed victims of slavery should serve as a warning to anyone recruiting from overseas or who employs migrant workers.
The fast-food chain, Asda, Co-op, M&S, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose were all named in the BBC report of the case.
While none of the brands realised that the 16 workers were victims of a Czech Republic trafficking gang, the BBC asserts that the businesses in which the men worked missed several well-established signs of slavery. For example, wages were paid into bank accounts in other people’s names and a gang member was able to sit-in on job interviews as a translator.
Sectors at high risk of employing slavery victims are identified as agriculture, construction, hospitality and textiles.
Modern slavery
Modern slavery signs ‘missed’ by McDonald’s and others
Organisations with a £36m-plus turnover have a legal obligation to prevent and address modern slavery in their operations and supply chains and must publish an annual modern slavery statement setting out their anti-slavery protocols.
HR plays a vital role in anti-slavery measures.
One of the best strategies to reduce risks is to educate teams about the warning signs to look out for. These include:
- workers without access to their own identification documents such as passports and visas which may be controlled by someone else
- people working excessive hours
- workers who appear withdrawn and isolated from others
- workers who are often accompanied to and from work by someone who speaks for them
- people who seem fearful of engaging with colleagues and are reluctant to speak or talk about personal circumstances
- signs of distress or anxiety and physical signs of mistreatment such as injury, malnourishment, or inadequate clothing
Some red flags can be identified early during the interview process. If, for example, workers are accompanied by someone else and defer to them to answer for them.
Clear reporting channels
Employers should have clear and confidential reporting channels through which employees and contractors can report concerns.
Particular attention should be paid to vulnerable workers such as migrant workers and temporary staff.
As a disproportionate number of victims of exploitation and modern-day slavery are migrant workers, UK immigration visa processes can play a crucial role in helping organisations identify them.
Sponsor licence holders are required to uphold stringent HR policies and procedures. These include the requirement for rigorous record keeping of the migrant workers’ recruitment, onboarding and ongoing employment.
Sponsors are, for example, required to keep official records that the migrant’s salary is paid to their personal bank account.
Those sponsors who are complying fully with all UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) requirements may find that, by default, they have established a positive foundation of HR compliance, with in-built systems that could help identify exploited workers early on.
If you do have suspicions that an employee is being exploited contact the police, local authorities, UK Border Force, UKVI, Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA) or charities, such as Barnardo’s, Unseen, Migrant Help, and the Refugee Council. You can also call the Modern Slavery Helpline on 0800 0121 700.
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