Legal

Modern Slavery Statement

SEP Professional Services (SEPPS) commits to developing and adopting a proactive approach to tackling hidden labour exploitation.


Hidden labour exploitation is exploitation of job applicants or workers by third party individuals or gangs other than the employer or labour provider including rogue individuals working within these businesses but without the knowledge of management. It includes forced labour and human trafficking for labour exploitation; payment for work-finding services and work-related exploitation such as forced use of accommodation. It is understood that hidden labour exploitation is often well hidden by the perpetrators with victims, if they perceive of themselves as such, reluctant to come forward.

Coverage

  • This policy applies to all sites under our control

Responsibility

  • David Stafford (Managing Director) has overall responsibility for this policy
  • Sean Pollitt (Health & Safety Director) has specific responsibilities for ensuring that prospective SEPPS employees have of this policy

Policy commitments

SEPPS shall:

  1. Designate appropriate managers (who/job title) to attend “Tackling Hidden Labour Exploitation” training and to have responsibility for developing and operating company procedures relevant to this issue
  2. Accept that job finding fees are a business cost, and will not allow these to be paid by job applicants. The Company will not use any individual or organisation to source and supply workers without confirming that workers are not being charged a work finding fee
  3. Ensure that all staff responsible for directly recruiting workers are aware of issues around third party labour exploitation and signs to look for and have signed appropriate Compliance Principles
  4. Ensure that labour sourcing, recruitment and worker placement processes are under the control of trusted and competent staff members
  5. Adopt a proactive approach to reporting suspicions of hidden worker exploitation to the Gangmasters Licensing Authority and Police
  6. Provide information on tackling ‘Hidden Labour Exploitation’ to our workforce via a variety of formats e.g. workplace posters, worker leaflets, induction, training etc.
  7. Encourage workers to report cases of hidden third party labour exploitation, provide the means to do so and investigate and act on reports appropriately
  8. Positively encourage and support employees and agency workers to report such exploitation which may be occurring within their communities

As an organisation, we require labour providers and other organisations within the labour supply chain to adopt policies and procedures consistent with the above.