Modern Slavery Risk Assessment form template

UK employment law and best practice

This template is designed to support the process, but the document should be used alongside the relevant HR procedure and applied to the circumstances of the individual case.

The Modern Slavery Act 2015 established offences relating to slavery, servitude, forced or compulsory labour and human trafficking. For organisations, effective prevention requires consideration of risks both within their own operations and, where relevant, across their supply chains. The Home Office's guidance specifically encourages businesses to understand their modern slavery risks and take proportionate action to address them.

Transparency in supply chains

Section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 requires certain commercial organisations with a total turnover of at least £36 million to publish an annual modern slavery statement setting out the steps they have taken to prevent modern slavery in their business and supply chains.

A documented risk assessment can provide valuable evidence for the risk assessment and due diligence sections of that statement. The Home Office encourages organisations to identify their modern slavery risks, prioritise those risks and demonstrate progress in addressing them.

Risk-based due diligence

Government guidance supports a risk-based approach rather than treating every supplier or business activity as presenting the same level of exposure. Relevant factors can include the nature of the goods or services, the workforce involved, geographic location, use of subcontractors and the visibility of lower-tier supply chains.

The assessment therefore records both the underlying risk and the controls already in place, helping organisations prioritise resources where they are most likely to reduce exploitation risks.

Recruitment and labour providers

Recruitment arrangements can create particular risks where workers are vulnerable, dependent on intermediaries or required to pay fees or other costs to obtain work. Employers should understand how workers are recruited and whether labour providers have appropriate controls to prevent exploitation.

Government and public-sector examples of modern slavery due diligence include checking suppliers, considering labour and supply chain risks and seeking assurance about how suppliers manage modern slavery in their own operations and supply chains.

Identifying concerns

The Home Office's statutory guidance identifies a range of circumstances and indicators that can be relevant when identifying potential victims of modern slavery. Organisations should ensure that managers and relevant workers know how to recognise concerns and what internal or external reporting route should be followed.

A risk assessment should therefore sit alongside appropriate reporting, safeguarding, procurement, recruitment and employee policies rather than operate as a standalone compliance exercise.

Monitoring effectiveness

Modern slavery risk management should be reviewed rather than treated as a one-off exercise. Government guidance encourages organisations to demonstrate how they are targeting actions where they can have the greatest impact and making progress over time.

Useful evidence can include supplier due diligence, completion of relevant training, identified concerns, corrective actions, contract reviews and changes in the organisation's risk profile.