How to take Meaningful Action against Modern Slavery in your Supply Chain

Over the last two decades, I’ve witnessed strides in environmental sustainability across the building and construction sector. A lot of emphasis on reducing carbon, addressing circular economy, biodiversity - we're seeing a real shift.

But let’s be honest: when it comes to the ‘S’ in ESG—Social—it’s still the poor cousin.

We’ve come a long way in terms of sustainability—now it’s time to put people front and centre.

Yes, the Modern Slavery Act 2018 came into force in 2019. Yes, it raised awareness.

But has it driven meaningful change? For too many, the answer is still no.

And we can’t fix what we’re not willing to face.

In this article we’ll explore how you can do a better job of tackling modern slavery and labour exploitation in your supply chain.

The uncomfortable truth? Modern slavery exists in our supply chains.

And it’s not because we’re doing nothing.

Everywhere I look, companies are trying—identifying risks, signing Codes of Conduct, filling out Supplier Self-Assessment Questionnaires, and developing Modern Slavery Statements.

But good intentions don’t always lead to meaningful outcomes.

I know this because I’ve spent over 17 years working with product manufacturers and retailers in the fit-out and construction sector.

I’ve seen where progress stalls, where gaps remain, and where action should be—but isn’t.

We need to move beyond compliance.

Tackling modern slavery in your supply chain is not just a box to tick—it’s a responsibility to act.

That means actively looking for modern slavery and labour exploitation, not passively hoping we don’t find any. Because make no mistake—it’s there.

Over the past decade, manufacturers and retailers have been overwhelmed with requests from architects, designers, governments, and builders to prove they’re addressing modern slavery. They’re asked to sign up, show up, and self-assess.

But too often, follow-through is lacking.

Commitments fade. Priorities shift. And workers—real people—remain invisible, unheard, and unprotected.

As an industry, we need small and medium businesses to take action.

Change won’t happen without them.

But they need to be empowered.

They need to be equipped with the tools and resources to act – many of which already exist – and more importantly, they need incentive to drive meaningful action.

This will come through procurement specifications that prioritise ethical practices, and by evaluating and selecting suppliers based on their commitment to understanding and addressing modern slavery and labour exploitation risks within their supply chains.

Evaluation and incentivisation are critical to shifting industry practice and embedding lasting change.

What can you do right now? Start with Meaningful Action.

It’s time for all of us—suppliers, specifiers, designers, architects, builders, procurement teams, executives, boards, building rating tools, Ecolabelling bodies and certifiers—to step up and take the challenge.

We need to dig deeper. Get uncomfortable. Be honest.

Most importantly, we need to act.

And we can do that by using the 5 Principles of Meaningful Action.

The 5 Principles of Meaningful Action to End Modern Slavery

1. Connection

Connection is about recognising that every procurement decision connects us to workers around the world.

It’s the first step in being able to take meaningful action, and it involves:

• Connecting on a heart level—this is about people’s lives.

• Reflecting on how your decisions (tight budgets, deadlines, lowest-cost options) might contribute to exploitation.

• Engaging with workers, NGOs, unions, and industry experts.

• Educating your team—not just on policy, but on purpose.

• Building real relationships with your suppliers—let them know this matters.

2. Curiosity

Curiosity is the pathway to actual change. Question everything. Demand better answers. Keep learning.

If you’re ready to get curious, you should:

• Learn where modern slavery and labour exploitation occur—understand the risks in products, sectors, materials, and regions.

• Reflect on your own business practices—how might you be linked to harm?

• Challenge simple yes or no answers. Ask suppliers how they ensure safe and fair working conditions—not just whether or not they do.

• Ask your suppliers: “Have you found modern slavery in your supply chains?”
  If they say no, ask: “What meaningful actions are you taking to understand risk?”
  No findings may indicate the need for a deeper, more rigorous approach.

• Look for more than policies—ask for evidence.

• Understand what to do when you do find modern slavery.

• Keep asking: what does real commitment look like?
  
  

3. Commitment

Commitment to taking action is about moving from awareness to impact. And then making a choice, on a regular basis, to stay the course.

Commitment looks like:

• Developing a long-term strategy grounded in the 5 Principles of meaningful action.

• Prioritising robust due diligence aligned with the UN Guiding Principles.

• Measuring real impact—not just how many people were trained, but what’s changed.

• Providing meaningful feedback to suppliers. Following up. Tracking progress.

• Keep going—even when it gets complex or uncomfortable.
  
  

4. Courage

This type of global change takes courage. You will have to face discomfort. Speak the truth, (even when its hard). Lead with heart.

Courage in taking action shows up as:

• Questioning the status quo. Are we really making an impact?

• Confronting inconsistencies—do all departments align on this?

• Advocating for more resources if you’re in sustainability or procurement roles.

• Finding the courage to have uncomfortable and sometimes confronting conversations with suppliers

• Being brave enough to say: Yes, we’ve found exploitation. And here’s what we’re doing about it.

• Taking decisive action when harm is uncovered. That’s leadership.
  
  

5. Collaboration

While everything you do has an impact, you can’t do it alone. We must work together if we want to end exploitation.

Collaboration is key. And you can help by:

• Joining or forming multi-stakeholder initiatives with NGOs, unions, industry groups, and worker organisations.

• Co-creating ethical standards that prioritise workers’ rights.

• Taking part in shared training and capacity-building.

• Encouraging supplier collaboration and support worker voice.

• Partnering with local organisations who understand conditions on the ground.

Ask yourself the hard question: Is what we’re doing making a real impact?

Whether you're a designer, builder, industry body, board member, ecolabel, or certifier—this is the time to pause and reflect:

• Are we enabling real change—or just meeting minimum requirements?

• Are we evaluating suppliers on what they do—not just what they say?

• Are building rating tools, tenders, Ecolabels and procurement processes rewarding companies that lead on this?
  
  

The truth is: people are still being exploited to build our buildings.

While we focus on carbon, circularity, and biodiversity – essential areas, no doubt —

we can’t keep overlooking the people making the products we use every day.

So, we must ask ourselves:

• How long will we accept this?

• How long will we tolerate exploitation as an inconvenient truth?

• When will real impact become our baseline—not the exception?
  
  

It’s time to draw a line.

To stop treating human rights as optional.

Because if we keep ticking boxes, nothing will ever change.

It’s time to act.

Modern slavery doesn’t end with policies. It ends with people.

And it starts with you.

Are you ready to take meaningful action?

If you’d like to know what your organisation should do next when it comes to tackling modern slavery in your supply chain, I’m here to help you do that.

Book a call with me here, and let’s explore your next step towards meaningful action.

How Modern Slavery is embedded in your supply chain: and why you should care

Labour exploitation and modern slavery remain deeply embedded in the supply chains that support the design, building, and construction industries

Modern slavery isn’t always visible, but it remains a widespread risk in almost every supply chain.

Since the introduction of the Commonwealth Modern Slavery Act 2018, awareness has grown, but awareness alone isn’t going to end modern slavery.

Tackling the complex issues around modern slavery requires more than compliance—it needs meaningful action.

Even small businesses, while not legally required to report under the Act, are being called upon by clients, specifiers, government, certification schemes to show leadership and accountability.

This isn’t just a regulatory expectation—it’s an opportunity to build trust, protect vulnerable people, and contribute to lasting change.

Understanding the risks is a critical step in building ethical, human-centered supply chains.

In this article, I’m going to show you what modern slavery and labour exploitation look like, how to identify the signs, and why addressing both in your supply chain is crucial—especially in industries like design, construction, and manufacturing. 

What is Modern Slavery?

Modern slavery occurs when a person’s freedom is taken away.

Their freedom to control their body, their freedom to refuse certain work, or their freedom to stop working.

This is often carried out through threats, violence, coercion, abuse of power, or deception.

When we think about slavery, we’re often imagining someone in chains, but modern slavery is more complex than that.

And it’s often hidden in plain sight. Every day people are tricked or forced into modern slavery situations they cannot refuse or escape.

There are eight forms of modern slavery. They are:

1. Trafficking: Harbouring or moving a victim for the purpose of exploitation.

2. Slavery: Exercising power or ownership over a victim, including treating them like a commodity.

3. Servitude: Significantly restricting a victim’s freedom, such as in domestic work.

4. Forced Labour: Compelling a victim to work against their will.

5. Forced Marriage: Coercing, threatening, or deceiving someone into marriage.

6. Bonded Labour: Lending money to a victim who cannot repay, forcing them to work under conditions they cannot control to pay off the debt. This is the most widespread form of slavery globally.

7. Deceptive Recruiting: Misleading a victim about their job or employment conditions.

8. The Worst Forms of Child Labour: Work likely to harm the health, safety, or morals of a child. This includes hazardous work such as operating dangerous machinery, handling toxic substances, carrying heavy loads, or working in extreme conditions. It can also involve excessive hours or night shifts that prevent children from attending school.

What is Labour Exploitation?

While labour exploitation isn’t classified as modern slavery, it often paves the way for more serious abuses.

Labour exploitation involves the unfair treatment of workers, where their rights, dignity, and well-being are compromised for the benefit of others. It takes many forms, including unsafe working conditions, inadequate pay, wage theft, and excessive working hours.

Common examples of labour exploitation include things like:

Wage Exploitation

• Unpaid wages or wage theft (e.g., being paid for 30 hours while working 40 hours).

• Being paid below the minimum wage.
  

Denial of Employment Entitlements

• Lack of paid leave (e.g., annual, sick, or maternity leave).

• No access to benefits like superannuation entitlements.
  

Excessive Work Hours and Overwork

• Mandatory overtime without pay.

• No rest periods or meal breaks.
  

Discrimination and Harassment

• Gender-based discrimination: Female workers being paid less than male counterparts.

• Racial or ethnic discrimination: Migrant workers assigned the most dangerous tasks, while local workers are given safer, higher-paying roles.

• Other examples include verbal abuse, bullying, or sexual harassment by supervisors or colleagues.
  

Unsafe Working Conditions

• Lack of protective equipment (PPE).

• Hazardous environments (e.g., poor ventilation, exposure to harmful chemicals).

• Absence of safety measures, leading to overwork and fatigue-related risks.

What does a world without modern slavery look like?

A world without modern slavery and labour exploitation is one where workers throughout the world are able to:

• Choose or refuse the type of work they do.

• Join a trade union and bargain collectively.

• Work in a safe and hygienic environment.

• Be provided with appropriate safety gear.

• Be paid at least the minimum wage.

• Be protected against bullying, harassment, and discrimination.
  

And the good news, is that your business has the power to be a part of the solution.

It starts with understanding where modern slavery is occurring in your supply chain.

How to know if your supply chain or industry are high-risk for modern slavery

To effectively address modern slavery, it is essential to understand which products,  materials and industries are high-risk, the worker types most vulnerable (e.g., migrant workers), and high-risk regions or countries. Some examples of high-risk products include furniture, bricks, textiles, rugs, timber, and stone.

A great starting point is the Global Slavery Index, which provides national estimates of modern slavery for 160 countries.

Labour exploitation is often overshadowed by the more extreme cases of modern slavery, yet it remains a critical issue. One that can quietly take root in industries like building, construction and manufacturing.

Ignoring labour exploitation isn’t just an oversight; it’s a missed opportunity to intervene before conditions escalate into modern slavery.

The International Labour Organization (ILO) offers an extensive range of free resources on forced labour and labour exploitation.

The ILO has also published an excellent guide on the indicators of forced labour to help identify how and where it occurs.

What your business should be doing to help end modern slavery

In Australia, the Commonwealth Modern Slavery Act 2018 established a reporting requirement for entities with an annual consolidated revenue of more than $100 million.

These entities are obligated to report on their actions to assess and address modern slavery risk in their supply chains and submit an annual Modern Slavery Statement to the Attorney-General's Department (AGD).

The problem is that reporting alone rarely creates a meaningful impact for the people most affected by modern slavery.

And your business doesn’t have to have a revenue of more than $100 million for you to join the movement to end modern slavery.

What the world needs, is for all businesses to accept the challenge of taking meaningful action.

To do this well, we need to engage with the 5 Principles of Meaningful Action:

• Connection: Recognising that the choices we make are linked to the lives of workers around the world.

• Curiosity: Asking deeper questions about where our products come from, who makes them, and under what conditions.

• Commitment: Choosing to move beyond surface-level actions by prioritising, continuous improvement and long-term impact.

• Courage: Willingness to confront uncomfortable truths and take action in the face of complexity.

• Collaboration: Working together across sectors and supply chains to raise standards and create shared solutions.

By taking a values-driven, curious, and collaborative approach, we can shift from reactive compliance to proactive impact—where people, not just products, are placed at the heart of our business decisions. 

By being informed, curious, and proactive, we can create better conditions for the workers who are all too often overlooked. Together, we can make a difference.