Modern slavery is a terrible problem that has been on the increase. Many victims of modern slavery, including children, may not be easily identified. Victims can be found on construction sites, in agriculture, at nail salons, begging or even living next door. Modern slavery is not always obvious. Understanding what it is and what actions to take to prevent it are the best tools for preventing it from happening.

There are many forms of modern slavery but the most common are as follows:

Human Trafficking – the use of violence and threat to transfer, recruit, and/or exploit people for purposes such as criminality, forced marriages, or organ removal.

Forced Labour – work or services performed by people under threat of punishment, penalty, or violence

Bonded Labour – the most common form of slavery, wherein people are forced to work to pay off insurmountable debt

Child Slavery –  child exploitation, which ,includes child trafficking and child labor.

Forced Marriage – forcing a person, usually a child, into a marriage with someone who then becomes their captor.

The requirements of the Modern Slavery Act apply to companies whose provide goods or services and have an annual turnover of at least £36 million. The Act requires all such businesses to 1) take proper action to identify and prevent modern slavery across all operations, and 2) publish an annual report on the actions taken, within six months of the financial year-end.

Smaller organisations may also be required to meet these requirements if doing business with larger organisations.

It is often assumed that modern slavery only affects certain types of people, for instance only those from poorer countries. All kinds of people are victims of modern slavery and human trafficking, however, including UK citizens. Modern slavery is much more common that one might think, and the business world should do its best to help combat this evil.