UK firms lack modern slavery safeguards, IOSH warns

The Institution of Occupational Safety & Health has published research showing that most UK businesses lack basic systems to identify and prevent modern slavery. The findings are based on a YouGov survey of 1,011 senior decision-makers.

The research found that 70 per cent of organisations have no formal process to assess or map modern slavery risks. A further 62 per cent have no formal commitment to addressing the issue and no plans to introduce one. The same proportion provide no formal training to help staff identify and respond to risks.

The survey also found that 44 per cent of organisations have no dedicated mechanism for workers to raise concerns about modern slavery. Yet 56 per cent of respondents said they were confident in their organisation's ability to identify and manage modern slavery risks in their supply chains.

That gap between confidence and formal controls is a central concern in the report. IOSH warned that many organisations may be overestimating their ability to detect and respond to exploitation, leaving vulnerable workers exposed.

Risk gap

The white paper argues that modern slavery should be treated not only as a human rights issue, but also as an occupational safety and health issue. Unsafe working conditions, excessive hours, poor oversight and weak worker voice, it says, can create conditions in which exploitation develops and goes undetected.

The problem is not limited to overseas supply chains. IOSH pointed to labour exploitation in UK sectors including construction, logistics, hospitality, agriculture and care.

Globally, an estimated 50 million people are living in modern slavery, including 27 million adults and children in forced labour. In the UK, official figures show that 23,411 potential victims of modern slavery were identified in 2025, the highest number since records began.

Ruth Wilkinson, Head of Policy and Public Affairs at IOSH, outlined the findings in direct terms. "From our research, it is clear that too many organisations still lack the basic systems needed to identify and prevent exploitation. When businesses are not assessing modern slavery risks, training staff, providing safe worker voice opportunities or measuring whether their interventions are working, it becomes far harder to spot the warning signs and take action before harm occurs.

"Particularly concerning is that many organisations remain confident in their ability to manage modern slavery risks despite significant gaps in their processes and controls. If organisations aren't actively assessing modern slavery risks, they shouldn't assume they'll identify them," Wilkinson said.

Policy push

IOSH is calling for stronger action from government and business. Its recommendations include mandatory human rights due diligence requirements for large businesses, wider reporting obligations and tighter regulation of labour providers.

It also called for stronger labour market enforcement and full resourcing of the Fair Work Agency. Protections for migrant workers should be improved, and businesses should be required to map supply chains, provide worker reporting channels and deliver mandatory awareness training.

The report repeatedly emphasises worker voice. Without clear routes for employees and agency staff to report concerns, signs of coercion or abuse can remain hidden within ordinary working arrangements, particularly in sectors that rely on fragmented contracting and outsourced labour.

For employers, the findings suggest that policy statements alone may not be enough. Formal risk assessments, training, reporting channels and governance processes are presented as basic measures, not optional extras.

Wilkinson said stronger internal systems are needed if businesses are to prevent exploitation rather than respond after harm has occurred. "Modern slavery thrives where oversight is weak and workers do not have a voice. Preventing exploitation requires more than policies and statements - it requires organisations to build modern slavery due diligence and risk management into organisational governance processes and the way work is designed, managed and governed.

"Businesses have a crucial role to play. By taking a prevention-first approach, strengthening due diligence and actively engaging workers, they can help ensure that work is safe, healthy and free from exploitation," Wilkinson said.