New awareness course targets workplace slavery

This means that there are now more slaves today than there were over the hundreds of years of slave trafficking that took place between the 16^th and 19^th century.

In the UK specifically, The Global Slavery Index indicates that there are 136,000 victims of modern slavery. To help address the issue among workers and to raise awareness of the problem, iHASCO has launched its new Modern Slavery Training course.

While slavery is widely considered a problem of the past, certain parts of the British hospitality and construction industries represent the devastating proof that times have not changed enough for the better. Both industries are high-risk sectors for cases of human trafficking, forced or compulsory labour and servitude. For example, workers in these industries are commonly subjected to excessive working hours, threats of violence and both unreasonable and unlawful contracts.

This new course is designed to educate employees on identifying signs of modern-day slavery, to give them the confidence to speak up about it, and to inform them on who to report it to if they have any concerns or suspicions. This plays a key role in eradicating slavery both inside and outside the workplace.

“Modern slavery is an inhumane act that many assume is a thing of the past, but that simply isn’t true. There are more slaves in the world today than at any other point throughout history. It is vital that we keep talking about this awful practice as it still permeates our society and we are responsible for helping to end it” says Lottie Galvin at iHASCO. “Our new course equips you with crucial knowledge on how to recognise and report suspicions of modern slavery, which is an everyday reality for thousands of people in the UK. Together, we can bring these numbers down.”

The new training course is suitable for every employee in all industries and it helps organisations to comply with current legislation. It encourages businesses to create and display a Modern Slavery Statement and to conduct checks within their supply chains, to ensure they demonstrate ethical practice and make themselves a company of choice.