UK 2015 · Australia 2018 · annual statement
This statement is public – and other people analyse it.
The acts do not prescribe particular measures. They require an annual public statement on which measures you took. That is precisely what makes them effective.
In the United Kingdom and Australia, companies above certain turnover thresholds must publish an annual modern slavery statement. It covers structure and supply chains, policies, risk assessment, actions taken, effectiveness metrics and training.
The mechanism is unusual: what is sanctioned is primarily the absence of a statement, not its content. But because statements are public and searchable in registers, NGOs, media and investors compare them. An empty statement is therefore a reputational risk.
Who is affected
- Companies operating in the UK above the turnover threshold.
- Companies operating in Australia above its threshold.
- Swiss groups with subsidiaries in those markets.
- Suppliers to obligated companies – through their questionnaires.
What belongs in the statement
- Structure
- Describe the business and the shape of the supply chains.
- Policies
- Set out policy and due diligence processes.
- Risk assessment
- Where risks sit and how they were identified.
- Actions
- What was actually done, not what is planned.
- Effectiveness
- Metrics against which progress can be measured.
- Approval
- Board approval and signature.
How SCRM covers it
Chain described from data
Countries, commodity groups and tiers instead of prose from memory.
Actions with evidence
What was actually done, with dates – the difference between a report and an intention.
Metrics
Share of assessed suppliers, questionnaire response rate, open findings.
Year-on-year comparison
The statement is read annually; progress has to be visible.
Frequently asked
Does this apply to Swiss companies?
Through subsidiaries and operations in the affected markets. As a supplier you get asked regardless.
What happens with a weak statement?
Legally, usually little. Practically, statements are compared and scored – by investors, customers and organisations publishing rankings.
How does it relate to the EU forced labour regulation?
That one is a market ban acting directly on the goods; this is a reporting duty. The underlying data is the same.
As of July 2026. Thresholds and requirements differ by country. Not legal advice.