The Modern Slavery Act 2015 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It is designed to tackle slavery in the UK and consolidates previous offences relating to trafficking and slavery. The act extends to England and Wales.
We know that slavery, servitude, forced labour and human trafficking (Modern Slavery) is a global and growing issue from which no sector or economic area can be considered immune. We have a zero tolerance approach to Modern Slavery of any kind within our operations and supply chain, and will take seriously any allegations that human rights are not properly respected.
During 2017, we reviewed our standard supplier contractual terms to consider obligations on suppliers to:
These obligations are being incorporated into our standard terms, and suppliers in breach of these obligations will face appropriate actions, which could include termination of contracts.
This work continued during 2018 when we assessed and amended key contracts already in existence to ensure standards are applied consistently across our supply chain.
Forced, bonded or compulsory labour is not used by Benenden Hospital; all employees are free to leave their employment after reasonable contractual notice. Employees are not required to lodge deposits of money or identity papers as a condition of employment.