Health services sector modern slavery guide

Corporate human rights reporting in Australia has changed

The Modern Slavery Act 2018 (Cth) makes boards responsible for public statements about their entities’ efforts to assess and manage the risk of modern slavery in their operations and supply chains. More importantly, it has triggered an increase in stakeholder expectations around human rights and is influencing major business decisions in terms of investment, partnership or procurement.

The health services sector faces an elevated risk of modern slavery within its operations and supply chains as a result of intersecting factors, including:

rapid sector growth accompanied by workforce and technological change
a surge in demand for medical goods and frontline care
significant operational and supply chain disruption as a result of the global pandemic
low visibility over increasingly complex and multi-tiered supply chains which cross into other high-risk sectors, across high-risk geographies
a broad range of operating activities that require sourcing of goods from high-risk sectors where base-skill labour, vulnerable populations and high-risk business models come together
lack of transparency in recruitment processes and the use of agency labour contractors.

Modern slavery in the health services sector: A practical guide

KPMG Australia and the Australian Human Rights Commission have collaborated to bring you Modern Slavery in the Health Services Sector, a practical guide to:

highlight key modern slavery risk areas across the operations and supply chains of health service sector organisations
provide tips for the health services sector on leading practice and a rights-based approach to managing modern slavery risk
foster transparent modern slavery reporting for the benefit of organisations, government and the people at risk of harm.

Modern slavery in the health services sector

Practical responses for managing risk to people

Download

Modern Slavery Act: How to prepare for mandatory due diligence

The 2023 Modern Slavery Act review recommended the introduction of mandatory modern slavery due diligence for businesses.

To understand your obligations and learn how to prepare and respond to strengthened modern slavery due diligence reporting requirements, read our report: Modern Slavery Act: Prepare for mandatory due diligence.

The recent spotlight on health sector organisations as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic has not only highlighted the critical importance of the health sector, but also the sector’s modern slavery risks, especially in relation to the procurement of medical goods. Taking a rights-based approach to addressing modern slavery will assist health sector organisations to meet the increasing expectations of investors, governments, clients, consumers, business peers and civil society around business respect for human rights.

Emeritus Professor Rosalind Croucher AM

President

Australian Human Rights Commission