Modern slavery statement

Introduction

Warwick Employment Group (WEG) is a department of the University of Warwick and is fully bound by the University’s overarching Modern Slavery Policy and annual Modern Slavery Statement. As defined in the Modern Slavery Act 2015, modern slavery includes slavery, servitude, forced or compulsory labour, and human trafficking.

The University accepts its responsibility to ensure that workers are not exploited, that they are safe, and that employment, human rights, and health and safety standards are upheld. WEG fully supports and implements these commitments within all areas of our recruitment and employment-related activity.

This statement sets out the specific steps WEG takes to uphold the University’s policy and to minimise the risk of modern slavery within our operations and supply chain.

Scope and application

As a University department, WEG operates entirely within the scope of the University’s Modern Slavery Policy. The Policy applies to:

• All University staff
• All individuals acting on behalf of the University, including agents, consultants, contractors, suppliers, subsidiaries, and joint venture partners
• Students acting in paid or voluntary roles on behalf of the University

WEG ensures that all staff, suppliers, and partners engaged through our services comply with these requirements.

Understanding modern slavery

Modern slavery is a crime and a violation of fundamental human rights. It involves the deprivation of a person’s liberty for personal or commercial gain.

WEG is committed to acting ethically and with integrity in all business dealings and to supporting the University’s systems and controls designed to prevent modern slavery within our organisation and supply chains. We expect the same high standards from all suppliers and partners we work with.

Responsibilities and governance

WEG follows the University’s governance structure for modern slavery:

• The University Executive Board, on behalf of Council, holds overall responsibility for the Policy.
• The Group Head of Procurement has day-to-day responsibility for supply-chain implementation, training, and monitoring.
• The Chief People Officer ensures employment policies comply with the Modern Slavery Act.

Within WEG, operational responsibility sits with departmental leadership, who ensure that our processes, supplier relationships, and recruitment practices align with University expectations.

WEG practices to prevent modern slavery

WEG implements additional controls relevant to our recruitment and employment activities:

Staff Training and Awareness

• All staff working on external accounts receive face-to-face Modern Slavery training from the Compliance team at induction.
• Training covers the forms of exploitation, indicators of abuse, and reporting routes.

Supply Chain and Supplier Engagement

• As part of the Supplier Onboarding process, suppliers are asked to acknowledge their compliance with the principles outlined to them by the university and to make all reasonable endeavours to ensure compliance across its supply chains.
• WEG encourages use of the NETpositive Futures Ltd supplier engagement tool.

Ethical Recruitment Practices

WEG applies robust controls to protect candidates it puts forward for roles:

• We conduct due diligence checks on new clients
• We ensure the client provides us with accurate job information
• We build relationships with candidates directly
• We conduct post placement checks to ensure that candidates do not have any concerns about their role, their contract, or their employer
• We have a zero-tolerance approach to modern slavery and are committed to acting ethically and with integrity in all our business dealings and relationships
• We do not charge candidates a fee for finding/placing them in a job, nor are candidates incentivised to take a job
• We ensure contracts are transparent and pay structures reflect the National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage rates
• We put candidates forward to jobs based on their experience and ability to do the role
• Candidates provide their consent before their details are submitted for a role

These measures support the University’s commitment to ethical and transparent labour practices.

Reporting concerns

WEG follows the University’s reporting framework:

• Any concerns relating to potential modern slavery must be reported immediately.
• WEG staff report concerns to the Director of Warwick Employment Group or the University Secretary.
• Supplier-related concerns are escalated to the Group Head of Procurement.
• The University’s Whistleblowing Policy provides a confidential route for raising concerns of serious malpractice.

All allegations are taken seriously and may result in disciplinary action or referral to the police where appropriate.

Monitoring and continuous improvement

WEG supports the University’s commitment to ongoing review of policies, procedures, and risk-management processes relating to modern slavery. We continue to strengthen our approach through:

• Regular review of recruitment and compliance processes
• Ongoing supplier engagement and monitoring
• Staff training and awareness programmes
• Collaboration with University governance and procurement teams

Approval

This statement is issued on behalf of Warwick Employment Group and aligns fully with the University of Warwick’s Modern Slavery Policy. It will be reviewed annually by WEG management.