Introduction
ABL Recruitment (ABL) believes that businesses have an obligation to treat people equally, with respect and dignity, and to prevent slavery and human trafficking. We commit to doing all we can to prevent slavery and human trafficking within our business and our supply chains.
We understand that modern slavery can take many forms including; people trafficking, forced labour, servitude and slavery. As an established recruitment consultancy we take our responsibility for supplying permanent and temporary workers very seriously. Over the years we have developed processes to help our employees identify the signs of potential exploitation and processes to alert management who will take action promptly and efficiently.
We are strict in requiring compliance with our professional and ethical practices and proud of our reputation in the market-place for our care, integrity, reliability and fairness. We believe this is why 45% of our clients have worked with us for 5 years or more and why 63% of our candidates are referrals.
ABL will not knowingly support or deal with any business involved in slavery or human trafficking. For transparency, we are publishing our Modern Slavery & Human Trafficking Policy Statement on our website for our clients, supply chain, employees and the public to view.
Company Structure
Owned by the Debro Group, ABL is a London based specialist recruitment business. Established in 1991, we have 10 staff who work in professional partnership with our international candidates and clients.
Our Business
We are the leading recruitment consultancy for permanent or temporary multilingual language speaking roles. We carefully source, select and supply our clients with multilingual professional, office and administration workers to help them communicate clearly and confidently with their international clients and suppliers. We work with clients and candidates from Europe, Asia, North and South America, Africa and Australia. Our clients operate in areas of business including:
| Accounting and Finance | Life Sciences | Banking and Capital Markets | Media | Call Centres | Online Shopping | Construction | Philanthropic Foundations | Cosmetics and Beauty | Publishing | Fashion (not retail) | Property | Financial Services | Sales and Marketing | Information Technology | Translation | Law | Travel |
Our Supply Chains
As a UK based service provider ABL supply chains include the provision of goods and services needed to operate the business. These include facilities management, telecoms, IT equipment and stationery. The supply chains involved in sourcing candidates for clients include on-line and social media site advertising as well as links with UK and international universities for language graduates and referrals.
We are committed to ensuring that there is no modern slavery or human trafficking in our supply chains and we require our suppliers to adhere to our Supplier Code of Conduct and operate in a professional, ethical and legally compliant manner.
Specifically, our suppliers are expected to have a policy recognising, respecting and protecting the human rights of their employees (or students), those of their own suppliers and business partners and the community that may be affected by the suppliers’ operations. We also expect our suppliers to insist on similar standards from their own supply chain.
We expect there to be no forced or involuntary labour. Employees must not be required to lodge money or identity papers in order to work and must be free to leave employment after giving reasonable notice of their intention to leave.
In addition to adhering to all slavery and human trafficking laws, suppliers are also required to observe the provisions of the International Labour Organisation whereby no person under the age of 18 will be employed to work at night or do any hazardous work and that their employment should not harm the young person’s health, education, physical, mental, moral or social development. People under the age of 16 years will not be employed.
ABL will review our current and new supplier contracts to include obligations to comply with the Modern Slavery Act 2015.
ABL Statement on Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking
- All ABL employees are provided with a legally compliant contract of employment within the UK statutory timescales.
- Employees may leave employment giving reasonable notice. Equally, those who are temping for us on client premises are free to leave their assignment by giving reasonable notice.
- The legally required pre-employment identity and immigration checks are made for our employees and our candidates. A delay in providing their passport could indicate a modern slavery issue.
- Employees and candidates are treated equally, fairly and with respect for their dignity throughout the sourcing, selection and recruitment process and throughout their on-going employment with, or through, us.
- We have zero tolerance for discrimination, victimisation or harassment on the grounds of age, sex (including gender reassignment), race (including colour, ethnic or national origin, nationality), disability, martial or civil partnership status, having or not having dependants, sexual orientation, religious belief or political opinion or trade union activity.
- ABL has robust Grievance, Equal Opportunities, and Dignity at Work, Anti-Bullying and Anti-Harassment and Whistle-blower policies in place to provide guidance and procedures for resolving any employee concerns.
- We comply with UK law and industry standards in respect of employee wages, benefits, working hours and minimum age and do not make unauthorised deductions from pay.
- Where we provide payroll services for temporary workers, we check that the bank account details provided are in the worker’s own name so that there is no suspicion of coercion, forced labour, servitude or slavery.
- Each year, within 6 months of our financial year end in December, we will review this policy statement and amend it, as necessary, in line with the Modern Slavery Act 2015.
These polices are implemented and monitored by the Director and Founder of ABL.
Due Diligence Process for Slavery and Human Trafficking
ABL ensures all necessary compliance checks are carried out for all the candidates we supply. We verify the identity and the right to work of all temporary or permanent workers before we supply them to our clients.
We have a process in place to undertake due diligence on our supply chain to ensure compliance with legal obligations under the Modern Slavery Act 2015. This forms part of our contractual relationship with our suppliers. We map our supply chains to understand where there may be a high risk of slavery or human trafficking.
ABL is committed to protecting employees who disclose malpractice and will ensure that all qualifying disclosures, made in good faith, will be treated confidentially and without fear of detrimental treatment. ABL employees have a process to raise any concerns they may have in relation to slavery and human trafficking. The ABL Disclosures in the Public Interest (or Whistleblowing) Policy gives more details
If we found that a supplier had failed to comply with the Modern Slavery Act, we would require them to remedy the non-compliance and would consider terminating the relationship should we see no improvement in their conduct.
Risk
Our core business is focussed on the recruitment of professionals, office and administration workers. We do not perceive this to a high risk sector compared to agriculture, manufacturing or retail which we perceive to be higher risk. However, our evaluation process for the risk of slavery and human trafficking is on-going.
Employee Training
ABL employees are required to comply fully with the law and to understand and adhere to ABL statements, guidelines and policies in relation to slavery and human trafficking. ABL will provide information and training to our employees on modern slavery risks and compliance, prioritising those employees dealing directly with supply chains.
We are undertaking a review of our policies and procedures to ensure ABL employees are informed of any additional information and provided with the support they need in respect of slavery, servitude forced labour or human trafficking. This training will form part of the induction of new employees.
This statement is made pursuant to Section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and constitutes ABL’s slavery and human trafficking statement in respect of the 2019 financial year.
Nicole Debson, Founder, Director, For and on behalf of ABL Recruitment
