Modern Slavery Reporting Requirements

In Australia, the Modern Slavery Act 2018 commenced operation on 1 January 2019, creating reporting obligations for certain entities. The term modern slavery is used to describe situations where coercion, threats or deception are used to exploit victims and undermine or deprive them of their freedom. It describes serious exploitation and not substandard working conditions or the underpayment of workers. The Australian government, in support of UN Guiding Principles, aims to combat modern slavery in the Australian community and in the global supply chains of Australian goods and services. 

Who needs to report?

Entities that have: 

• Consolidated revenue of at least $100 million for the relevant reporting period (a financial year), and which
• Are Australian identities, or 
• Undertake business in Australia in that financial year

What do I need to report? 

The mandatory criterion are:

• The reporting entity’s structure, operations and supply chains; 
• Modern slavery risks in the reporting entity’s operations and supply chains (including those of subsidiary entities);
• Actions taken (including by subsidiary entities) to assess and address those modern slavery risks, including due diligence and remediation processes;
• How the reporting entity assesses the effectiveness of actions taken; and 
• The process of consultation with subsidiary entities in preparing the modern slavery statement.

When do I need to report by?

Affected entities must report in respect of the first full reporting period following commencement and must report within 6 months of that period ending. For example, the reporting period for entities with a 30 June year end will be 1 July 2021 to 30 June 2022, with reporting due by 31 December 2022.

Further information

Further information and links to the online registers can be found here: https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/criminal-justice/Pages/modern-slavery.aspx 

Please contact H & H Lawyers for further legal advice for submitting a modern slavery report.