Modern Slavery Statement
Introduction
Modern slavery is a dreadful crime and a morally repugnant act that robs an individual of their freedom and dignity for the benefit of another. It is a stark reality for millions globally, including many in developed nations, who are trapped and exploited in various forms of slavery. Every business potentially faces the risk of being implicated in this crime through its own operations and its supply chain.
At Total Shape, we uphold a policy of zero tolerance toward modern slavery and are wholly committed to mitigating slavery and human trafficking within our operations and supply chain. We have taken substantial measures to combat modern slavery, as detailed in our statement. This statement outlines the steps we have undertaken to comprehend all potential modern slavery risks related to our operations, and to enforce measures to prevent slavery and human trafficking during the financial year 2023.
Our Business and Supply Chains
We foster relationships of trust and integrity with all our suppliers, founded on mutually beneficial principles. Our supplier selection and integration procedure incorporates due diligence of the supplier’s standing, adherence to law, compliance with health, safety and environmental norms, and references.
We have not been notified of any claims of human trafficking/slavery activities against any of our suppliers, but if we were to be, we would take immediate action against the concerned supplier and report it to the relevant authorities.
Risk Assessment
In the past year, we performed a risk assessment of our supply chain considering:
- The risk profile of individual countries based on the Global Slavery Index
- The business services offered by the suppliers
- The existence of susceptible demographic groups
- A news review and the insights of labor and human rights organizations
Policies
Total Shape enforces the following policies for the detection and prevention of slavery and human trafficking in our operations:
- Whistleblowing Policy – we motivate all employees, customers and suppliers to report any suspicion of slavery or human trafficking without fear of retribution. We offer a confidential helpline to shield the identity of whistleblowers.
- Code of Conduct – our code motivates employees to make ethical choices by clearly defining the actions and behavior expected of them while representing the business. We endeavor to uphold the highest standards of employee conduct and ethical behavior when operating overseas and managing our supply chain.
- Purchasing Code – we have revised our Purchasing Code and supplier contracts to make explicit mention of slavery and human trafficking.
Supplier Due Diligence
Total Shape conducts due diligence on all new suppliers during integration and on existing suppliers at regular intervals. This includes:
- Evaluating risks in the provision of specific services
- Auditing the suppliers, and their health and safety standards, labor relations and employee contracts
- Demanding improvements to subpar employment practices
- Penalizing suppliers that fail to improve their performance in line with our standards
We mandate all suppliers to certify that:
- They do not employ any form of forced, compulsory or slave labor
- Their employees work voluntarily and are entitled to terminate work
- They provide each employee with an employment contract that contains a reasonable notice period for ending their employment
- They do not require employees to post a deposit/bond and do not withhold their salaries for any reasons
- They do not require employees to surrender their passports or work permits as a condition of employment
Awareness
Total Shape has elevated awareness of modern slavery issues by displaying posters across our facilities and disseminating an email focused specifically on modern slavery to all our staff, which explains:
- Our commitment to the battle against modern slavery
- Warning signs for potential instances of slavery or human trafficking
- How employees should report suspicions of modern slavery
Training
In addition to the awareness program, Total Shape has launched a new e-learning course for all employees and supplier contacts, which covers:
- Various forms of modern slavery in which individuals can be held and exploited
- The magnitude of the problem and the risk to our organization
- How employees can recognize the signs of slavery and human trafficking, including unreasonably low prices
- How employees should respond if they suspect slavery or human trafficking
- How suppliers can escalate potential slavery or human trafficking issues to the relevant parties within their own organization
- What external assistance is available for the victims of slavery
- What terms and guidance should be provided to suppliers in relation to slavery policies and controls
- What steps Total Shape will take if a supplier fails to implement anti-slavery policies or controls
- An attestation from employees that they will comply with Total Shape’s anti-slavery policy
Measuring our Performance
Total Shape has established a set of key performance indicators and controls to combat modern slavery and human trafficking in our organization and supply chain. These include:
- How many employees have completed mandatory training?
- How many suppliers have filled out our ethics questionnaire?
- How many suppliers have implemented an awareness and training program that matches ours?
- How many reports have been made by our employees that demonstrate their awareness of and sensitivity to ethical issues?
- What are the findings of our cross-functional Human Rights team, which reviews how we are addressing modern slavery and human trafficking?