New Report Highlights Modern Slavery Risks in UK Construction

A NEW REPORT reveals frontline insights into modern slavery risks across construction sites, and offers practical guidance to help the industry strengthen ethical labour practices.

To coincide with UK Construction Week, ESG specialist Achilles has published its latest UK Ethical Business Annual Report, highlighting both progress and ongoing challenges in preventing modern slavery and unethical employment practices with a focus on UK and Irish construction sites.

Worker-Led Insights from Construction Sites

Based on data collected through Achilles’ Ethical Business Programme, the report draws from on-the-ground interviews with 9,834 workers representing 102 nationalities, across hundreds of sites in the UK and Ireland. These frontline insights provide a detailed view into the conditions facing those most at risk of exploitation.

Key issues identified include:

• Recruitment fees charged to workers
• Unexplained deductions from wages
• Restricted access to mobile phones
• Lack of free personal protective equipment (PPE)
• Informal or unclear employment arrangements

These issues are exacerbated for migrant workers who may have limited English proficiency or awareness of their employment rights in the UK.

Modern Slavery Risks

The report also reflects on the evolving legal landscape, including the influence of the UK Modern Slavery Act (2015) and Australia’s 2018 legislation. While such frameworks have brought attention to the issues, the findings highlight gaps in enforcement and inadequate safeguards that continue to place workers at risk.

Dr Paul Stanley, CEO of Achilles

“The findings in our latest report offer a practical view of where challenges remain and where progress is being made,” said Dr. Paul Stanley, CEO of Achilles.

“The Achilles Ethical Business Programme is designed to give voice to those on the front lines and help organisations detect risks that traditional audits can miss. Our goal is to support construction companies with the insight and tools they need to identify risk, protect workers, and strengthen ethical practices across their supply chains.”

Supporting Industry Improvements

The report outlines several areas where construction businesses can strengthen their approach to ensuring ethical labour practices. These include enhancing training on modern slavery indicators, improving the clarity of employment terms provided to workers, and adopting more consistent employment standards across the supply chain. Achilles also highlights the value of collaboration across the sector, with contractors, regulators, and third-party organisations, to support continuous improvement and reduce risk.

>> Read more about modern slavery in construction in the news