Gardeners Lee - Modern Slavery Statement
Gardeners Lee publishes this Modern Slavery Statement to set out our firm commitment to preventing modern slavery, forced labour and human trafficking across our operations and supply chains. We have a zero-tolerance policy towards any form of exploitation. Our modern slavery policy is embedded in governance and reflects our duty to protect workers and uphold human rights.
This modern slavery statement for Gardeners Lee covers our policies, due diligence, training and remediation measures. We expect all employees, subcontractors and suppliers to adhere to our standards. The statement applies across our operations and third-party relationships, and is informed by risk-based assessment of regions, activities and supplier types.
Our supplier expectations are clear: no forced or bonded labour, no unlawful retention of identity documents, fair working hours and transparent pay. We require suppliers to commit to our code of conduct and agree to regular checks. The Gardeners Lee slavery and human trafficking statement emphasises prevention, detection and response to any reported concerns.
Our Commitments and Controls
We operate a layered approach to prevent modern slavery, including contractual safeguards, risk-based audits and worker voice mechanisms. Key measures include:
- Supplier due diligence and risk assessment
- Regular supplier audits and on-site inspections
- Mandatory contractual clauses prohibiting forced labour
To support these controls we maintain a programme of supplier audits, both announced and unannounced, focused on high-risk categories. Audit findings inform corrective action plans and, where necessary, termination of relationships with non-compliant suppliers. Our procurement criteria incorporate human rights risk as a deciding factor in supplier selection.
We provide targeted training to procurement teams and site managers so they can identify indicators of exploitation. The training is part of our wider modern slavery policy rollout and is refreshed annually to reflect emerging risks and regulatory changes.
Reporting Channels and Investigations
Gardeners Lee promotes safe, confidential and accessible reporting channels for workers, subcontractors and third parties. We operate a whistleblowing route and a confidential reporting mechanism; all reports are taken seriously and investigated promptly. Reports may be submitted anonymously and are handled with strict confidentiality to protect individuals from retaliation.
When concerns are raised, our investigation protocol activates. We gather evidence, interview relevant parties, and deploy corrective measures where breaches are found. Remediation may include worker support, changes to supplier practices, or termination of contracts. Strong disciplinary action is taken for internal breaches of our zero-tolerance policy.
We also require suppliers to provide access to records and workers during audits. Where audit results show non-compliance, we agree time-bound corrective action plans and monitor implementation until full remediation is verified.
Governance of our slavery prevention programme rests with senior management and the board. Responsibility for operational delivery sits with our compliance and procurement leads who report regularly on performance metrics and audit outcomes. We integrate modern slavery risk into enterprise risk registers and contract governance.
We publish progress against targets and continuously refine our approach. Training, supplier engagement and audit outcomes are reviewed to ensure we maintain effective deterrents and rapid response capabilities. Our procurement teams use scorecards to track supplier compliance and improvements over time.
This Gardeners Lee modern slavery statement is subject to an annual review. Each year we evaluate the effectiveness of our modern slavery measures, update risk assessments, and set improvement objectives. The review includes analysis of audit findings, reported incidents, remediation outcomes and training reach. Our commitment is ongoing: we will continue to strengthen prevention, enhance supplier audits, maintain robust reporting channels, and ensure transparent annual review to protect workers and uphold human rights.
