Modern slavery statement on your website: who needs one

Key takeaways

Commercial organisations supplying goods or services in the UK with a total turnover of £36 million or more must publish a modern slavery statement each financial year. If they have a website, the statement must be on it, with a link in a prominent place on the homepage. Smaller firms are not required to publish one, but large customers often ask.

• £36 million turnover or more: an annual statement is required.
• It must be linked from a prominent place on the homepage.
• It needs board approval and a director's signature.
• Smaller suppliers are often asked about it by larger customers.

Who needs a modern slavery statement?

Under section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015, commercial organisations that supply goods or services and carry on business in the UK, with total turnover of £36 million or more, must publish a slavery and human trafficking statement for each financial year. Global Bridge Labs (GBL) treats it as a threshold-based item in the policies layer.

• What information should every business website have?
• Which company policies to publish on your website

Where must it appear on the website?

If the organisation has a website, the statement must be published on it, with a link to the statement in a prominent place on the homepage. A footer link labelled 'Modern slavery statement' is the common approach. Keep previous years' statements available too.

• Website footer design: what to include and leave out

What should the statement cover?

Home Office guidance suggests covering your structure and supply chains, policies, due diligence, risk assessment, effectiveness measures and training. The statement must be approved by the board, or equivalent, and signed by a director. It should describe what you actually did that year.

• Inaccurate information on your website: the legal risk

What about smaller businesses?

Smaller businesses are not required to publish a statement, but if they supply large organisations they will often be asked about labour practices, supplier checks and policies. A short voluntary statement or policy on the website can answer those questions once.

• A supplier information page: invoices and onboarding
• Your website and public sector tenders: what buyers check

Should a small firm publish a voluntary statement?

Publish one if customers ask, if you have overseas supply chains or outsourced operations, or if you bid for public contracts. Keep it honest and proportionate to your size. A short, specific statement beats a long template that promises checks you do not carry out.

• Tell clients how you protect their data

When is a statement not worth publishing?

For a small local business with a simple, UK-based supply chain and no corporate customers asking, a published statement adds little. Focus on paying staff correctly and choosing reputable suppliers. Publish when a customer or tender asks.

What does this look like in practice?

A pattern we see with growing suppliers: a corporate customer's onboarding questionnaire asks for a modern slavery statement, and the team scrambles. A short, honest statement on the policies page, reviewed each year, answers that question for every future customer.

• See client work
• Website Design & Development for UK businesses

Modern slavery statement checklist

• Check whether turnover is £36 million or more.
• Cover structure, policies and due diligence.
• Get board approval and a director's signature.
• Link it prominently from the homepage.
• Keep previous years available.
• Publish voluntarily if customers ask.

• Should your VAT number be on your website?
• An accessibility statement for a business website

Next step

If you are under the threshold but supply larger firms, draft a one-page statement of how you check your own staff and suppliers.