Slavery and human trafficking

Barnett Waddingham welcomes the UK’s Modern Slavery Act and the duty it places on businesses to disclose publicly the steps they are taking to tackle forced labour and human trafficking. Our strong values and code of ethics mean we will not use any business or organisation which is involved in this activity.

We are an independent professional services firm within the financial services sector, providing actuarial, administration and consultancy services. We have over 1,500 employees and partners within nine offices nationwide.

Policy statement

We are committed to ensuring that within our control there are no breaches appertaining to section 54 (1) of the Modern Slavery Act and will not use or allow the use of forced, compulsory labour, slavery, or human trafficking in the course of our business activities either in our supply chain or in any part of our business.

This has been achieved by:

Recruitment

Our employment procedures ensure that Barnett Waddingham conducts appropriate checks on all colleagues to ensure they can legally work in the United Kingdom.

Remuneration

We are committed to ensuring all our colleagues receive fair remuneration for the job they perform. All our employees on permanent or fixed term contracts are paid at or above the Living Wage. The only exception is those under short term internships or apprentice contracts where we invest a lot in their development to build their skills and experience.

Whistleblowing

We encourage all of our employees to report any concerns related to the activities of the firm. Our firm’s whistleblowing procedure is designed to ensure any matter raised will be investigated thoroughly, promptly and confidentially. All staff attend an annual compliance refresher training course which reminds them of our whistleblowing policy.

Training

In order to ensure proper understanding of the risks imposed by modern slavery and human trafficking in the context of the firm’s business and supply chains, our firm provides training to all employees as part of the annual mandatory compliance training.

Suppliers

We operate a supplier verification process which includes due diligence checks. Confirmation will be sought that all suppliers are as committed to the prevention of human trafficking and slavery as we are and we will not award or renew business with any supplier who fails this test. Existing suppliers have been contacted to confirm their positions with regard to human trafficking and slavery.

Our commitment

To demonstrate our ongoing commitment, we will strive to not use any business or organisation which is involved in human trafficking and slavery and shall continue to review and improve procedures to help identify and prevent the risk of human trafficking and slavery occurring.

This statement is made in respect of Barnett Waddingham’s financial year ending 31 May 2023 and was approved by Management Board on behalf of the firm on 29 June 2023.

Andrew Vaughan
Senior Partner, Barnett Waddingham

Last updated 29 June 2023