More than half of the suppliers judged highest risk for UK retail and consumer goods firms are still failing to provide workers with a formal and secure way to raise labour concerns, according to analysis from EcoVadis that points to a widening disconnect between policy and practice.
The ESG ratings agency reviewed assessment data covering nearly 3,000 suppliers to UK retail and consumer goods companies between 2023 and 2025, including 242 suppliers based in countries identifie...
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d as posing elevated labour and human rights risks. While 72% of those suppliers said they had a written human rights policy, 56% offered no formal grievance channel for workers to report issues such as unpaid wages, excessive overtime, harassment or forced labour risks.
The report also found that only 61% had put in place practical safeguards such as worker training, whistleblowing channels or third-party audits. Just one in five reached what EcoVadis called “advanced maturity”, meaning they combined a formal policy with at least four worker protection measures.
The findings are especially significant because the share of procurement by UK retail and consumer goods groups from high-risk countries has risen by 22% over two years, increasing exposure to supply chains where exploitation risks are greater. That comes against a backdrop of rising scrutiny of labour abuse, including recent UK data showing modern slavery cases identified last year hit a record level.
The analysis was presented at an event held with the British Retail Consortium, which said retailers were committed to identifying harms in their own operations and wider supply chains but still faced systemic barriers to effective due diligence. The organisation called for stronger UK legislation on mandatory human rights and environmental due diligence, arguing voluntary action was not enough to bring global suppliers into line.
Antoine Heuty, EcoVadis’s senior vice-president for human rights, said a grievance route on paper was not enough if workers did not trust it or see action follow. He said the real test was whether systems actually protected workers rather than simply satisfying compliance checks.
The government’s own practical guide on transparency in supply chains says businesses should offer multiple reporting routes, including anonymous channels in a language workers understand, underscoring how central worker voice is to modern slavery due diligence.
EcoVadis said the findings should be a warning to retailers that policies alone do not reveal the full picture. Without accessible grievance mechanisms at supplier level, workers may have nowhere safe to report abuse, leaving serious labour rights violations hidden until they escalate.
Source: Noah Wire Services
