Modern Antislavery Act 2020 Statement
The Modern AntiSlavery Act 2015 (the “Act”) requires a commercial organisation over a certain size to publish a slavery and human trafficking statement for each financial year.
Karmic Synergy Ltd welcomes the Act and continues to be committed to the eradication of human trafficking, slavery and other abuses of a person’s freedom and rights. We are totally opposed to such abuses in our direct operations, our indirect operations and our supply chain as a whole.
THE MEANING OF SLAVERY AND HUMAN TRAFFICKING
Our definition of slavery and human trafficking is aligned to that set out in the Act. We recognise that forced labour as a form of slavery includes debt bondage, servitude, exploitation, forced – and compulsory – labour or marriage, human trafficking and the restriction of a person’s freedom of movement whether that be physical, non-physical or, for example, by the withholding of a worker’s identity papers.
OUR BUSINESS AND SUPPLY CHAINS
Karmic Synergy Ltd is a Managed Service IT Provider based in the UK. The value of responsibility is at the heart of the Karmic Synergy business model; consideration and awareness of modern anti-slavery is in place across our business units.
Although we consider that the greatest risk of slavery and human trafficking would be in our supply chain, where operational and managerial oversight is out of our direct control we consider its possibility to be low due to the nature of our business. Irrespective that view, we require our partners to operate in line with our corporate values and fulfill our oversight of them with this in mind.
RELEVANT POLICIES
Karmic Synergy has clear, company-approved policies covering matters that include Modern Anti-Slavery; Whistleblowing; Anti-Bribery; and Anti-Fraud and actively encourages staff and third parties engaged in our business to report and expose any unethical behaviour of which they become aware. Any matter raised either via the whistleblowing or auditing processes will be diligently investigated and appropriate action taken in every instance.
RISK ASSESSMENT AND DUE DILIGENCE
We believe that the risk of slavery and human trafficking within our organisation is substantially avoided and mitigated as a result of these strict policies and procedures. It is reinforced through the oversight built into our business operations and the knowledge and skills of our staff as well as the annual review and embedding attestation for these polices. We expect the same level of responsibility from our suppliers, and where we do not feel adequately assured of this, would seek confirmation from each supplier. Our procurement process with any future suppliers incorporates the requirement for them to provide their assistance and compliance with the Act to ensure that we continue to have clear knowledge of our business partners.
Each year, the company considers any considerations regarding- or matters raised under- the whistleblowing process across its business units and both internal to them and in the outsourced service providers. No instances of modern slavery, or any other incidents of whistleblowing, were reported in 2019 or indeed the period in 2020 leading up to the date of this statement.
TRAINING AND RESPONSIBILITY
The Company Director and Senior Management have responsibility for implementing this policy statement and ensuring that any employee, in particular those who have direct responsibility for the supply chain, has adequate resources to ensure that slavery and human trafficking is not taking place within the organisation or its supply chain. Karmic Synergy’s policy on Modern Anti-Slavery is reviewed annually and brought to the attention of all of its staff who are asked to attest to their understanding of what it sets out.
This statement is made pursuant to section 54(1) of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and constitutes Karmic Synergy’s slavery and human trafficking statement. Its requirements operated throughout the 2019 financial year and its controls hold true for the current 2020 calendar year.
Sam Smith
Managing Director, Karmic Synergy Ltd
21st November 2020