Newsletter Issue 18 – September 2022
Welcome to the September issue of the Fast Forward Newsletter. In this month’s issue:
Fast Forward news:
- Fast Forward launches Brand Ethical Maturity Framework
- Webinar: Employment Rights – Key developments! Rescheduled 6th October – Book now!
- Fast Forward standards from 1st August 2022 – a reminder of new requirements
Industry and legislative news:
- Stakeholders call for the appointment of the new Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner “as soon as possible”
- UK: new scale-up visa
- UK: New Plan for Immigration: legal migration and border control
- Zero-hours contracts: evolution and current status report
- Global Estimates of Modern Slavery report published
We’d also like to get your feedback whether you’re a brand, supplier, factory, warehouse or other organisation. Please do get in touch.
The Fast Forward Team
FAST FORWARD NEWS
Fast Forward launches Brand
Ethical Maturity Framework
Fast Forward has launched the ‘Foundation’ level of a new Brand Ethical Maturity Framework (EMF). The EMF has been developed to support Brand Members to demonstrate their engagement with the Fast Forward Programme and their continuous efforts and progress in improving labour conditions in their UK supply chains. The EMF supports Members’ wider efforts on responsible sourcing and human rights due diligence, and to future proof for potential new legal requirements such as mandatory human rights due diligence and, for apparel brands, the proposed Garment Trade Adjudicator.
The EMF process is intended to be supportive and constructive, helping Brands at different stages in their human rights programmes to make continuous improvement in meeting and exceeding industry best practice standards.
Webinar | Employment Rights – Learn key developments!
Save your spot today!
If you’re Supplier Engagement Programme subscriber or Fast Forward Brand, join us at 10am Thursday 6th October to hear key updates on employment rights, including holiday entitlement, the new UK Government guidance on employment status and self-employment, and other emerging developments.
Additional questions from webinar participants will be answered during the live Q&A chat.
Fast Forward standards updates from 1st August 2022
A quick reminder of our 10-minute video which presents the new amendments to the Fast Forward standards, including right to work, self-employment, leavers, environmental updates and what’s coming up in 2023!
There are written guidance and helpful links below the recording.
LEGISLATIVE NEWS
Stakeholders call for the appointment of the new Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner “as soon as possible”
In this article, The Guardian reports it has been a legal requirement to have an independent commissioner since the post was created as part of the Modern Slavery Act in 2015, however it is now four months since Sara Thornton left.
Thornton, along with other experts, is calling for a replacement as soon as possible. The number of potential trafficking victims identified has reached record levels this year, with 4,171 referrals recorded between April and June 2022. She argues that the risks of exploitation have increased and that planned legislation on modern slavery needs scrutiny.
UK: new scale-up visa
On 22 August the UK Government announced the Scale-up visa with the intention of giving UK’s top high-growth businesses greater flexibility to hire often in-demand talent while boosting the UK’s high-skilled pool.
UK businesses experiencing impressive success will be eligible to sponsor talented individuals, from scientists and engineers to architects and programmers, to support their growth and contribute to boosting the UK’s economy. Individuals will receive 2 years’ leave to remain in the UK without requiring further sponsorship or permission beyond the first 6 months.
UK: New Plan for Immigration:
legal migration and border control
This document sets out the UK Government’s vision for a border and legal migration system of the future.
Zero-hours contracts: evolution and current status report
CIPD has published a ‘Zero-hours contracts‘ report which reviews the evolution and current status of zero-hours contracts, exploring their potential benefits and disadvantages, why employers use them and the level of satisfaction zero-hours workers have with this working arrangement.
Global Estimates of Modern Slavery report published
In this report from the International Labour Organisation, Walk Free and the International Organisation for Migration, estimates indicate there are 50 million people in situations of modern slavery on any given day, either forced to work against their will or in a marriage that they were forced into – a figure up nearly 10 million on its numbers from five years ago.
The report covers the scale and manifestations of modern slavery as well as outlining key policy priorities for addressing forced labour which include expanding workers’ voices, extending social protection and promoting fair and ethical recruitment amongst others.
Just Good Work
Just Good Work is a free, interactive mobile app giving jobseekers and workers from the UK or abroad critical information and advice on recruitment and employment. The Fast Forward audit requires businesses to display the Just Good Work poster.
Posters are available to download for free in nine languages from the Fast Forward website: Albanian, Bulgarian, English, Croatian, Gujarati, Polish, Romanian, Serbian and Ukrainian.
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