TFH Ethical Business Services

29/10/2026

More modern slavery questionnaires, more audits, more policies. But are we actually preventing exploitation?

This is a question I think every board and procurement leader should be asking.

New research from BSI and the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply found that only 36% of surveyed businesses globally could demonstrate the impact of their modern slavery risk assessments.

Yet 98% of Australian business leaders surveyed felt confident they had enough evidence to withstand regulatory scrutiny.

That gap concerns me.

At The Freedom Hub, we work with businesses wanting to do the right thing. We see the enormous amount of time and resources going into modern slavery statements, supplier questionnaires, policies and audits.

And much of this work is important.

But we also work with survivors of modern slavery in Australia. We see the human impact of exploitation and how long it can take someone to rebuild their confidence, independence and life.

That experience has shaped how I think about due diligence.

The question is not simply whether a business has identified a risk. It is what they did about it, and whether their actions made a difference to the people at risk.

Did workers feel safe enough to speak up?

Were recruitment fees repaid?

Did working conditions improve?

Could someone leave an exploitative situation without losing everything?

And importantly, did anyone ask the workers themselves?

I was encouraged to see Australia’s Anti-Slavery Commissioner, Chris Evans, calling for smarter, more proportionate due diligence for SMEs. Less repetitive paperwork and more meaningful action is a direction I strongly support.

But we must be careful that reducing the compliance burden does not become reducing our responsibility to people.

At The Freedom Hub, our Ethical Business team is increasingly focused on helping organisations understand whether their modern slavery prevention efforts are actually effective.

Because ultimately, a successful modern slavery program is not one that produces the best report.

It is one that helps prevent harm and makes life safer for people.

I’d be interested to hear from procurement and sustainability leaders. How are you measuring whether your modern slavery due diligence is actually working?

29/10/2026

We are excited to have Sarah speaking at the 2026 Social Enterprise Summit & Festival (13–14 November at the University of Sydney Business School)

Whether you're building a purpose-led business, driving social procurement in government, or investing in impact, there is truly something for everyone at this year’s event. Here is a quick look at what’s in store:

5 Rooms, 2 Dedicated Streams
We’ve curated talks and workshops split across two main streams:
💼 Business, Funders & Government
🌍 Social Enterprise Founders & Teams

Get your tickets here:
https://events.humanitix.com/social-enterprise-summit-2026

28/10/2026

A grievance channel is not protection if speaking up costs someone their job

Two workers asked to be paid what they were owed.

They lost their jobs.

On 9 October, the Fair Work Ombudsman announced $478,880 in penalties against two Melbourne finance businesses and their manager.

The court found the conduct was serious, deliberate, repeated and systematic. Three affected workers were visa holders, while another was a 20-year-old university student.

One worker received no pay for four months. Two were dismissed after requesting outstanding entitlements.

These are workplace-law findings, not findings of modern slavery. That distinction matters.

However, the case raises an important question for boards and executives:

Do workers feel safe using the reporting channels your organisation says are available?

A mechanism on paper is not enough

A whistleblowing hotline or grievance policy may look reassuring in a governance report.

The real test is what happens after someone speaks.

Are their shifts reduced? Are they treated differently by their manager? Does a labour-hire provider quietly move them elsewhere? Is their contract ended soon afterwards?

For workers who depend on an employer for income, visa security or future opportunities, even the possibility of retaliation can be enough to keep them silent.

Look at what happens next

Organisations should examine complaints and employment data together.

Boards and risk leaders could ask:

* Are dismissals or reduced shifts reviewed when they follow a workplace complaint?
* Can migrant, temporary and contracted workers report concerns independently of their supervisor?
* Does assurance extend to labour-hire providers and outsourced services?
* Are workers told what happened after they raised a concern?

At The Freedom Hub, our work with survivors has shown us that having a voice and feeling safe enough to use it are very different things.

The Freedom Hub’s Ethical Business Services team helps organisations test grievance mechanisms through a survivor-informed lens, strengthen worker engagement and connect modern slavery due diligence with HR, payroll and procurement systems.

A reporting channel should help prevent harm. It should never create another risk for the person brave enough to speak.

Read our latest article on grievance mechanisms here:
https://thefreedomhub.org/article/what-are-modern-slavery-risk-grievance-mechanisms/

Source: Fair Work Ombudsman, 9 October 2026⁠

Businesses need grievance mechanisms that workers trust. Learn how a survivor-informed framework identifies modern slavery risk and supports remedy.

28/10/2026

Our daily habits do not stay private for long. They leak into our leadership.

Over the 40 years I have been in leadership roles I learnt that the small things I do each day shape how I show up for my family, my team, and the work I care about.

Most mornings, I start with a gratitude journal and prayer. Harvard Health notes that gratitude practices are linked with greater happiness and can help people feel more positive emotions and build stronger relationships.

Food matters to me too. I try to eat cleanly, with few additives, because I know my energy changes when I don’t.

Pilates twice a week helps my body stay strong. Walking two or three times a week gives my head room to sort itself out.

Once a month, we spend a weekend on our boat. Another weekend, I try to spend time with our grandkids because they live in another city.

These are not fancy habits. They are my anchors. Do they stop me being grumpy or short tempered all the time?

No. I am not that perfect.

Over time though, I think these small choices have a big effect. They help me reset, remember what matters, and lead from my values rather than my mood.

Work habits matter too.

Each week, I try to write a personalised encouragement to someone in our Freedom Hub team. Every single meeting starts with a win or something positive.

When a team member lives out one of our five values, I try to give them a public shout out. Not because people need applause for everything, but because what we notice and encourage grows. Culture is not built by a poster on the wall. It is built by repeated behaviour.

At The Freedom Hub, our values are not there to sound nice. They guide how we treat survivors, partners, volunteers, customers, and each other. They are our North Star guiding everything we do.

Maybe your small change is choosing one habit that keeps you close to the leader you want to be.

What is one daily habit that helps you lead with more patience, care, or courage?

I would love to hear it in the comments. Please share this with someone who is building a team culture one small choice at a time.

28/10/2026

Justice does not end the injury.

This week, three Alexander brothers were sentenced to 30 years each in prison after being convicted of s*x trafficking. The case has made headlines because of wealth, power, luxury real estate and a dramatic fall from status.

But the real story sits with the women.

Eleven survivors stood in court and spoke before sentencing. That matters. Their voices were heard. Their courage helped bring accountability. And we should never underestimate what it takes to speak truth in a room where your trauma is being examined, questioned and remembered.

A sentence can bring justice.

But it does not erase the years stolen.

For survivors of s*xual exploitation and trafficking, the abuse often becomes a lifelong memory carried in the body, in relationships, in sleep, in trust, in confidence, in the way a person learns to feel safe again.

At The Freedom Hub, we have learned this through walking alongside survivors.

Recovery is not one appointment, or a neat program with a finish line. It is slow, personal and deeply human.

Learning to trust a friend again.
Making choices without fear.
It can look like sitting in a classroom, getting a first job, laughing in community, managing money, setting boundaries, or simply realising, “I have a future.”

This is why our Survivor School exists.

We help survivors recover and rebuild, but we do not take over their story or put them on a stage. We walk beside them as they regain agency, friendships, confidence and the practical tools to live successful independent lives.

People are not statistics. They are not only victims in a court case.

They are women with names, hopes, skills, humour, grief, strength and futures that still deserve room to grow.

Justice was served this week.
Now comes the long work of healing and recovery.

And that is where survivor-informed support matters most. Trauma-informed is essential but having peers who have been through this and understand is vital.

Please save this for the next time someone thinks a conviction is the end of the story. For survivors, it can be the beginning of being believed, but rebuilding takes community.

27/10/2026

NSW procurement reform has passed Parliament. Ethical conduct is becoming a commercial issue.

For businesses supplying the NSW Government, ethical conduct is moving closer to the decision about who is trusted to deliver public work.

On 13 October, Parliament passed the Local Jobs First Bill 2026. It is awaiting assent, so the reforms are not yet in force.

Much of the attention has focused on local jobs. However, the ethical procurement provisions deserve equal attention.

The passed bill requires the future procurement policy to include monitoring of lawful and ethical practices across government supply chains. Agencies will also need to conduct due diligence on a supplier’s ethical conduct before awarding a contract.

More than a tender promise

A new debarment scheme would prevent agencies from contracting with listed suppliers. Agencies must also take reasonable steps to determine whether a supplier intends to subcontract with a debarred business.

The precise debarment triggers will be set through regulations. Modern slavery is not expressly named in the bill, so the strength of the framework will depend on that detail.

However, the direction is important.

Ethical claims may increasingly need to be supported by evidence before a supplier wins government work.

Can your organisation demonstrate what it says?

Procurement and risk leaders should consider:

* Can we identify significant subcontractors and related entities?
* What evidence supports our statements about ethical conduct?
* What happens if a supplier receives an adverse regulatory finding?
* Can workers raise concerns outside their immediate management line?
* Who decides whether remediation, suspension or termination is appropriate?

A policy will not answer these questions on its own.

The evidence will sit across procurement, legal, HR, payroll, sustainability and the experience of workers themselves.

At The Freedom Hub, our Ethical Business Services team helps government suppliers and procurement teams connect these systems. We can work through a combined team workshop or directly with individual departments to test readiness, strengthen worker engagement and turn written commitments into practical evidence.

Ethical procurement is becoming part of commercial accountability. Now is the time to check whether your organisation can demonstrate what it promises.

Sources: NSW Parliament bill status⁠ and NSW Government procurement reform announcement⁠.

26/10/2026

More modern slavery paperwork does not always mean better due diligence.

How many times does a small supplier need to answer the same modern slavery questions?

The Australian Anti-Slavery Commissioner has released proposals aimed at reducing repetitive compliance work while improving the way genuine risks are identified.

Many SMEs currently receive multiple questionnaires, policy requests and contractual obligations from different customers. Each may appear reasonable, but together they can consume significant time and resources.

The Commissioner is not calling for less scrutiny.

He is calling for smarter scrutiny.

Are we asking the right suppliers the right questions?

Modern slavery risk is not determined by business size alone.

A small labour-hire provider operating in a high-risk sector may need careful investigation. A lower-risk supplier may only need to provide a reusable set of baseline information.

Yet many organisations send every supplier the same long questionnaire.

That may produce a completed spreadsheet, but does it tell us whether workers paid recruitment fees, had documents withheld or were afraid to speak?

Our work with survivors has shown us that the most important information is not always captured in paperwork.

Shift effort towards the risk

The Commissioner proposes proportionate information requests, reusable supplier profiles and deeper engagement where the circumstances indicate greater risk.

For procurement and sustainability teams, this means asking:

* Are we collecting information because it helps us make a decision?
* Do higher-risk answers trigger investigation or worker engagement?
* Could suppliers provide common information once rather than repeatedly?
* Are our own prices, deadlines or contract requirements contributing to pressure?

The aim should be to give lower-risk suppliers a simpler process while directing more attention to workers and supply chains where harm is more likely or severe.

The Freedom Hub’s Ethical Business Services team helps organisations build practical, survivor-informed supplier due diligence. We can work through a combined team workshop or directly with procurement, risk, HR and sustainability departments.

Better due diligence is not about the number of questions asked.

It is about whether the answers lead to action that protects people.

Source: Australian Anti-Slavery Commissioner, Getting the Balance Right: Modern Slavery Due Diligence and SMEs⁠

22/10/2026

Here is an excellent speech/article from
President of The Australian Human Rights Commission.

“People who have migrated to Australia over the generations – who have chosen to build a life here and call this place home – have made enormous contributions. Migration has made Australia stronger, socially and economically. It has fuelled our success. It is a core part of who we are.”

Read it here: https://humanrights.gov.au/about-us/media-centre/articles/president-hugh-de-kretser/presidents-message-october-2026?

Belonging: Migration and Human Rights in Australia - edited extract of a speech delivered to Migration Institute of Australia conference 1 October.

22/10/2026

Not all relationships should be partnerships.

I have learnt this the slow way.

In charity and business, relationships are everywhere. Some people cheer you on, others help with a project, and a few may become true partners.

But a partnership is different.

Partnership puts your name next to someone else’s. That can be powerful. It can also be risky.

The mistake I have made in the past is believing shared language means shared values.

It doesn’t.

A company can talk about purpose, ethics, sustainability, and human rights, yet their choices behind closed doors may tell another story. I have learnt to watch what people do over time, not only what they say in the first few meetings.

It is a bit like dating.

At first, everyone is on their best behaviour. Then pressure arrives. Money gets tight. A problem appears. That is when you see whether integrity is real.

The same is true in life.

Who you spend time with shapes who you become and what you accept. In business, the brands and leaders you stand beside speak loudly about what your own company values mean in practice.

At The Freedom Hub, we love working with others. We need businesses, councils, community groups, and people with generous skills to help end modern slavery in Australia.

Still, collaboration is not the same as partnership.

You can collaborate on a project without joining your brands too closely. A small change I now practise is to slow the process down before using the word partner.

We ask better questions and look for actions, not promises. We also put clear clauses and NDA’s in place to help protect the work, the survivors we serve, and the trust people have placed in us.

Maybe “collaborate before you integrate” is the line.

Or maybe it is simpler than that.

I would say just walk together for a while before you put your names on the same page publicly.

That pause can have a big effect.

Have you ever said no to a partnership because the values did not match the actions? I would love to hear what you learnt.

Please share this with a business friend who protects their brand with care.

Link in comments for The Freedom Hub’s ethical business work.

21/10/2026

Australia’s anti-slavery watchdog has warned that the Albanese government’s proposed crackdown on forced labour does not go far enough.

Read the full SMH story here:

Under current laws, Australian companies must disclose modern slavery risks but have no duty to fix them – a gap the commissioner says must be closed.