Pentland Brands launches ethical trade app to combat modern slavery

Pentland Brands has launched a new ethical trade app to help people throughout its supply chain spot potential ethical trade issues.

The app, entitled ‘Everyone’s Business’, has been designed to engage and educate all employees in responsible labour sourcing. The app is a simple smart phone tool designed to help all factory-facing employees maintain labour standards and human rights across the supply chain.

Developed in collaboration with the sustainability and corporate responsibility consultancy Carnstone Partners, the app educates users on the risks of modern slavery and facilitates the reporting of any issues or potential issues identified.  

The app captures users’ observations and relays any concerns to our dedicated in-house corporate responsibility team. It provides a way to access timely and accurate information, engage with suppliers and encourage responsible labour sourcing.

Everyone’s Business can be used by merchandisers, quality managers and buyers, as well as employees, that frequently visit suppliers. The app can be used in any country where our brands have suppliers.

Sara Brennan, Head of Corporate Responsibility at Pentland Brands, says, “Whilst there are other freely available apps that provide information on supply chain ethical trade issues, what’s unique about Everyone’s Business is that it facilitates a two-way conversation between us and our supply chains.

“We’re really proud to be helping our colleagues to understand, identify and report ethical trade issues as they arise. It allows our colleagues to speak up if they have concerns, in a consistent way that’s recordable and transparent. Ultimately, it helps us continue to operate to high labour and human rights standards. As a business, we believe in doing the right thing, not the easy thing, and this app helps us to make better, more informed ethical decisions.”

William Pickett, Partner, Carnstone Partners, says, “Everyone’s Business is an important tool because it offers a way to involve all factory-facing employees on the responsible labour sourcing agenda. Information gathered from these many visits can be used by the ethical trade teams to make informed decisions when engaging with suppliers and managing supplier risks. We’re delighted to be working with Pentland Brands and other leading retailers who have helped lead and shape this initiative.”

Pentland Brands is committed to addressing the complex and often hidden issue of modern slavery. Our goal is to protect the rights of people in both our supply chain and the communities in which we operate. A founding member of the Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI), we partner with experts, NGOs, charities and consultancies to support our suppliers and our industry in working towards the eradication of modern slavery.

You can read our most recent Modern Slavery report here.