MODERN SLAVERY STATEMENT

This statement is made pursuant to section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and constitutes Hays Travel Group’s slavery and human trafficking statement for the financial year ending 31st October 2019. Hays Travel Limited and its relevant groups companies (Hays Travel) are committed to ensuring that there is no modern slavery and human trafficking in any part of this business, including in our supplier chains. Group companies include Hays Tour Operating Limited, Hays Foreign Exchange Limited, Hays Beds Limited, Hays Transfers Limited, Hays Transport Limited and Hays Property Services Limited

ORGANISATION STRUCTURE

Hays Travel is the largest independent travel agent in the UK which was founded in 1980 and started to operate also as tour operator in 2012. The annual TTV (Total Transaction Value) in the last financial year was £1,126m. The Group had 3,575 employees operating within the UK as at 31st October 2019. The retail network consists of 605 high street travel agencies covering most of the UK. 440 shops are concentrated in the North and South West of England, the remaining 165 shops are scattered all over the UK and are operated by our Independence Group (IG) members. More than 120 legal entities form the IG who sell Hays' products as either agents of the tour operating businesses or as sub agents of Hays Travel Limited. Hays Group provides them with licenses (ATOL,ABTA and IATA), the back office support and the technology needed to sell our products. In addition to our retail presence we also sell through both our own call centres, contact centre and a network of independent and self-employed consultants. The main travel products we sell are as follows: 

Packages, either from Hays Travel's tour operation business or from other tour operators Non-package products (mainly cruise, hotel, transfers and car hire combinations), Foreign Currency and Travel Insurance.

SUPPLY CHAINS

Hays Travel's commercial department is responsible for the selection and management of all our holiday travel suppliers. They oversee an extensive supply chain of suppliers, including but not limited to airlines, package providers, transfers, car hire and accommodation suppliers, agents and sub-agents, both in the UK and abroad. Hays Travel's procurement department oversees our indirect services suppliers (professional services, facilities, sales and marketing agencies and uniform manufacturers). Hays conduct checks to determine their financial stability and where appropriate they carry out supplier audits. 

Value and policy on slavery and human trafficking

Hays Travel is committed to ensuring that there is no modern slavery or human trafficking in our supply chains and in any part of the business. The Code of Conduct for Hays Travel’s employees defines our commitment to working responsibly and ethically and provides guidance on how employees are expected to behave and what steps to take if they suspect anyone is not complying with the Code.

Hays Travels Modern Slavery Policy reflects theirs and our commitment to acting ethically and with integrity in all our business relationships and to implementing and enforcing effective systems and controls to ensure slavery and human trafficking is not taking place anywhere in our supply chains. This policy also encourages the reporting of concerns and the protection of whistle blowers in line with our Hays Travel Whistleblowing policy.  Hays Travel have communicated to suppliers, contractors and business partners their zero-tolerance approach to modern slavery in their business and supply chains. They have included in their contracts specific clauses, firstly, to guarantee that each supplier complies with all applicable anti-slavery and human trafficking laws and regulations including but not limited to Modern Slavery Act 2015 and, secondly, to ensure that there is no slavery or human trafficking in their supply chains, by implementing due diligence to their own subcontractors.

Hays have provided training to their staff to ensure a high level of understanding of the risks of modern slavery and human trafficking in their supply chains and our business and to make sure they fully understand the behaviour required by them. Where appropriate they have included reference to Modern Slavery Act 2015 in our policies and procedures, in particular their whistleblowing policy for employees and in our Code of Conduct.

PROGRESS IN THE YEAR

During the year Hays' agreements department has been in touch with our suppliers to ensure their compliance with Hays Travel’s terms and conditions. This includes compliance with the Modern Slavery Act. During the process of recruiting new suppliers we ask them to certify that they have taken steps to eradicate modern slavery within their own organisation and supply chain. Work is being carried out between this team and Hays' legal department to create a Supplier Code of Ethics and Conduct; however this is yet to be included in the agreements between Hays Travel and suppliers. No Issues in relation to modern slavery in this business, or supply chains, have been found in the year.

Further Steps

Hays Travel intend to take the following further steps to combat slavery and human trafficking:

• Implement a Supplier Code of Ethics and Conduct to define minimum standards that they expect from suppliers. 

• Include specific prohibitions against the use of forces, compulsory or trafficked labour, or anyone held in slavery or servitude, whether adults or children, as part of our contracting processes.

Hay's suppliers will be asked to hold their own suppliers to the same high standards.  Hays requires  business partners to provide training to their staff and suppliers and providers on this field. This Modern Slavery statement was considered and approved by the board of directors on 3 July 2020