Modern Slavery Commitment
HEQS Furniture is committed to doing business without modern slavery in any form — in our own operations and in our supply chain. We do not tolerate, and will not knowingly engage or keep engaging, any supplier, subcontractor or labour provider involved in trafficking in persons, slavery, servitude, forced marriage, forced labour, debt bondage, deceptive recruiting, or the worst forms of child labour.
HEQS Furniture is not a reporting entity under the Modern Slavery Act 2018 (Cth). We apply this commitment voluntarily, because we supply Commonwealth, State and local government buyers who are bound by those obligations, and because the furniture and appliance sector is internationally recognised as carrying elevated labour exploitation risk.
Accountability
Our Director holds ultimate accountability for modern slavery risk: approving every new supplier and subcontractor, deciding every escalated concern with authority to suspend or terminate a supplier, and conducting the annual risk review. This responsibility is not delegated. Our Contracts Manager runs the commitment day to day.
What we prohibit — and expect of every supplier
- Forced, bonded, indentured or involuntary labour
- Child labour, or employing anyone below the lawful minimum working age
- Holding or restricting access to a worker's identity or work documents, including passports
- Charging recruitment fees, or debt that restricts a worker's freedom to leave
- Deceptive recruitment about the nature of the work, pay, location or conditions
- Restricting a worker's freedom of movement or ability to resign
- Paying below the legal minimum, or withholding wages or entitlements
- Threats, intimidation, abuse, or reprisal against anyone who raises a concern
How we prevent it
Supplier onboarding
Before a new supplier is engaged we require its legal identity, manufacturing or sourcing location, the labour arrangements at that location, and confirmation of compliance with local labour and safety law. Suppliers that cannot or will not provide this are not onboarded. Every new supplier is approved by the Director.
Contractual flow-down
Our supply terms and purchase orders require compliance with labour, work health and safety and anti-slavery law, and require suppliers to impose the same obligations on their own subcontractors. On government contracts these obligations are flowed down expressly, together with WHS, privacy, insurance and record-keeping requirements.
Direct manufacturer relationships
We deliberately favour long-term, direct relationships with known manufacturers over sourcing through agents, brokers or unknown intermediaries. Knowing the production site itself is one of our most effective controls against opaque labour practices.
Supply chain mapping and independent audit
We keep a register of our Tier One suppliers for every product category and review key supply chains annually and whenever a new supplier joins a key category. HEQS Furniture is an active Sedex member, and supplier factories are independently audited against SMETA 4-Pillar.
Training
Every worker is made aware of this commitment and how to report a concern at induction. People who choose suppliers and subcontractors receive modern slavery awareness training covering the indicators of forced labour and debt bondage. This material is shared with key suppliers on government contracts.
How we respond if we find it
The person at risk comes first
Where someone may be in forced labour, servitude, debt bondage or trafficking, their safety takes priority over any commercial relationship. We seek advice from the Australian Federal Police and support services and take no step that could expose them to further harm.
In our own operations
A breach is rectified immediately, including back-payment of any underpaid entitlement, and disciplinary action is taken against anyone responsible.
In our supply chain
Our first preference is to remediate with the supplier through a corrective action plan with defined actions, evidence and timeframes, then verify completion — because walking away can leave affected workers worse off. Where a supplier will not remediate, the breach is severe, or remediation fails, we suspend and then end the relationship.
Customers and authorities
Where a breach relates to goods or services supplied to a customer, we notify them promptly and keep them informed. We cooperate fully with any investigation by a customer, the AFP, the Fair Work Ombudsman or a WHS regulator.
When a case closes, the Director reviews what it reveals about our controls and strengthens them. This commitment is reviewed every year and after any substantiated breach.
Raise a concern — safely
Anyone can raise a concern about labour practices, human rights, modern slavery, pay, safety or conduct in our operations or supply chain — our employees and contractors, workers at our suppliers, customers, or any member of the public. No form is needed.
- In writing or by phone — via our contact page or on (02) 8740 5642, for the attention of the Contracts Manager.
- Directly to the Director — if the concern involves a supervisor or the Contracts Manager.
- Anonymously — in writing to 45–49 Justin Street, Smithfield NSW 2164, marked for the attention of the Director.
Nobody who raises a concern in good faith will be disadvantaged; retaliation is itself a breach of our code of conduct.
Concerns are recorded the same day and acknowledged within 2 business days. Modern slavery, human rights and serious safety concerns go straight to the Director. A decision is made within 20 business days, or we explain in writing why more time is needed.
Where a concern relates to a Commonwealth contract, we recognise the protections of the Public Interest Disclosure Act 2013 (Cth).