Building Beyond Exploitation: Why Anti-Slavery Day Matters to LPL Construction Services
Anti-Slavery Day is marked every year on 18 October, and it asks the UK construction industry to face something uncomfortable. Modern slavery is not a thing of the past, and it is not confined to distant countries. It is happening here, on building sites, among temporary workforces and within complex supply chains.
LPL Construction Services employs around 115 people directly, and as a main contractor and subcontractor we manage extensive supply chains across capital projects. That brings a responsibility to stay alert. This Anti-Slavery Day, we want to look at the latest national figures, explain why construction is so exposed, and set out what LPL does on every site to make sure people are treated fairly and work safely.
The National Picture
The figures are sobering. In its Annual Assessment for 2025, Unseen, the charity behind the UK’s Modern Slavery & Exploitation Helpline, reported
11,231 contacts by phone, webform and app. These led to 2,954 modern slavery cases involving 6,628 potential victims.
Cases rose by 41% on the previous year, the highest number in the helpline’s ten-year history. Where the type of exploitation was known, labour exploitation made up 56% of cases (1,131) and 70% of potential victims (3,867 people).
Where the location was known, 81% of cases (1,768) took place within the UK.
The report also shows how control is exercised.
Among labour exploitation cases, the most common methods were confinement or restricted movement (71%), financial control or debt bondage (51%) and tied accommodation (45%).
Why Construction is at Risk
Construction was the single largest industry for potential victims of labour exploitation in the UK, with 710 potential victims identified across 150 cases. That is a 44% increase in potential victims in the sector year on year.
Unseen points to a few structural reasons. Persistent labour shortages mean employers lean heavily on fast recruitment and agency labour. Long chains of subcontracting can make it hard to see who is actually working on a site from one day to the next. And some workers, particularly migrant workers, may not know their rights in the UK, or may have already been charged unfair visa fees and fallen into debt before they arrive.
Our Position at LPL
LPL has a zero-tolerance policy towards modern slavery, human trafficking, forced labour and worker abuse. The policy is approved by our Board and monitored daily by our Compliance Director, Grant Rayne, and it applies to our own staff, our subcontractors and our wider supply chain. In practice, that means the following.
Screening our supply chain. Every prospective subcontractor and consultant goes through our Pre-Qualification Questionnaire (PQQ) process, and must formally acknowledge their obligations under the Modern Slavery Act 2015. Any breach is reviewed and investigated through an Identity Service Provider.
Never holding identity documents. Withholding passports and ID is one of the main ways exploiters control people. LPL will never hold or retain an employee’s or operative’s original identification documents.
Reporting openly. We report our progress each year as part of our commitment to UN Sustainable Development Goal 16, Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions, which you can read Checking the right to work. We carry out formal pre-employment checks on our team, using original document checks, Home Office online immigration checks or verification in our SDG Report.
Spotting the Signs on Site
Policies matter, but so does what people notice on the ground. We give project teams, site managers and subcontractor workforce leads clear guidance on what to look out for.
Physical and psychological signs include someone who seems fearful or withdrawn, looks unkempt, or has no suitable PPE or attention given to an injury. Control and isolation can show up as operatives arriving together in managed transport, having no freedom of movement, or letting another person speak for them.
Financial exploitation may look like debt bondage, no control over their own bank account, or deductions from pay for inflated travel or accommodation costs. And a worker who does not hold their own passport, identity card or right-to-work documents is a serious warning sign.
What to do if you have a Concern
Our guidance puts the safety of the individual first. Anyone on one of our sites, whether LPL staff or supply chain partners, is told never to confront a suspected handler or exploiter directly, because it can put the victim at greater risk.
Instead, concerns should be raised straight away with the Site Manager, LPL HR or the Compliance Director. Our confidential Whistleblowing Policy is also available. If someone is in immediate danger, call 999.
We also display details of independent support in site inductions and on noticeboards, so that anyone can seek confidential advice:
● Modern Slavery & Exploitation Helpline: 08000 121 700 (free, confidential, 24/7, with support in multiple languages)
● Slave Free Alliance: 0300 008 0044
Looking Ahead
Anti-Slavery Day is a useful moment to stop and take stock, but protecting people takes daily attention. Careful supply chain checks, proper right-to-work verification, clear reporting routes and open governance all play their part, and we will keep working at each of them so that the industry we build in is a fair and safe one.
Sources
● LPL Construction Services (2026), Modern Slavery Policy
● Unseen UK (2026), Modern Slavery & Exploitation Helpline Annual Assessment 2025
● Slave Free Alliance (2026), Helpline & Advisory Guidance
