Australia’s hidden exploitation crisis that HR can’t afford to ignore

Modern slavery is a problem playing out not just in private homes and intimate relationships – but in workplaces and supply chains across Australia, as revealed in the Australian Institute of Criminology's Modern slavery in Australia 2024–25 report.

For HR leaders, this isn’t a distant human rights issue. It is directly linked to workforce practices, recruitment models, third‑party labour providers, and organisational culture. How your organisation hires, manages, procures and responds to complaints can either enable exploitation or help expose and prevent it.

Why modern slavery is a workplace issue

Modern slavery is used here as an umbrella term for all human trafficking, slavery and slavery‑like offences, including:

• Slavery and servitude (domestic, sexual and other)
• Forced labour
• Deceptive recruiting
• Forced marriage
• Debt bondage
• Trafficking in persons (including into, within and out of Australia)
• Organ trafficking and harbouring a victim

While many cases occur in private settings, the tactics and vulnerabilities are the same ones that can show up in a work context: deceptive job offers, coercive control by supervisors or labour hire providers, threats about visas or deportation, withholding wages or documents, and isolating workers from support.

For organisations covered by Australia’s Modern Slavery Act – and for any employer concerned with ethical practice and legal risk – these findings should be treated as a red flag for HR, not just for government and law enforcement.

Rising reporting – and what it means for employers

Between July 2024 and June 2025, the AFP received 371 reports of alleged modern slavery – an average of 31 reports per month. Most reports (79%) related to offences that had already occurred, rather than emerging risks.

Reports came from a broad range of sources, including:

• Members of the public (32%)
• Victim survivors self‑referring (11%)
• Australian Border Force (13%)
• State and territory police (10%)

More than two in five reports originated from individuals rather than institutions, reflecting growing community awareness and the availability of online reporting channels.

Implication for HR

Employees, customers, clients and community members are increasingly aware of modern slavery – and more willing to act. Organisations that fail to take concerns seriously, or that dismiss red flags in their own operations or supply chains, risk reputational damage, regulatory scrutiny and potential legal exposure.

HR policies around whistleblowing, complaints management and psychological safety need to explicitly support reports of suspected exploitation – whether in your direct workforce or via contractors, franchisees, or supply chain partners.

Where exploitation is happening – and where HR should be looking

Nearly two thirds of reports related to alleged offences in NSW and Victoria, with Queensland, Western Australia and South Australia accounting for most of the remainder.

Modern slavery is predominantly reported in metropolitan areas, with 89% of reports from the five largest jurisdictions tied to city locations.

Alarmingly, more than half of all reports (57%) described exploitation in households or private settings. The commercial sex industry was the second most common context (19%), followed by agriculture, horticulture and forestry (5%).

Many at‑risk workers move between “private” and “workplace” spaces – for example, live‑in domestic workers, staff whose housing is controlled by their employer or labour hire provider, or workers brought to Australia by family or intimate partners who then control their employment.

High‑risk sectors like agriculture, hospitality, cleaning, construction, security, and care work often rely on temporary visa holders, labour hire or informal recruitment channels – all areas where HR has influence through policy, due diligence and supplier management.

Even if exploitation occurs “off the clock” or in a private setting, it may still involve individuals connected to your organisation – such as an employee controlling their partner’s work and visa status, or a subcontractor exploiting family members within a small business.

HR must think beyond the traditional workplace boundaries and consider where their organisation’s relationships (employment, contracting, supply, franchising) intersect with high‑risk contexts.

Who is being exploited – and what HR needs to understand about vulnerability

Across 100 of 132 active investigations that were not withdrawn, authorities identified 128 suspected victim survivors:

• 87% of victim survivors were female, 13% male
• 65% were adults (18+), 34% were under 18
• The majority were under 30
• 78% were born overseas, 11% were born in Australia
• Southern and Central Asia were the most common regions of birth, particularly Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka

Citizenship and visa status varied, including Australian citizens/permanent residents, temporary visa holders and people with no visa at the time they were identified.

Workforce implications:

• Young migrant women and girls are disproportionately at risk – a demographic common in casualised roles in hospitality, cleaning, care work, retail, agriculture and some professional services.
• Temporary visa holders may fear job loss, deportation, or family repercussions if they complain, even about serious abuse.
• Language barriers, lack of knowledge of rights, and dependence on a single employer, agent or family member can make standard HR processes (grievances, EAP, anonymous hotlines) inaccessible unless they are designed with these realities in mind.

HR teams should review whether their communication, onboarding and complaints mechanisms truly reach vulnerable workers – particularly those employed via labour hire, subcontractors or franchisees.

Exploitation within relationships of trust – and the workplace overlap

Modern slavery in Australia is overwhelmingly occurring within relationships of trust:

• 77% of victim survivors knew the suspected perpetrator
• 44% were allegedly exploited by a family member
• 30% by an intimate partner
• Only 2% by a stranger

Family members were often implicated in forced marriage and exit trafficking, while intimate partners were especially prominent in exit trafficking cases.

What this looks like from an HR lens:

• A worker may appear to have a controlling “relative” or “partner” who manages their pay, transport, documents and communication, including with the employer.
• Staff may request unusual leave, travel or absences linked to forced marriage or exit trafficking, possibly framed as “family visits” or “urgent trips overseas”.
• A trusted senior employee or supervisor might be quietly exploiting relatives or community members they bring into the workforce (e.g. charging “recruitment fees”, confiscating passports, controlling bank accounts, demanding unpaid work).

Workplace policies on domestic and family violence, bullying and harassment, conflict of interest, and recruitment need to explicitly account for the intersection of personal and professional control, rather than treating exploitation as purely “private”.

How people are drawn into exploitation – and red flags for HR

For 118 victim survivors where this was known, the main methods used to draw them into exploitation were:

• Deception (38%) – false promises about relationships, work or migration
• Coercion (31%) – emotional, psychological or physical pressure and abuse
• Threats (20%) – including harm, reprisal or deportation

In a workplace and hiring context, this can look like:

• Misleading job ads or promises about wages, hours, duties or location – particularly when workers are recruited overseas or via informal networks and agents.
• “Recruitment fees” or debts that tie a worker to an employer or labour provider, effectively creating debt bondage.
• Threatening to “cancel sponsorship”, “call immigration” or “send you home” if workers speak up, take leave or refuse unsafe work.
• Confiscation of passports, identity documents or bank cards under the guise of “safekeeping” or “administration”.

HR leaders must ensure that:

• Job offers and contracts are accurate, translated where needed, and fully explained.
• No agents or managers are charging workers fees that create dependency.
• Policies explicitly prohibit threats linked to visa status or migration consequences.

Who are the perpetrators?

From the 132 ongoing investigations, 88 suspected perpetrators were identified:

• 89% were male, all were adults
• Most were aged 40 and over – significantly older than victim survivors
• 70% of those with known birthplaces were born overseas, 7% in Australia
• Regions of birth overlapped with victim survivors (Southern and Central Asia, North Africa and the Middle East, plus Oceania)

Each perpetrator was alleged to have committed at least one modern slavery offence. One in five were linked to multiple victims. The most common alleged offences were exit trafficking and forced marriage.

HR has a critical role in gatekeeping who is allowed to recruit, manage and supervise staff, and in monitoring behaviour and patterns (e.g. one manager controlling a cluster of extremely vulnerable workers).

Support systems – and how HR can connect people to help

Australia’s response includes specialist support programs:

• The Support for Trafficked People Program (STPP), delivered nationally by Australian Red Cross since 2004.
• The Forced Marriage Specialist Support Program (FMSSP), run by Life Without Barriers since January 2025.

Between July 2024 and June 2025, 152 victim survivors were referred to the STPP. Over half (54%) came via an Additional Referral Pathway that allows select support providers to refer people without prior engagement with law enforcement – a crucial option for those fearful of police or immigration.

Support commonly includes:

• Social and emotional support
• Financial assistance
• Housing and accommodation
• Medical and healthcare
• Emergency items like food and clothing
• Employment, education and training assistance
• Legal advice on visas, civil and criminal matters

Legal action and system strain

By 30 June 2025, 30 defendants had been charged, with 352 charges laid. 48% of these were modern slavery offences

Servitude, forced labour, debt bondage, slavery, forced marriage and trafficking in persons were among the most common modern slavery charges.

Thirteen defendants were committed to trial or sentence during the year; by 30 June, five had their modern slavery charges proven.

The data suggests Australia’s modern slavery response is becoming more sophisticated, with better reporting and support programs. At the same time, it highlights serious gaps.

HR can assist by:

1. Embedding modern slavery into people strategy
2. Designing safe pathways to speak up
3. Due diligence in recruitment and labour sourcing
4. Training managers on red flags
5. Supporting affected employees with care and confidentiality

Modern slavery in Australia is not confined to distant supply chains or criminal gangs operating in the shadows. It is intertwined with relationships of trust, migration pathways, and everyday work arrangements.

HR leaders are uniquely placed to spot the warning signs, challenge harmful practices, and build systems that make exploitation harder – and safety, dignity and transparency the norm.