Human Rights Policy Writers

What are Human Rights Policies?

Human rights policies outline how organisations respect and protect the fundamental rights and freedoms of individuals affected by their operations, supply chains and business relationships.

A clear policy ensures that the organisation is committed to treating people with dignity and fairness, avoiding complicity in human rights abuses, and promoting responsible and ethical business practices.

What Do Human Rights Policies Cover?

A human rights policy typically includes:

• A statement of commitment to upholding internationally recognised human rights

• Alignment with frameworks such as the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and the European Convention on Human Rights

• Responsibilities of staff, managers and suppliers in respecting human rights

• Procedures for identifying, assessing and addressing human rights risks across operations and supply chains

• Integration with modern slavery, anti-trafficking and responsible sourcing policies

• Standards for fair treatment, equality and non-discrimination in the workplace

• Guidance on freedom of association, collective bargaining and fair working conditions

• Mechanisms for reporting, investigating and remedying human rights concerns

• Links to CSR, equality and diversity, modern slavery, and supplier relationship policies

A clear policy helps employees, suppliers and stakeholders understand the organisation’s commitment to human rights and the steps taken to protect individuals from harm.

It also supports compliance with UK law and international expectations, including the Modern Slavery Act 2015, while demonstrating leadership in corporate responsibility.

By embedding human rights considerations into daily operations and supply chain management, organisations can strengthen trust, reduce risk and demonstrate their role as ethical and accountable employers and business partners.

Legal Basis and Standards

The UK framework anchors on the Human Rights Act 1998, the Modern Slavery Act 2015, the Equality Act 2010, and (in some procurement contexts) the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises.

The Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023 adds specific duties for HE providers.

Common Compliance Pitfalls

• Modern Slavery statement that is generic and reused unchanged year on year.
• Supply-chain due diligence limited to direct (Tier 1) suppliers, missing the higher-risk lower tiers.
• No grievance mechanism for affected rights-holders.
• Human rights impact assessments absent for high-risk activities (overseas operations, security services, technology surveillance).
• Public-procurement social-value commitments that are not tracked or reported.

What Policy Pros Delivers

Our Human Rights Policy package includes the main policy aligned to the UN Guiding Principles, a supply-chain due diligence framework with risk-based tiering, a Modern Slavery statement template that updates meaningfully each year, a human rights impact assessment template, a rights-holder grievance mechanism, and integration with the Modern Slavery, EDI and procurement policies.