Addressing Forced Labour: The HRDD Academy learning journey
By Gemma Giammattei, Learning Coordinator and Human Rights and Business Advisor at Fair Wear
Forced labour remains one of the most serious human rights risks in global supply chains, and one of the most complex to detect and address. With new regulatory requirements on the horizon, brands and retailers, can no longer afford to wait. They need to:
Build a solid understanding of the issue,
Take effective actions through effective human rights due diligence and
Demonstrate preparedness for increasing regulatory scrutiny in Europe and beyond.
The HRDD Academy's Forced Labour learning journey is designed to help brands and retailers do exactly that.
This learning programme was developed by Fair Wear and is the initiative of the parties of the Pact for sustainable garments, textiles and footwear — INretail, Modint, CNV Internationaal, Mondiaal FNV and FNV. The Pact is facilitated by the Social Economic Council of the Netherlands (SER), supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Netherlands).
What the programme sets out to do
The Forced Labour learning journey equips companies and retailers identify, prevent and remediate forced labour risks and harms in their own operations and supply chain while strengthening their readiness for existent and emerging regulatory requirements. Combining practical HRDD tools with implementation guidance and regulatory insights, the programme supports in translating commitments into action and making their business more resilient.
The journey is built around three core outcomes:
Identify and assess forced labour risks.
Participants learn how to recognise forced labour, identify high-risk countries and sectors, understand the root causes, and how to recognise forced labour indicators — including state-imposed forced labour.
Strengthen and operationalise HRDD.
Through guidance aligned with the 6 steps of HRDD, companies learn how to assess and prioritise risks, engage with suppliers and stakeholders, address root causes, implement preventive actions and remediate cases responsibly. The emphasis is on prevention and mitigation, not just responding when a violation has already occurred.
Prepare for EU FLR implementation.
Brands gain practical insights into what the EU Forced Labour Regulation requires, how investigations work, what evidence may be expected, and how to plan for potential enforcement actions such as product bans.
How brands and retailers can benefit from the learning journey
The learning journey is designed to support companies at different stages of their forced labour due diligence journey. Whether you are just starting to assess risks, strengthening existing HRDD processes, or preparing for the EU Forced Labour Regulation, you can select the modules most relevant to your organisation's priorities and build from there.
Forced Labour: The Essentials is the entry point for anyone building foundational knowledge and identify potential forced labour risks in their supply chains. This beginner-level module — suitable for CSR and sourcing teams with no prior knowledge required — covers what forced labour is, where it occurs, and how to recognise it. Through real-world examples, data, tools, and scenario-based exercises, participants build the grounding needed before tackling more advanced HRDD work targeted to forced labour risks.
Forced Labour Regulation: Getting Ready is designed for teams preparing for the EU Forced Labour Regulation, including CEOs, CSR, sourcing, buying, and legal departments. With enforcement starting in December 2027, the module helps companies understand regulatory expectations, anticipate how investigations may unfold, identify readiness gaps, and take practical steps to prepare for potential enforcement actions.
HRDD in Practice: Forced Labour(coming September 2026) will help participants integrate forced labour considerations into every step of their due diligence process. Combining practical guidance with real-world brand examples, the module covers everything from policy development and risk assessment to prevention, remediation, tracking, and communication, helping companies turn due diligence requirements into effective action.
Are you ready?
With the EU Forced Labour Regulation approaching and scrutiny of supply chains increasing, the question is no longer whether companies and retailers should prepare for forced labour risks, but whether they are prepared to respond when those risks are identified.
The organisations that start preparing now will be better positioned to identify risks early, respond effectively, and demonstrate a credible approach to human rights due diligence.
The HRDD Academy's Forced Labour learning journey provides the knowledge, tools, and practical examples needed to get started.
Interested in learning more, discussing your organisation's needs, or joining the programme? We'd be happy to talk. Book a call with our team and let’s discuss your needs.
