Compliance Briefing — May 20, 2025

Executive briefing: The Fighting Against Forced Labour and Child Labour in Supply Chains Act requires covered entities to submit their second annual report by May 31, 2025. Reports must be filed through Public Safety Canada’s portal, provided to the Minister of Public Safety, and posted prominently on company websites.

Key compliance checkpoints

Portal submission. Use the online reporting system to upload the approved PDF and complete the mandatory questionnaire covering structure, policies, and risk mitigation.
Accessibility. Publish the report in both official languages and ensure alternative formats are available on request.
Record retention. Maintain documentation of board approval, supplier risk assessments, and remediation evidence for inspection.

Control alignment

Cross-jurisdictional reporting. Harmonise Canadian disclosures with UK Modern Slavery Act and Australian Modern Slavery Act submissions to avoid conflicting narratives.
Monitoring. Update KPIs for supplier audits, grievance outcomes, and corrective actions to demonstrate progress since the 2024 baseline.
Stakeholder engagement. Communicate findings to investors, unions, and affected communities to reinforce transparency commitments.

Enablement moves

Schedule final internal reviews and legal sign-off by early May to avoid portal congestion near the deadline.
Prepare Q&A scripts for media or customer inquiries following publication.
Document continuous improvement roadmaps covering supplier training, technology upgrades, and grievance mechanism enhancements.

Sources

Zeph Tech coordinates Canadian forced labour reporting workflows—from supplier data collection to bilingual publication—so boards can certify compliance ahead of the May 2025 deadline.