Modern Slavery, Workforce Ethics, and the UK Food Industry: In Conversation with Shane Tyler
Welcome back to TheMorePeople Podcast, where we spotlight industry leaders, share recruitment insights, and dive into the stories shaping the food and agriculture sectors. In our latest episode, host Richard Hanwell, Managing Director at MorePeople, is joined by Shane Tyler, founder of Tyler Blade & Practical Ethics, for a deeply impactful conversation about labour challenges, modern slavery, and ethical practices across UK industries.
From Operations to Ethics: Shane’s Journey
Shane’s career began in operational roles during his university years and soon led him into the produce industry in the late 1990s. His trajectory took a dramatic turn in the early 2000s when a factory he was working in made headlines after being exposed by Panorama for employing over 200 people illegally. That pivotal experience ignited Shane’s commitment to workforce ethics and combatting exploitation.
Over the next 17 years at the Fresca Group, Shane honed his expertise, eventually leading him to establish his own consultancy in 2022. Today, Tyler Blade & Practical Ethics, run in partnership with Jane Bladen, provides practical, proactive ethical solutions for businesses facing the complex and evolving challenges of labour sourcing and compliance.
The Labour Market Crisis: A Perfect Storm
Shane speaks candidly about the seismic shifts in the UK labour market since around 2015:
“We've had growth, an ageing population, technological changes, and new immigration rules that are hard to navigate for both employers and workers.”
He explains how the source of the labour force has shifted from EU-based workers to broader international recruitment including workers from the Philippines, Thailand, India, Nepal, and Bangladesh. With such diversity comes complexity, particularly when it comes to equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI). Without a proactive EDI strategy, companies risk cultural fragmentation and rising retention issues.
The Food Industry: A Hidden Career Gem
Shane passionately advocates for raising awareness of the food industry as a rewarding and diverse career path. He urges schools, colleges, and businesses to do more in promoting the wide range of roles, from technologists and accountants to managers and directors, that the industry desperately needs.
At the same time, he warns of a catch-22: while businesses invest in technology to reduce reliance on manual labour, the current gap is still wide and immediate. This mismatch creates a growing dependency on international workers, many of whom remain vulnerable to unethical recruitment practices.
Stepping Into Ethical Leadership
Launching his own consultancy was no small step for Shane, but his years of hands-on experience, particularly in dealing with modern slavery, have made his services vital. With more than 180 modern slavery cases uncovered in just a five-year span, Shane quickly found himself in high demand.
But what sets his work apart is a focus on protecting both the business and the victims:
“You can’t protect the victim if you don’t first protect the business.”
Shane’s approach is built on four principles:
Protect: Build strong, ethical business foundations.
Pursue: Identify and address ethical issues.
Prevent: Stop problems before they start.
Prepare: Equip businesses to respond and adapt effectively.
Proactive vs. Reactive: How Businesses Engage with Shane
Interestingly, most calls Shane receives aren't from businesses in crisis. Rather, they’re from companies under pressure, often from clients or regulators, to show ethical due diligence in their recruitment processes. These organisations want guidance, not just instruction.
“There are a lot of people telling businesses what they should do. There are far fewer telling them how.”
That "how" is Shane’s specialty - mapping recruitment journeys, assessing ethical risks, and helping organisations stay compliant and resilient.
Partnerships and the Power of Intelligence Sharing
One of the most meaningful parts of the episode highlights Shane’s support for initiatives like the Modern Slavery Intelligence Network (MSIN) - a collaborative platform where businesses can share intelligence safely and work together against exploitation.
Shane shares a sobering story about a missed opportunity to stop a gang in 2015 due to lack of a proper intelligence-sharing platform. The consequences: 53 victims vanished, and his family received threats after a rushed intervention.
“We need to change the way we think, look for the absence of normal, not just the presence of abnormal.”
Final Thoughts: Changing the Rulebook
If Shane had a magic wand? He’d tear up the outdated rules and assumptions about modern slavery:
“Recruitment fees aren’t the cause of slavery. Exploiters are. Fees are just a tool. We need to stop treating the symptoms and start curing the disease.”
He urges businesses to de-escalate, gather intelligence without tipping off perpetrators, and approach investigations with caution and clarity.
Get Involved: Support Ethical Change
This episode is a must-listen for anyone in the recruitment, food, or retail sectors. Whether you’re hiring, sourcing, or running operations, Shane’s insights underscore the importance of ethical leadership in today’s global labour market.
