Modern Slavery Act
Comfy Group – Modern Slavery & Human Trafficking Statement 2025
Introduction
Comfy Quilts Ltd was founded in 1973 and has grown to be one of the UK’s largest manufacturers of filled bedding products. We manufacture and distribute duvets, pillows, protectors, and mattress toppers, as well as supply bed linen, nursery products, and towels to the nation’s biggest retailers. We work alongside some of the biggest names in bedding, such as Silentnight, Rest Assured, Sealy, and Jeff Banks, in addition to our own brands.
We pride ourselves on the quality of our products and the service we offer. Employing over 400 people across four sites in Manchester, our team is passionate about what we do and values every person who plays their part in making our business successful.
We are committed to long-lasting improvements to employee conditions and work environments in both our facilities and those of our suppliers. Comfy Quilts Ltd is dedicated to the principles of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and the abolition of modern slavery and human trafficking. Our goal is to provide an ethical and respectful work environment for all our employees.
Definitions
The organisation considers that modern slavery encompasses:
- Human trafficking
- Forced work, through mental or physical threat
- Being owned or controlled by an employer through mental or physical abuse, or the threat of abuse
- Being dehumanised, treated as a commodity, or being bought or sold as property
- Being physically constrained or having restrictions placed on freedom of movement
Commitment
Comfy Quilts Ltd acknowledges its responsibilities in relation to tackling modern slavery and commits to complying with the provisions of the Modern Slavery Act 2015. This includes an ongoing review of both our internal practices regarding our labour force and, additionally, our supply chains.
The organisation does not enter into business with any other organisation, in the UK or abroad, that knowingly supports or is involved in slavery, servitude, or forced or compulsory labour.
No labour provided to Comfy Quilts Ltd in the provision of our services is obtained through slavery or human trafficking. We strictly adhere to the minimum standards required under relevant UK employment legislation.
Support and Policies
Comfy Quilts Ltd supports Stronger Together, a multi-stakeholder initiative aimed at reducing modern slavery, particularly in the labour supply chain. This statement demonstrates our actions and activities to reinforce our commitment to tackling Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking during the financial year from 1st February 2025 to 31st January 2026.
The organisation maintains the following policies:
- Equal Opportunities Policy
- Human Rights Policy
- Forced Labour & Bonded Labour Policy
- Child Labour Policy
- Grievance Policy & Confidential Grievance Procedure
- Whistleblowing Policy
- Bribery & Corruption Policy
- Diversity & Inclusion Policy
- Harassment, Victimisation & Bullying Policy
- Prevention of Sexual Harassment Policy
Our Supply Chain
We are committed to responsibly sourcing raw materials and finished products through both our UK and international supply chains.
- Suppliers: All manufacturing suppliers are subject to SMETA audits annually to demonstrate ethical compliance.
- Labour Providers: The organisation uses only specified, reputable employment agencies to source labour and always verifies the ethical practices of any new agency before accepting workers from that agency.
Embedding the Principles
Over the past 12 months, Comfy Quilts Ltd has undertaken the following activities:
- Audited our on-site labour providers at least once every 12 months using the Stronger Together methodology.
- Included Modern Slavery awareness in employee inductions for all employees, as well as temporary workers employed via on-site labour providers.
- Displayed the ETI Code of Conduct and helpline numbers on noticeboards and in our employee newsletter.
- Offered free employee assistance to access support and counselling on a confidential basis.
- Offered a training programme to train Mental Health First Aiders across all sites and all levels, with a confidential, dedicated MHFA direct communication line.
- The recruitment process ensures all prospective employees are legally entitled to work in the UK before commencing employment.
- Introduced additional right-to-work and age verification checks for all workers supplied by a Labour provider.
- Reviewed and revised the Whistleblowing Policy to safeguard employees from abuse or coercion once employed.
- Provided a confidential, third-party reporting platform for employees to report any concerns, complaints, or potential wrongdoing.
- Continued enforcing a Child Labour Policy to prevent the recruitment and employment of child labour and a remediation procedure if detected.
- Published a grievance flowchart to simplify the communication process and allow employees to raise grievances confidentially with the HR team or through the reporting platform.
- Continued enforcing a Forced Labour and Bonded Labour Policy to ensure compliance with international labour standards and to tackle forced and bonded labour in our organisation and its supply chain.
Raising Awareness
Comfy Quilts Ltd has raised awareness of modern slavery issues by displaying posters across the organisation’s premises and publishing articles in our newsletter, explaining:
- The ETI Code of Conduct
- The basic principles of the Modern Slavery Act 2015
- What employees can do to flag potential slavery or human trafficking issues within the organisation
- External help available, such as through the Modern Slavery Helpline
Helpline numbers and methods to report any concerns confidentially to Comfy Group and external bodies are also included.
Actions for 2025 to 2026
During the 2025-2026 period, Comfy Quilts Ltd will undertake the following activities:
- Ensure employees in higher-risk job roles (e.g. sales, purchasing, logistics) are trained on the actions to take if issues arise.
- Review supplier contracts to include termination clauses if the supplier is found to be involved in modern slavery.
- Communicate the Business Ethics Policy, covering bribery, corruption, or fraudulent business practices, to all relevant parties, including suppliers.
- Display the modern slavery helpline and reporting platform details on internal communications.
- Raise awareness by publishing all relevant policies on the Comfy Group intranet.
- Continue operating a confidential employee assistance helpline.
- Encourage employees to report concerns and contact the relevant authorities when necessary.
- Ensure employees who report concerns are protected under the Whistleblowing Policy.
- Maintain a log of ethical audits for suppliers before they enter the supply chain.
- Include modern slavery awareness during induction and provide information on available external help.
Contact
All concerns regarding modern slavery should be addressed to the Head of HR, who will undertake relevant actions concerning the organisation’s obligations.
Statement
Comfy Quilts Ltd releases this statement so our business partners, employees, and customers can be confident in our approach to upholding human rights and tackling modern-day slavery in accordance with the Modern Slavery Act 2015. This statement is made pursuant to Section 54(1) of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and constitutes our slavery and human trafficking statement for the financial year ending 31st January 2025. It is approved by the Directors of Comfy Quilts Ltd, who review and update it annually.
Statement
Comfy Quilts Ltd releases this statement so our business partners, employees, and customers can be confident in our approach to upholding human rights and tackling modern-day slavery in accordance with the Modern Slavery Act 2015. This statement is made pursuant to Section 54(1) of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and constitutes our slavery and human trafficking statement for the financial year ending 31st January 2025. It is approved by the Directors of Comfy Quilts Ltd, who review and update it annually.
Jamie Moryoussef
Managing Director
31st January 2025
Bob Moryoussef
Chief Executive Officer
31st January 2025