How One Buyer Used Supplier Audits to Root Out Forced Labor

In this episode of The Buyer's Side, Lucas and Luna examine the growing challenge of forced labor in global supply chains—and how one procurement team at a mid-sized electronics manufacturer used supplier audits to uncover and eliminate it. The episode walks through a specific case: how the company's lead buyer, Sarah Chen, discovered that a key supplier in Southeast Asia was using coerced labor through deceptive recruitment fees, and how she redesigned the audit process to catch it. Lucas explains the difference between a compliance audit and a forced labor audit, the red flags most buyers miss (high recruitment fees, passport retention, dormitory conditions), and the business case for going beyond basic social compliance. The hosts also discuss the legal risks under the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act and the EU Forced Labour Regulation, and how buyers can use audit data to negotiate with suppliers for real change. No broad theory—just one buyer's practical blueprint for auditing what most companies don't want to see. #ForcedLabor #SupplyChainAudits #Procurement #Business #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #SocialCompliance #SarahChen #ElectronicsManufacturing #SoutheastAsia #UyghurForcedLaborPreventionAct #EUForcedLabourRegulation #EthicalSourcing #SupplierAudits #RecruitmentFees #PassportRetention #B2BPurchasing #BuyersSide Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo