Anti-Slavery & Human Trafficking Statement

Anti-Slavery Statement Overview

This Anti-Slavery & Human Trafficking Statement explains how Forge Digital Marketing Group (“Forge,” “we,” “our,” or “us”) approaches ethical business practices, human rights awareness, vendor responsibility, lawful labor expectations, and enterprise-ready transparency.

Forge Digital Marketing Group is a Massachusetts-based digital marketing agency serving B2B and enterprise clients. Our business is primarily service-based and digital, and our website is intended to provide information about our company, services, resources, policies, and contact options.

This statement supports the Forge Standard: Strategy First, Measurable Growth, Transparent Reporting, Systems Over Guesswork, Secure Execution, and Relentless Refinement. Ethical business practices are part of how Forge builds trust with clients, vendors, partners, and the broader business community.

1. Voluntary Statement and Legal Positioning

This statement is published voluntarily as part of Forge’s commitment to ethical business practices, responsible vendor relationships, and enterprise-ready transparency.

Unless otherwise required by applicable law, this statement is not intended to represent that Forge is legally required to publish a modern slavery statement under the UK Modern Slavery Act 2015, California Transparency in Supply Chains Act, or any similar statute.

Forge is not currently claiming formal certification, audit status, or compliance accreditation related to modern slavery, human trafficking, supply chain due diligence, or labor practices unless separately stated in a verified written document.

2. Our Commitment

Forge does not tolerate modern slavery, forced labor, child labor, human trafficking, involuntary servitude, debt bondage, forced services, exploitation, coercion, or abusive labor practices in our business operations or vendor relationships.

Forge is committed to conducting business in a way that respects human dignity, lawful employment practices, responsible vendor relationships, and transparent expectations.

Because Forge serves B2B and enterprise audiences, this statement also supports vendor readiness, procurement confidence, and trust-based professional standards.

3. Business and Supply Chain Profile

Forge is a digital marketing agency. Our core business activities may include marketing strategy, website development, analytics, reporting, advertising support, CRM and automation planning, content strategy, digital brand development, and related professional services.

As a service-based business, Forge does not operate manufacturing facilities, physical product supply chains, warehouses, agricultural operations, overseas factories, or labor-intensive global production networks.

Forge may work with vendors, contractors, software platforms, hosting providers, creative professionals, consultants, marketing tools, CRM platforms, analytics providers, and other business service providers. These relationships are expected to be handled professionally and lawfully.

4. Prohibited Conduct

Forge prohibits and does not tolerate:

• Forced labor or forced services
• Human trafficking
• Child labor that violates applicable law
• Debt bondage or involuntary servitude
• Coercion, threats, intimidation, abuse, or exploitation
• Confiscation of identification documents to restrict worker freedom
• Unlawful recruitment fees or deceptive recruitment practices
• Unsafe, abusive, or degrading working conditions
• Vendor practices that knowingly support modern slavery or trafficking

Forge expects employees, contractors, vendors, partners, and service providers to operate in a manner consistent with lawful and ethical business practices.

5. Vendor, Contractor, and Partner Expectations

Forge expects vendors, contractors, partners, and service providers to comply with applicable labor, employment, human rights, anti-trafficking, anti-corruption, privacy, and business conduct laws.

Forge expects business partners to:

• Use lawful labor practices
• Respect human dignity and workplace safety
• Avoid forced labor, child labor, and human trafficking
• Maintain accurate and honest business practices
• Comply with applicable wage, hour, employment, and labor standards
• Cooperate with reasonable information requests where appropriate
• Notify Forge of known risks or violations involving Forge-related work

Forge may choose not to work with vendors, contractors, or partners that violate these expectations or create unacceptable ethical, legal, or reputational risk.

6. Risk Awareness

Forge’s current business model presents lower modern slavery risk than industries involving large physical supply chains, manufacturing, agriculture, raw materials, construction labor supply, logistics, textiles, hospitality staffing, or overseas production.

However, Forge recognizes that risk can exist in indirect areas such as outsourced labor, freelance networks, low-cost digital service providers, promotional materials, technology vendors, facilities services, event vendors, and global platform supply chains.

Forge aims to remain aware of these risks and improve policies, vendor expectations, and internal practices as the company grows.

7. Due Diligence Approach

Forge’s due diligence approach is intended to be practical, risk-based, and appropriate for a growing digital marketing agency.

Depending on the vendor, project, risk level, and business need, Forge may consider:

• Vendor reputation and business legitimacy
• Whether the vendor uses lawful employment practices
• Whether the vendor has relevant policies or public trust documentation
• Whether the vendor operates in a high-risk industry or geography
• Whether the vendor handles sensitive data, labor, fulfillment, or supply chain functions
• Whether contractual terms should include ethical business expectations
• Whether an issue requires escalation, review, or termination of the relationship

Forge does not currently represent that it conducts formal global supply chain audits unless separately stated in writing.

8. Training and Internal Awareness

Forge may provide internal awareness around ethical business practices, responsible vendor relationships, secure execution, compliance-minded operations, and professional standards as part of the company’s growth.

As Forge scales, internal awareness may include guidance on vendor selection, reporting concerns, contract expectations, responsible sourcing, privacy, data handling, and identifying red flags related to unethical labor practices.

This supports Forge’s broader commitment to systems over guesswork, transparent reporting, secure execution, and relentless refinement.

9. Reporting Concerns

Forge encourages employees, contractors, vendors, partners, clients, and website visitors to report concerns involving suspected forced labor, human trafficking, child labor, exploitation, unsafe labor practices, or unethical vendor behavior related to Forge operations.

Concerns can be reported directly to Forge using the contact information listed at the bottom of this page.

For urgent or official human trafficking reporting resources in the United States, you may also review resources from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Blue Campaign and the National Human Trafficking Hotline.

Official resources: DHS Blue Campaign Forced Labor and National Human Trafficking Hotline.

10. Massachusetts Law and Forced Services

Forge is based in Massachusetts and recognizes that labor trafficking, forced services, and human trafficking are serious legal and human rights issues.

Massachusetts identifies labor trafficking as forcing someone to work or provide services through threats, harm, restraint, abuse, fraud, or coercion. Massachusetts law includes the crime of trafficking in persons for forced services under M.G.L. c. 265, § 51.

Forge does not tolerate labor trafficking, forced services, coercive labor practices, or vendor relationships that knowingly support exploitation.

Official Massachusetts resources: Massachusetts Labor Trafficking Information and Massachusetts Human Trafficking Law Overview.

11. U.S. Federal Law and Anti-Trafficking Standards

Forge recognizes that U.S. federal law prohibits human trafficking, forced labor, and related exploitative conduct. Federal anti-trafficking frameworks address conduct involving force, fraud, coercion, involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage, and trafficking in persons.

Forge’s business practices are intended to align with lawful employment, ethical vendor relationships, professional conduct, and responsible reporting of concerns where appropriate.

Forge does not operate as a manufacturer, importer, labor broker, or physical goods supply chain operator through this website. If Forge’s business model changes in a way that creates additional anti-trafficking, import, procurement, or supply chain obligations, this statement may be updated.

Official U.S. federal resources: U.S. Department of Justice Human Trafficking and DHS Forced Labor Resources.

12. Worldwide and Global Human Rights Considerations

Modern slavery, forced labor, child labor, debt bondage, involuntary servitude, exploitation, and human trafficking are global issues. Forge recognizes that responsible business practices may need to account for global vendors, technology platforms, outsourced services, digital labor networks, international contractors, and cross-border business relationships.

Forge expects vendors and partners to comply with applicable laws in the jurisdictions where they operate and to avoid practices that support modern slavery, forced labor, or human trafficking.

Forge may consider international standards, recognized indicators of forced labor, and risk-based vendor review practices as the company grows.

Official global resources: International Labour Organization Indicators of Forced Labour.

13. UK Modern Slavery Act Awareness

Forge recognizes that some companies publish modern slavery statements under laws such as the UK Modern Slavery Act 2015.

The UK Modern Slavery Act’s transparency in supply chains provisions generally apply to certain commercial organizations that carry on business in the United Kingdom, supply goods or services, and meet the applicable annual turnover threshold.

Forge is publishing this statement voluntarily. This statement should not be interpreted as a claim that Forge is legally required to publish a modern slavery statement under the UK Modern Slavery Act unless that obligation is confirmed by legal counsel.

Official UK guidance: GOV.UK Modern Slavery Statement Guidance.

14. Accountability and Continuous Improvement

Forge treats this statement as part of its broader trust and vendor-readiness system. As Forge grows, the company may refine vendor expectations, internal policies, contract language, reporting channels, and due diligence practices.

Forge’s approach is based on continuous improvement, not overclaiming. The goal is to build ethical standards into the company before complexity scales.

15. Important Limitations

This statement is intended to describe Forge’s general ethical business approach and anti-slavery expectations. It is not a legal certification, supply chain audit, compliance guarantee, or formal human rights impact assessment.

Forge does not claim to conduct full global supplier audits, certify every vendor’s labor practices, or guarantee that all third-party platforms and vendors are free from risk unless expressly stated in a separate verified written document.

This statement may be updated as Forge’s business operations, vendor relationships, legal obligations, or risk profile changes.

16. Related Legal and Trust Pages

Forge provides additional legal, privacy, cookie, accessibility, and security information through the following website pages:

17. Updates to This Statement

Forge may update this Anti-Slavery & Human Trafficking Statement from time to time to reflect changes in our business, vendor relationships, legal obligations, internal practices, reporting channels, or compliance-minded operations.

When updates are made, the “Last Updated” date at the top of this page will be revised. Continued use of the website after updates are posted means you accept the updated statement.

18. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Anti-Slavery & Human Trafficking Statement or want to report a concern related to Forge business operations, contact us at: