Suppliers shall ensure that no underage labour has been used in the production or distribution of goods and services to Shoosmiths.

A child is any person under the minimum employment age according to the laws of the country where the product (or parts of) or services are sourced from, or in the absence of law under the minimum age for completed mandatory education.

Suppliers should implement age verification processes for all workers.

Suppliers should take appropriate steps to monitor and verify compliance

Suppliers will not use or tolerate in their supply chain any form of slavery, servitude, indentured, bonded, involuntary prison, military or compulsory labour or any form of human trafficking.

All work must be conducted without threat of any penalty or sanctions.

No employee government issued identification, passports or work permits will be retained by the supplier as a condition of employment.

Workers’ rights to leave the workplace after their shift or to terminate their employment after reasonable notice and receive owed salary must be recognised by the supplier. This applies to local or migrant employees.

Suppliers must promptly report to Shoosmiths any incidents of slavery or human trafficking found in its business or supply chain.

Suppliers should assess the risk of modern slavery within their operations and supply chain and, where required, publish an annual statement.

Suppliers should provide regular training to relevant staff on modern slavery and forced labour prevention, including legal requirements, identifying risks, and clear procedures for reporting concerns.

Suppliers should promote responsible practices within their supply chain and, where feasible, take steps to understand and address risks beyond tier 1 suppliers.

Suppliers should implement systems to monitor working hours and rest breaks.

Suppliers should seek to offer flexible and fair working arrangements, where feasible.

Suppliers are encouraged to work towards Living Wage accreditation and to promote fair pay practices within their supply chain.

Suppliers should adopt prompt payment practices, particularly when working with SMEs and social enterprises.

Suppliers shall respect the rights of workers to associate or not to associate with any group, as permitted by and in accordance with all applicable local and national laws and freedom of association and collective bargaining.

Suppliers shall not interfere with or discriminate against workers choosing to belong to them.

Where the right to freedom of association and collective bargaining is restricted under national law, suppliers will facilitate, not hinder, alternative means of independent and free association and bargaining.

Suppliers are expected to promote an inclusive and diverse working environment, supporting equal opportunities for all workers.

All employees must be treated fairly and not discriminated against in any form of employment.

Suppliers must not discriminate against any employee based on age, gender, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, colour, disability, religion, political affiliation, union membership, national origin, marital or pregnancy status during any recruitment or employment activities.

Suppliers must commit to a workforce free of any harassment or threat of harassment. Any forms or threats of harassment, physical, mental, sexual or verbal, must be prohibited and not tolerated.

Suppliers should maintain and, where appropriate, publish an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) policy.

Suppliers should provide regular diversity and inclusion training and monitor progress through appropriate metrics or reviews.

Suppliers must provide safe and clean conditions for workers at sites of working and residential facilities.

Clear procedures must be in place to ensure regulated occupational health, safety and wellbeing standards are adhered to.

Suppliers must comply with the Shoosmiths Health and Safety policy.

Suppliers must provide a grievance mechanism for workers and their organisations to enable workers to anonymously raise workplace concerns.

The mechanism must be transparent, set out clearly how grievances will be assessed and feedback provided. Workers and their representatives must be informed clearly how the scheme operates and its scope and that it is equally accessible to all workers.

Disciplinary procedures shall be clearly documented, communicated and easily accessible to all workers.

All disciplinary matters shall be recorded including evidence that the worker knew and understood what they were accused of and given the right to trade union or other appropriate representation at disciplinary meetings which may lead to significant disciplinary penalties or dismissal.

Suppliers should align grievance mechanisms with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, ensuring they are effective, accessible and transparent.

Suppliers should implement anonymous reporting channels, such as hotlines or digital platforms, to enable concerns to be raised safely and confidentially.

Suppliers should track and monitor grievance resolution, including timelines and outcomes, to support continuous improvement.

Suppliers must comply with all applicable environmental laws and regulations.

Suppliers must comply with the Shoosmiths Environment policy.

Suppliers must have an environmental policy or be able to demonstrate an appropriate approach (e.g. documented processes or procedures) to ensure that environmental impacts associated with their goods and services are understood, measured and managed.

Suppliers are encouraged to publish sustainability information and, where appropriate, align reporting with recognised standards such as GRI.

Suppliers should establish clear accountability for environmental and/or sustainability management, with defined roles and responsibilities at an appropriate level within the organisation.

Suppliers must cooperate with reasonable requests to support Shoosmiths' 2040 net zero ambition, including the provision of relevant climate data where requested.

Suppliers are expected to have, or be working towards, measuring and reporting their Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions in line with the GHG Protocol.

Suppliers classified by Shoosmiths as high risk for climate impact and with annual spend exceeding £50,000 should be able to provide relevant climate data on an annual basis.

Suppliers should work towards accounting for material Scope 3 emissions.

Suppliers should aim to set science-based emissions reduction targets aligned with recognised methodologies such as the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi).

Suppliers should seek independent or third-party assurance of greenhouse gas emissions data, where appropriate.

Suppliers should aim to provide product carbon footprints (PCFs) or life cycle assessments (LCAs), where relevant.

Suppliers should aim to engage Tier 1 suppliers on decarbonisation through data collection, training, or contractual requirements.

Suppliers should identify and understand any material biodiversity impacts associated with their goods and services, assess and monitor related risks within their operations

and supply chain, and implement appropriate measures to mitigate negative impacts on nature, where relevant.

Suppliers are encouraged to identify opportunities to contribute positively to biodiversity, for example through nature-positive commitments or habitat improvements where appropriate.

Suppliers must comply with all applicable regulations relating to air emissions and wastewater.

Suppliers must manage water use responsibly and prevent pollution and contamination, particularly where water is used in operations.

Suppliers should identify areas of high resource use and, where appropriate, set targets to reduce energy and material consumption.

Suppliers should transition products and services to lower-impact alternatives, such as recycled materials or low-impact service models, where feasible.

Suppliers must comply with all waste-related regulations and ensure appropriate segregation and disposal.

Suppliers must

implement robust waste management practices and minimise waste at source.

Suppliers should take steps to reduce packaging and material waste, where applicable.

Suppliers should identify opportunities to reduce waste and increase reuse or recycling within their operations and supply chain.

Suppliers should set targets to reduce waste generation and divert waste from landfill.

Suppliers should implement or participate in circularity programmes (e.g. reuse schemes, refill models, remanufacturing), where appropriate.

Suppliers should design products and services to support reuse, repair, or recycling, and offer take-back schemes where relevant.

Where hazardous substances are used or handled, suppliers must ensure they are identified, labelled, stored and managed safely.

Suppliers must comply with all applicable chemical and hazardous waste regulations, including REACH.

Suppliers should have a DEI policy and be able to provide this upon request.

Suppliers should track and report spend with diverse suppliers (e.g. as a percentage of total spend), where relevant.

Suppliers should aim to publish annual diversity performance data.

Suppliers should conduct community impact assessments for major projects, where relevant.

Suppliers are encouraged to support local employment, skills development or community initiatives, where appropriate.

Suppliers should seek to source locally where feasible, in order to

reduce environmental impact and support local economies.