MZA Consulting Engineers Modern Slavery Statement

Purpose
Modern slavery is a crime and a violation of fundamental human rights. It takes various forms, such as slavery, servitude, forced and compulsory labour and human trafficking in order to exploit them for personal or commercial gain. MZA has a zero-tolerance policy in relation to any form of slavery or human trafficking, and MZA fully embraces the key principles of the Modern Slavery Act 2015.

The Group has not, to its knowledge, conducted any business with another organisation which has been found to have involved itself with modern slavery.

Organisation
This statement applies to all companies within and associated to MZA Consulting Engineers Ltd (referred to in this statement as ‘The Group’).

Organisational Structure
MZA Consulting Engineers provides engineering consultancy services within the UK and EU from their
headquarters office located in Central London and controlled by a board of Directors. MZA Consulting
Engineers has the following associated companies:

• MZA Acoustics – provides acoustic consultancy services in the UK and EU operating in central London
  and the North West of England.
• MZA Consulting Engineers Ltd (registered in Ireland) – provides engineering consultancy services to
  clients in Ireland.

The associated companies are controlled by individual boards of directors, which includes representatives from the primary company in order to ensure the adoption and adherence to group ethos and policies.

Definitions
The Group 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 of the threat of abuse.
• Being dehumanised, treated as a commodity or being bought or sold as property.
• Being physically constrained or to have restriction placed on freedom of movement.

Commitment
The Group acknowledges its responsibilities in relation to tackling modern slavery and commits to complying
with the provisions in the Modern Slavery Act 2015. The Group understands that this requires an ongoing review
of both its internal practices in relation to its labour force and, additionally, its supply chains.
MZA is committed to doing its utmost to implement and enforce effective systems and controls to ensure
modern slavery is not taking place anywhere in our own business, or within our supply chains.
The Group does not enter into business with any other organisation, in the United Kingdom or abroad, which
knowingly supports or is found to involve itself in slavery, servitude and forced or compulsory labour.

Potential Exposure
The Group considers its main exposure to the risk of slavery and human trafficking to exist where services are
outsourced to third-party suppliers, such as draughting, because this may involve the provision of labour in a
country where protection against breaches of human rights may be limited.
In general, the Group considers its exposure to slavery/human trafficking to be relatively limited. Nonetheless, it
has taken steps to ensure that such practices do not take place in its business nor the business of any
organisation that supplies goods and/or services to it.

Steps
The Group carries out due diligence processes in relation to ensuring slavery and/or human trafficking does not
take place in its organisation or supply chains, including conducting a review of the controls of its suppliers.
In accordance with section 54(4) of the Modern Slavery Act 2015, the Group has the following code of conduct to
ensure that modern slavery is not taking place:

1. Employees of Third Parties (“Workers”) must be working voluntarily. Workers shall not be subject to
   forced, prison, bonded, indentured, slave, trafficked or compulsory labour in any form, including forced
   overtime and their broader human rights shall also be respected.
2. Workers must have the right to terminate their employment freely, as appropriate following a reasonable
   period of notice (contractual or otherwise) in accordance with applicable laws and collective agreements
   and without the imposition of any improper penalties.
3. Workers shall not be mentally or physically coerced to provide their labour.
4. Workers shall not have their identity or travel permits, passports, or other official documents or any other
   valuable items confiscated or withheld as a condition of employment and the withholding of property
   shall not be used directly or indirectly to restrict Workers’ freedoms or to create workplace slavery.
5. Fees or costs associated with the recruitment of Workers (including but not limited to fees related to work
   visas, travel costs and document processing costs) shall not be charged to Workers whether directly or
   indirectly. Similarly, Workers shall not be required to make payments which have the intent or effect of
   creating workplace slavery, including security payments, or be required to repay debt through work.
6. Workers shall have their terms of employment or engagement set out in a written document that is easily
   understandable to them and which clearly sets out their rights and obligations. This written document
   shall include, but not be limited to, transparent terms with respect to wages, overtime pay, payment
   periods, working hours and rights in respect of rest breaks and holiday. Such written terms shall be
   provided to the worker in advance of them starting work, shall be honoured by the employer and shall
   meet industry standards and the minimum requirements of applicable laws and collective agreements
   where the work is carried out.
7. Wages should be paid regularly and directly to Workers and in legal tender. Methods of payment that
   have the effect of depriving the Worker of the ability to terminate employment are prohibited.
8. There shall be no use of child labour. Nobody shall be employed under the minimum age. Subject to
   the overriding prohibition on the use of child labour, if Workers under the age of 18 are employed
   (including under apprenticeship training programmes) then particular care shall be taken as to the duties
   that they carry out and the conditions in which they are required to work to ensure that they come to no
   physical, mental or other harm as a direct or indirect result of their work or working conditions.
9. Workers, their families and those closely associated with them shall not be subject to harsh or inhumane
   treatment including but not limited to physical punishment, physical, psychological or sexual violence or
   coercion, verbal abuse, harassment or intimidation. Migrant Workers, their families and those closely
   associated with them should not be subject to discrimination due to their nationality.
10. Workers shall be free to file grievances to their employers about the employer’s treatment of them and
    Workers shall not suffer detriment, retaliation, or victimisation for having raised a grievance.
11. Workers shall be free to move without unreasonable restrictions and shall not be physically confined to
    the place of work or other employer-controlled locations (for example accommodation blocks) nor shall
    they be confined by more indirect means. There shall be no requirement placed on Workers that they
    take accommodation in employer-controlled premises except where this is necessary due to the location
    or nature of the work being performed.
12. Where it is necessary to recruit Workers who are engaged via a third party, such as an employment
    agency, then only reputable employment agencies shall be engaged. Where Workers are sourced to be
    employed directly, only reputable recruitment agencies shall be engaged. All such agencies must have
    the necessary licences and registrations under local laws; agree to adhere to this Policy; and agree to be
    audited to ensure their compliance with this Policy.
13. Workers’ broader human rights shall also be respected (as outlined in the European Convention on
    Human Rights).

Our suppliers, Contractors and business partners are required to adhere to the principles in this Policy, to
provide responses to questions that we may ask related to their compliance with this Policy and to engage with
audits which we may choose to undertake. Similarly, we expect them to require the same standards, conduct
and co-operation of their own Sub-Contractors, suppliers and business partners.

This statement was last reviewed/updated on 16 January 2023 and is next due for review in January 2024.