There are a range of sub-consultants and suppliers used by the Company who will be the subject of the provisions of this Statement.

The Company supports the Modern Slavery Act principles and ethical trading and is implementing, monitoring and reviewing its policies and practices to ensure none of the Company’s practices and processes directly or indirectly exploits workers or abuses their human rights.

To this end the company makes the following declarations:

• Pays all its team members at or above the UK statutory minimum wage or minimum Living Wage for those aged 25 or over.
• Applies the Working Time Regulations with regard to work breaks, opt in or out of the maximum working week, and encourages team members to take their statutory/company holiday allowance within the current holiday year.
• Where overtime is undertaken, or team members voluntarily opt out of the 48 hour working time limit, the Company will monitor the capability and fitness of team members and will curtail working hours where the impact of longer working hours is seen to have an adverse effect on the team member’s health or work-life balance.
• Whilst Black Cat do not routinely use recruitment agencies, on the occasions it does, the agency used will be UK based and will be asked to produce their Modern Slavery Statement and Ethical Trading and Forced Labour Policies.
• When hiring new Employees, the Company will require them to produce evidence of their right to reside and work in the UK (Immigration, Asylum & Nationality Act 2006).
• Will require its suppliers and sub-consultants, who are UK or EU-based, to produce their Modern Slavery Statement, Ethical Trading and Forced Labour policies.
• Will not treat any team members differently in terms of pay and conditions of employment because of their immigration or asylum status.
• Will not employ or use anyone under the age of 18 unless on an approved work experience, work placement or an apprenticeship scheme.
• Will ensure any team members under 18 years will have the specific young persons’ Working Time Regulations clauses applied regarding total hours of work and length of breaks, and with regard to night work.
• Working conditions will be in accordance with the requirements of the Health & Safety at Work Act and subsequent Regulations; this will be monitored and audited regularly. The Company extends this to review and enhance employee wellbeing.
• Will ensure team members understand the 11 indicators of forced labour being:
(i) Abuse of vulnerability, (ii) Deception, (iii) Restriction of movement, (iv) Isolation, (v) Physical and sexual violence, (vi) Intimidation and threats, (vii) Retention of identity documents, (viii) Withholding of wages, (ix) Debt bondage, (x) Abusive working and living conditions and (xi) Excessive overtime.
• Will ensure all workers will be given an awareness of modern slavery, ethical trading and forced labour and what their role and responsibilities are to ensure the Company complies with the legislation and best practice. Team members will be told about the impact of slavery, human trafficking, forced labour and child labour and it is wrong to support in any way the exploitation of workers or children.
• Will empower team members to report any concerns they have when visiting sites and about suppliers, sub-consultants, or other organisations they encounter whilst on company business.