CSR Policy

It is our objective to be a leading warehousing and logistics provider exceeding the expectation of our suppliers/customers through a committed and passionate approach to the services we offer.

In doing this, we recognise our responsibility to support the local community, minimise the environmental impact of our operations and to value our employees by offering a satisfying and challenging workplace in which everybody is treated with respect and given the opportunity to succeed.

It is our policy to reduce, as far as possible, the environmental impact of our operations, commensurate with achieving the highest possible standards of service.

We will continue to identify and review further opportunities to develop and improve our activities, support the community and to minimise the environmental impact of our activities.

Our policy is, wherever possible, to support the local community by providing employment (much of our workforce is from the local area) and supporting community and charitable projects (e.g., contributing to the building of a children’s’ playground, purchasing football kit for local schools, local hospices etc).

We will consider supporting staff who enter fundraising charitable events.

All our employment policies meet or exceed EEC employment legislation.

We operate a strict non-discrimination policy. Any form of discrimination will be subject to Company disciplinary proceedings.

Each member of staff has a contract of employment, fair wage, benefits, and working hours adhere to the Working Time Directive.

There is a Company handbook, available to all staff, which includes our expectations of employees and their rights as employees, including child labour, young workers, and modern slavery.

There are formal grievance procedures.

We are fully committed to the eradication of modern slavery and child labour in all its forms and as a company we will not engage in, nor will we condone or tolerate, any act of modern slavery within an aspect of our operations, nor engage with suppliers who do not adhere to these criteria.

We ensure that we do not risk the health and safety of our employees and community.

Whistleblowing is the reporting of suspected wrongdoing or dangers in relation to our activities. This includes bribery, facilitation of tax evasion, fraud or other criminal activity, miscarriages of justice, health and safety risks, damage to the environment and any breach of legal or professional obligations. We want to encourage you to raise genuine issues of malpractice or impropriety at work. By identifying and dealing with concerns at an early stage we can prevent malpractice and take steps to safeguard our workers and protect our organisation. We will not tolerate harassment or victimisation of a genuine whistle-blower (including informal pressures) and will treat such conduct as gross misconduct and deal with it as appropriate under our disciplinary policy.

The Freedom of Association according to the UK Law means internally that employees are authorised to join peacefully for common, work- related purposes. In doing so, the result of such association shall be in accordance with the labour and business-related situation of CBW Group Holdings LTD. Results of such associations can be passed on to the management within the framework of the continuous improvement process and can be rewarded monetarily if implemented.

It is our policy to empower workers and employees by supporting their right to establish and join unions. We also respect the rights of those organisations to conduct their activities without any interference. We believe that engaged workers who feel they are playing an active part in initiating change and making continuous improvements in their own working lives can help us make a more positive impact. Protecting and promoting this aspect of workers’ human rights is ingrained in our company work ethics by responsibly sourcing contractors, suppliers, and equipment. We see it as a key component of building a culture of trust and mutual respect within our business.

ENERGY / CARBON EMISSIONS

It is our policy to reduce, as far as possible, energy usage and carbon emissions throughout the whole of our operation. We are committed to the introduction of more formal procedures, initially by calculating a carbon footprint for our business operation, setting targets and continually monitoring improvements.

WAREHOUSES

Periodic energy-saving surveys are carried out and recommendations complied with.

We try where we can to use low-energy lighting, which, is switched off when not required.

Process equipment is either electrically or hand-powered. The equipment only consumes electricity when required to operate.

TRANSPORT

It is our policy to operate the most fuel-efficient vehicles, renewing vehicles within a suitable period of time to ensure use of the most up-to-date and fuel-efficient technology.

The majority of our vehicles are equipped with EURO 5 Spec engines which exceed current emission standards.

We have equipped our fleet with a GPS control system, which will enable optimisation of deliveries and reduction in vehicle mileage.

WASTE

We are committed to reducing waste as far as possible, continually assessing the possibilities for waste reduction and for recycling. The majority of waste is packing material. Our suppliers minimise packaging, commensurate with avoiding product damage and maintaining product cleanliness and safety.

Current activities are:

• Material packaging is compacted and recycled.
• All waste is disposed of using recognised contractors and in conformance with legislation.
• Zero to Landfill.

PACKING MATERIAL AND PAPER

Packing, both primary and secondary, is kept under review and is the minimum necessary to give the required level of product protection. Where possible, the use of cardboard secondary packaging is reduced.

Wastepaper from the Company’s offices is recycled where possible.

GENERAL PRINCIPLES

All managers, employees and business partners are expected to comply with applicable laws and other relevant regulations in the UK and abroad in all company-related decisions and actions. In the context of this document, particular attention is paid to human rights and working conditions.

Human rights serve to uphold the dignity of every human being and are independent of nationality, origin, gender, skin colour or other status.

Management and executives honour these rights of all employees and treat them with the appropriate high level of respect. Maintaining the social integrity of our company and an excellent work environment is recognised by CBW Group Holdings LTD as an essential component of sustainable business success.

PRINCIPLES

CBW Group Holdings LTD complies with all applicable laws and regulations and other relevant provisions in the UK and abroad. The company rejects any kind of corruption, forced labour, child labour or discrimination based on race, nationality, gender, sexual orientation, religion, political orientation, impairment, or age. The management, each manager and each individual employee is responsible to:

• Comply with laws, regulations, and CBW Group Holdings LTD’ internal policies, including core ethical values.
• Know CBW Group Holdings LTD’ values, policies, management system and common business practices in the respective area of responsibility and apply them diligently to the best of their abilities.
• Comply with occupational safety and environmental laws, policies, and regulations.
• Work as part of a team and contribute to the best of their ability to achieve common goals.
• Contribute to a working environment in which trust, appreciation, commitment, and respect are fostered.
• Always act in good faith, responsibly, with reasonable care and competence, and without misrepresenting facts.
• To act objectively, but without subordinating personal judgment.
• To protect the assets, corporate goods (tangible or intangible) and resources of the companies and to promote their efficient use, as well as to take appropriate organisational precautions that exclude any liability on the part of CBW Group Holdings LTD.
• No employee may make inappropriate use of the assets and resources of CBW Group Holdings LTD or make them available to third parties.

The information we submit to the authorities or the public in the UK and abroad must be complete, fair, accurate, objective, timely and understandable in all material respects. In implementing this, we undertake to proceed within the framework of the laws and regulations applicable to the companies in question. Communication is based on the following principles:

• We communicate openly, transparently, and proactively.
• As a matter of principle, we do not disclose information about matters concerning individual employees, about competitors or about ongoing investigations.

To guarantee the protection of personal data, CBW Group Holdings LTD undertakes to comply with the regulations on data protection when handling personal data and to observe the principles of transparency, admissibility, quality guarantee, and accuracy of the data. CBW Group Holdings LTD undertakes not to disclose personal data to third parties without the consent of the persons concerned. CBW Group Holdings LTD is committed to protecting the privacy of all those who come into contact with the company. Information in this regard cannot be disclosed or disseminated to third parties without the consent of the persons concerned. The company undertakes to comply with the legal provisions on data protection.

In accordance with national and international regulations, CBW Group Holdings LTD perceives human rights as inviolable and manages working conditions accordingly, so that no impairment of human dignity is to be expected at the workplace. The company’s employees are considered equal regardless of any attributes.

The hours to be worked are agreed upon together with the employee during the hiring process and in any case comply with the Working Hours Act. Seasonal peaks in work may require that the number of hours worked be increased. These additional working hours on a voluntary basis are either remunerated to the employee or he/she is given the opportunity to compensate for them in a timely manner, after the order volume has been reduced, by means of compensatory time. Flexible working hours to support a balance between work and private life are in place across all departments. Sufficient rest time for regeneration between workdays is ensured via core working hours. In addition, any additional working time is recorded and remunerated as overtime. Break times during work are defined in the company and employees are encouraged to take them.

Occupational safety is ensured at CBW Group Holdings LTD by means of internal training and advanced training. For this purpose, the company has developed an independent guideline. To cope with acute situations, emergency plans are defined in the company with trained fire marshals and first aiders.

The wage and salary structure at CBW Group Holdings LTD is adapted to the qualifications and experience of the employees. All salaries exceed the legal minimum wage. Other notable attributes are the regulations regarding employee absences. The legal minimum entitlement of the number of vacation days is exceeded with 25 days for each employee. In addition, special leave days are granted by the employer due to unforeseen events (for example, deaths in the immediate circle).

In the company, any form of forced labour is prevented through transparent communication of the activities expected by the employer. As early as the planning stage, the activities of the position to be filled are defined in a job profile and the resulting requirements are published in the advertisement. During the interviews, these are presented to the applicant by the department heads who are present at the appointment. It is up to the employee to evaluate a position with the associated activities for personal suitability and ultimately agree.

In the course of the employment relationship, the employee is free to refer to his employment contract and the scope of activities defined in it. In this case, the human resources department decides whether a claimed activity is incompatible with the contract.

In the supply chain, the elimination of forced Labour at suppliers is supported by the Service Level Agreement.

The general freedom of association according to the UK Law means internally that employees are authorised to join peacefully for common, work- related purposes. In doing so, the result of such association shall be in accordance with the labour and business-related situation of CBW Group Holdings LTD. Results of such associations can be passed on to the management within the framework of the continuous improvement process and can be rewarded monetarily if implemented.

The employment ban on children applies throughout the company. The only exceptions are trainees and apprenticeships who have not yet reached the statutory minimum age of 18 when they join the company.

In accordance with the International Labour Organisation Convention, special regulations apply to them, prohibiting shift work, night work and overtime in the company. Furthermore, clearly defined working hours set at eight hours a day apply to this group.

Responsibility for trainees is clearly defined and sufficient competence confirmed by training certificates held by these persons. In any case, the responsibility includes protecting the young workers from activities and working conditions that are harmful to their health, physical and mental development, and general safety.

Inhumane treatment, such as physical abuse or sexual harassment and abuse are subject to a zero-tolerance strategy in the company. All conspicuous acts, even the threat of harassment, are punished in every case up to and including summary dismissal. This also includes insults, psychological and physical coercion, and any form of corporal punishment.

The zero-tolerance strategy also applies to discrimination against employees based on their skin color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, ethnic or social origin, race, skin color, language, age, and social status. Equal treatment of all persons in the company is a prerequisite.

Note * For reasons of better readability, the simultaneous use of the language forms male, female and diverse (m/f/d) including Minorities and indigenous people in the text is waived. All references to persons apply equally to all genders, race, colour, background, religious belief, social status and sexual orientation.