Human Rights Policy

This statement is made on behalf of the Charles River Associates family of companies, including CRA International (UK) Limited (henceforth referred to as “CRA”) for the financial year ending 30 December 2023. It sets out the steps taken during the financial year to prevent human rights violations in our business and supply chains.

We are publishing this statement in accordance with the UN Declaration of Human Rights and Guiding Principles on Business & Human Rights and as a demonstration of our commitment to human rights and an affirmation of the values we hold and adopt across our businesses for our key stakeholders in our business, including our employees, shareholders and clients.

CRA adheres to the ethical conduct standards laid out in our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics in the realm of health and safety, labor rights, confidentiality and use of company assets. As a professional services firm, the most relevant touchpoint for our business is our staff. CRA does not tolerate discrimination on the grounds of gender, gender identity, race, religion, nationality, age, marital status, sexual orientation, disabilities or any other factor prohibited by law. We provide reasonable working hours and fair wages to our employees, alongside the rights of freedom of association and collective bargaining in line with ILO Conventions 87 and 98. Additionally, CRA is committed to ensuring that the way we conduct our business and dealings with our third-party vendors reflects our values and our respect for human rights. Our belief is that all our vendors should treat everyone with dignity, free from unlawful discrimination, harassment, or forced labor, and must consider the right to access water a fundamental human right. We are committed to showing that our practices combat human rights violations, and to working with and encouraging our vendors as they uphold the principles in this statement.

Our organizational structure and our business
CRA is a leading global consulting firm that offers economic, financial and strategic expertise to major law firms, corporations, accounting firms and governments around the world. Our experts bring a unique combination of cutting-edge research, state-of-the-art methods and proven experience to bear on our clients’ most complex challenges.

CRA International, Inc. is the ultimate parent company and is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts. We also have offices in the United Kingdom, Canada, The Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, France, Brazil and Australia; however, we provide our services across the world.

Our staff
We are dedicated to maintaining a fair and ethical workplace for all our staff. We prohibit the use of all forms of discrimination, forced labor and any form of human trafficking. We ensure compliance with all applicable employment legislation, including right to work evidence and minimum wage laws. Our employees may terminate employment by giving the required contractual notice.

Our supply chains
As a provider of professional services, CRA does not have an active supply chain of any consequence, being limited primarily to office supplies. As such, we believe the risk of human rights violations existing within this supply chain is very low. However, we do remain vigilant and monitor the level of risk involved when dealing with our suppliers and will take appropriate measures if a higher risk of violations is deemed to exist.

Our policies in relation to Human Rights
We have implemented policies as part of our commitment to ethical business practices. For example, we have our employees and Board of Directors annually confirm compliance with our Code of Conduct and Business Ethics, which includes an anonymous complaint process to enable concerns to be raised and resolved. Additionally, our people receive training on ethically handling human-rights related issues, including anti-corruption, anti-money laundering and anti-bribery.

Due diligence
CRA expects that all our contractors and vendors uphold the same high standards as we do on human rights, by ensuring all employees and workers are treated with dignity and respect in a fair and ethical environment. We work to identify, assess and monitor any potential areas of risk in relation to our business and supply chains under our global policy. This includes considering the length of the relationship, nature of what is being supplied, the location from where it is being supplied and whether such vendors address human rights issues in their business. We will continue to look to manage any risks identified.

Looking ahead
We will continue to monitor and develop our practices in respect of combatting slavery and human trafficking to target areas of our business if we become aware there is a potential risk of human rights violations. Our Board of Directors has oversight for enterprise risk, including risks related to this Human Rights Policy.