UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

SCHEDULE 14A INFORMATION

Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of the

Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Check the appropriate box:

Staffing 360 Solutions, Inc.

(Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

N/A

(Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if other than the Registrant)

Payment of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box):

641 Lexington Avenue

Suite 2701

New York, NY 10022

(646) 507-5710

Dear Stockholder:

You are invited to attend the 2021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders (the “Annual Meeting”) of Staffing 360 Solutions, Inc. (the “Company”), which will take place on Tuesday, September 30, 2021 at 10:00 a.m., New York time. The Annual Meeting will be conducted in a virtual format at www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/STAF2021AM.

In light of continuing public health concerns regarding the coronavirus (“COVID-19”) outbreak, this year’s Annual Meeting will be conducted in a virtual format only in order to assist in protecting the health and well-being of our stockholders and employees and to provide access to our stockholders regardless of geographic location. Stockholders will not be able to attend the Annual Meeting in person; however, stockholders of record will be able to vote and submit questions electronically prior to the Annual Meeting by visiting www.proxyvote.com, and during the Annual Meeting by visiting www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/STAF2021AM. You will also be able to dial-in via telephone to ask questions during the meeting. Specific instructions for accessing the meeting are provided in the notice, proxy card or voting instruction form you received. If you encounter any difficulties accessing the virtual Annual Meeting, please call the technical support number available on the virtual meeting page on the morning of the Annual Meeting.

Enclosed with this letter are your Notice of Virtual Annual Meeting of Stockholders, proxy statement and proxy card. Also provided is the Company’s 2020 Annual Report, which includes our annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 2, 2021. The proxy statement describes the business that will be acted upon at the Annual Meeting. Accordingly, we urge you to review the accompanying material carefully and to promptly return the enclosed proxy card or voting instruction form. The Notice of Virtual Annual Meeting of Stockholders, our proxy statement and the 2020 Annual Report are also available at www.proxyvote.com.

Your vote is very important. Whether or not you expect to be present at the Annual Meeting, please read the enclosed proxy statement and vote as promptly as possible to ensure your representation and the presence of a quorum at the Annual Meeting. As an alternative to voting during the Annual Meeting, you may vote online or by phone, or by mail by following the instructions on the proxy card or voting instruction card you received. Voting online or by phone, written proxy, or voting instruction card ensures your representation at the Annual Meeting regardless of whether you attend the virtual meeting. If your shares are held in the name of a broker, trust, bank or other nominee, and you receive these materials through your broker or through another intermediary, please complete and return the materials in accordance with the instructions provided to you by such broker or other intermediary or contact your broker directly in order to obtain a proxy issued to you by your nominee holder to attend the Annual Meeting and vote in person. Failure to do so may result in your shares not being eligible to be voted by proxy at the Annual Meeting. On behalf of the Board of Directors, I urge you to submit your vote as soon as possible, even if you currently plan to attend the meeting in person.

If you plan to attend the virtual Annual Meeting, you will need the 16-digit control number included on your proxy card or on the instructions that accompany your proxy materials. The Annual Meeting will begin promptly at 10:00 a.m., New York time. Online check-in will begin at 9:45 a.m., New York time, and you should allow ample time for the online check-in procedures.

Thank you for your ongoing support. We hope you will attend the virtual Annual Meeting.

NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS

Meeting Date: September 30, 2021

To the Stockholders of Staffing 360 Solutions, Inc.:

Notice is hereby given that the 2021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders (the “Annual Meeting”) of Staffing 360 Solutions, Inc. (the “Company”), will be held at 10:00 a.m. New York time on September 30, 2021, virtually over the Internet at www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/STAF2021AM, for the following purposes:

Stockholders are referred to the proxy statement accompanying this notice for more detailed information with respect to the matters to be considered at the Annual Meeting. After careful consideration, the Company’s Board of Directors has determined that each proposal listed above is in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders and has approved each proposal. The Board of Directors recommends that you vote “FOR” each director nominee and “FOR” proposals 2 and 3 at the Annual Meeting.

In light of continuing public health concerns regarding the coronavirus (“COVID-19”) outbreak, this year’s Annual Meeting will be conducted in a virtual format only in order to assist in protecting the health and well-being of our stockholders and employees and to provide access to our stockholders regardless of geographic location. Stockholders will not be able to attend the Annual Meeting in person; however, stockholders of record will be able to vote and submit questions electronically prior to the Annual Meeting by visiting www.proxyvote.com, and during the Annual Meeting by visiting www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/STAF2021AM, and entering the 16-digit control number included on the proxy card or on the instructions. You will also be able to dial-in via telephone to ask questions during the meeting. Specific instructions for accessing the meeting are provided in the notice, proxy card or voting instruction form you received.

The Board has fixed the close of business on August 17, 2021 as the record date (the “Record Date”) for determining the stockholders entitled to notice of, and to vote at, the Annual Meeting or at any postponement(s), adjournment(s) or recess(es) thereof. A complete list of stockholders entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting will be available for inspection at the principal executive offices of the Company during regular business hours for the 10 calendar days prior to the Annual Meeting. The list will also be available during the Annual Meeting for inspection by stockholders.

Hard copies of this Notice of Virtual Annual Meeting of Stockholders, the proxy statement and additional proxy materials are being mailed to stockholders of record beginning on or about August 25, 2021. These materials are also available at www.proxyvote.com.

YOUR VOTE AND PARTICIPATION IN THE COMPANY’S AFFAIRS ARE IMPORTANT.

If your shares are registered in your name, even if you plan to attend the virtual Annual Meeting or any postponement, adjournment or recess of the Annual Meeting, we request that you vote by telephone, over the Internet, or complete, sign and mail your proxy card to ensure that your shares will be represented at the Annual Meeting.

If your shares are held in the name of a broker, trust, bank or other nominee, and you receive notice of the Annual Meeting through your broker or through another intermediary, please vote or complete and return the materials in accordance with the instructions provided to you by such broker or other intermediary or contact your broker directly in order to obtain a proxy issued to you by your nominee holder to vote your shares at or prior to the virtual Annual Meeting. Failure to do so may result in your shares not being eligible to be voted by proxy at the Annual Meeting.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PROXY STATEMENT
FOR
ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS

To Be Held September 30, 2021

This proxy statement is furnished to you by the Board of Directors (the “Board”) of Staffing 360 Solutions, Inc. in connection with the solicitation of proxies for use at our 2021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders (the “Annual Meeting”) to be held virtually on the Internet at www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/STAF2021AM, on September 30, 2021 at 10:00 a.m., New York time, for the purposes set forth in the accompanying Notice of Annual Meeting of Stockholders (the “Notice”), and at any postponement(s), adjournment(s) or recess(es) thereof.

Unless the context otherwise requires, in this proxy statement, we use the terms “Staffing,” “we,” “our,” “us” and the “Company” to refer to Staffing 360 Solutions, Inc. and its subsidiaries on a consolidated basis, and we use the terms “stockholder(s)” and “holder(s) of record” to refer to holders of shares of our common stock, par value $0.00001 per share, entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting.

The executive offices of the Company are located at, and the mailing address of the Company is, 641 Lexington Avenue, Suite 2701, New York, New York 10022.

On or about August 25, 2021, we began mailing printed copies of this proxy statement, along with the Notice, the 2020 Annual Report and proxy card to our stockholders of record as of the close of business on August 17, 2021.

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT THE ANNUAL MEETING

What is a proxy?

A proxy is another person that you legally designate to vote your stock. If you designate someone as your proxy in a written document, that document is also called a “proxy” or a “proxy card.” If you are a “street name” holder, you must obtain a proxy from your broker or nominee in order to vote your shares in person at the Annual Meeting.

What is a proxy statement?

A proxy statement is a document that regulations of the SEC require that we give to you when we ask you to sign a proxy card to vote your stock at the Annual Meeting.

What am I voting on?

At this year’s Annual Meeting, you will be asked to:

Are there any other matters to be acted upon at the Annual Meeting?

Management does not intend to present any business for a vote at the Annual Meeting other than the matters set forth above and has no information that others will do so. If other matters requiring a vote of the stockholders properly come before the Annual Meeting, it is the intention of the persons named in the accompanying form of proxy to vote the shares represented by the proxies held by them in accordance with applicable law and their judgment on such matters.

Who is entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting, and how many votes do they have?

Holders of record of our common stock at the close of business on August 17, 2021 (the “Record Date”) are entitled to notice of and to vote at the Annual Meeting. The Record Date is established by the Board as required by Delaware law. Pursuant to the rights of our stockholders contained in our organizational documents, each share of our common stock is entitled to one vote on all matters to be considered at the Annual Meeting. A complete list of stockholders entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting will be available for inspection at the principal executive offices of the Company during regular business hours for the 10 calendar days prior to the Annual Meeting, and such list will also be available for inspection during the Annual Meeting. As of the Record Date, we had 11,415,233 shares of common stock outstanding.

Unless the context otherwise requires, in this proxy statement, we use the terms “stockholder(s)” and “holder(s) of record” to refer to holders of shares of our common stock.

What is the difference between a stockholder of record and a “street name” holder?

If your shares of common stock are registered directly in your name with Continental Stock Transfer, our transfer agent, you are considered the stockholder of record with respect to those shares of our common stock. The Notice has been sent directly to you by the Company.

If your shares of common stock are held in a stock brokerage account or by a bank or other nominee, you are considered the beneficial owner of these shares of common stock, and your shares of common stock are held in “street name.” Your broker, bank or nominee is considered, with respect to those shares of common stock, the stockholder of record. As the beneficial owner, you have the right to direct your nominee regarding how to vote your shares.

How do I vote my shares if I am a stockholder of record?

If you are a stockholder of record, you may vote over the Internet, by telephone, by mail or during the Annual Meeting. Please be aware that if you vote by telephone or over the Internet, you may incur costs such as telephone and Internet access charges for which you will be responsible.

By completing and submitting the proxy card or by submitting your instructions via the Internet or by telephone, you will direct the designated persons (known as “proxies”) to vote your shares of common stock at the Annual Meeting in accordance with your instructions. The Board of Directors has appointed Brendan Flood or, in his absence, Khalid Anwar, Alicia Barker and Nicholas Koutsivitis, to serve as the proxies for the Annual Meeting. Submitting a proxy will not affect your right to virtually attend the Annual Meeting and change your vote online during the Annual Meeting.

How do I vote my shares if I hold my shares in “street name”?

If you hold your shares in “street name,” your broker, bank or other nominee should provide you with a request for voting instructions along with the proxy materials. By completing the voting instruction card, you may direct your nominee how to vote your shares. If you sign but do not fully complete the voting instruction card, then your nominee may be unable to vote your shares with respect to the proposals for which you provide no voting instructions. See “What is a broker non-vote?” Alternatively, if you want to vote your shares during the Annual Meeting, you must contact your nominee directly in order to obtain a proxy issued to you by your nominee holder. Note that a broker letter that identifies you as a stockholder is not the same as a nominee-issued proxy. If you fail to bring a nominee-issued proxy to the Annual Meeting, you will not be able to vote your nominee-held shares during the Annual Meeting.

Can I vote my shares at the Annual Meeting?

Yes. If you are a stockholder of record, you may vote your shares at the Annual Meeting by submitting your vote electronically during the Annual Meeting.

If you hold your shares in “street name,” you may vote your shares at the Annual Meeting only if you obtain a proxy issued by your bank, broker or other nominee giving you the right to vote the shares.

Even if you currently plan to attend the Annual Meeting virtually, we recommend that you also return your proxy or voting instructions as described above so that your votes will be counted if you later decide not to attend the Annual Meeting virtually or are unable to attend.

What should I do if I receive more than one set of voting materials?

You may receive more than one set of the proxy materials (consisting of this proxy statement, the accompanying Notice, our 2020 Annual Report and the proxy card or voting instruction form). For example, if you hold your shares in more than one brokerage account, you will receive a separate voting instruction card for each brokerage account in which you hold shares. Similarly, if you are a stockholder of record and also hold shares in a brokerage account, you will receive a copy of the proxy materials, including a proxy card, for shares held in your name and a voting instruction card for shares held in “street name.” Please complete, sign, date and return each proxy card and voting instruction card that you receive to ensure that all of your shares are voted.

How does the Board recommend that I vote my shares?

The full recommendations of our Board are set forth together with the description of each proposal elsewhere in this proxy statement. In summary, the Board recommends a vote:

With respect to any other matter that properly comes before the meeting, the proxy holders will vote as recommended by the Board or, if no recommendation is given, in their own discretion.

How will my proxy vote my shares if I do not provide specific voting instructions?

If you are a record holder who returns a signed proxy card that does not specify how you want to vote your shares on one or more proposals, the proxies will vote your shares for each proposal as to which you did not provide any voting instructions, and such shares will be voted in the following manner:

We do not intend to bring any other matter for a vote at the Annual Meeting, and we do not know of anyone else who intends to do so. Your proxies are authorized to vote on your behalf, however, using their best judgment, on any other business that properly comes before the Annual Meeting.

If you are a “street name” holder and do not provide voting instructions on one or more proposals, your broker, bank or other nominee will be unable to vote your shares on any of the proposals other than the Auditor Ratification Proposal. See “What is a broker non-vote?”

How do I change my vote?

If you are a stockholder of record, you may revoke your proxy at any time before your shares are voted at the Annual Meeting by:

If you are a “street name” holder, your broker, bank or other nominee should provide instructions explaining how you may change or revoke your voting instructions. Logging in for virtual attendance at the Annual Meeting alone will not revoke your proxy.

What constitutes a quorum?

The presence in person or by proxy of the holders of record of a majority of the shares of common stock entitled to vote at a meeting of stockholders constitutes a quorum for purposes of the Annual Meeting. A quorum is necessary in order to conduct the Annual Meeting. If you choose to have your shares represented by proxy at the Annual Meeting, you will be considered part of the quorum. Both abstentions and broker non-votes are counted as present for the purpose of determining the presence of a quorum. See “What is a broker non-vote?”

If a quorum is not present at the Annual Meeting, the stockholders present in person or by proxy may adjourn the meeting to a later date. If an adjournment is for more than 30 days, or if after the adjournment a new record date is fixed for the adjourned meeting, we will provide notice of the adjourned meeting to each stockholder of record entitled to vote at the meeting.

What is a broker non-vote?

Broker non-votes occur when shares are held indirectly through a broker, bank or other intermediary on behalf of a beneficial owner (referred to as held in “street name”) and the broker submits a proxy but does not vote for a matter because the broker has not received voting instructions from the beneficial owner and (i) the broker does not have discretionary voting authority on the matter or (ii) the broker chooses not to vote on a matter for which it has discretionary voting authority. Under the rules of the New York Stock Exchange (the “NYSE”) that govern how brokers may vote shares for which they have not received voting instructions from the beneficial owner, brokers are permitted to exercise discretionary voting authority only on “routine” matters when voting instructions have not been timely received from a beneficial owner. Proposal 3 is considered a “routine matter.” Therefore, if you do not provide voting instructions to your broker regarding such proposal, your broker will be permitted to exercise discretionary voting authority to vote your shares on such proposal. In the absence of specific instructions from you, your broker does not have discretionary authority to vote your shares with respect to Proposal 1 or Proposal 2.

Assuming a quorum is present at the Annual Meeting, what vote is required to approve each proposal and what are my voting choices with respect to each proposal?

How are abstentions and broker non-votes treated for purposes of the Annual Meeting?

Abstentions are included in the determination of the number of shares of common stock present at the Annual Meeting for determining a quorum at the meeting. An abstention is not an “affirmative vote,” but an abstaining stockholder is considered “entitled to vote” at the Annual Meeting. Accordingly, an abstention will have the effect of a vote against the Auditor Ratification Proposal and the Incentive Plan Proposal. Abstentions will have no effect on the Director Election Proposal.

Broker non-votes will be included in the determination of the number of shares of common stock present at the Annual Meeting for determining a quorum at the meeting. Broker non-votes will have no effect on the Director Election Proposal or the Incentive Plan Proposal. Broker non-votes are not applicable to the Auditor Ratification Proposal because your broker has discretionary authority to vote your shares of common stock with respect to such proposal.

Who counts the votes?

All votes will be tabulated by the inspector of election appointed for the Annual Meeting. Votes for each proposal will be tabulated separately.

Who is soliciting proxies, how are they being solicited, and who pays the cost?

Proxies are being solicited by the Board of Directors on behalf of the Company. In addition, we have engaged Morrow Sodali LLC (“Morrow”), the proxy solicitation firm hired by the Company, at an approximate cost of $7,500, to solicit proxies on behalf of our Board. Morrow may solicit the return of proxies, either by mail, telephone, telecopy, e-mail or through personal contact. The fees of Morrow as well as the reimbursement of expenses of Morrow will be borne by us. Our officers, directors, and employees may also solicit proxies personally or in writing, by telephone, e-mail, or otherwise. These officers and employees will not receive additional compensation but will be reimbursed for out-of-pocket expenses. Brokerage houses and other custodians, nominees, and fiduciaries, in connection with shares of the common stock registered in their names, will be asked to forward solicitation material to the beneficial owners of shares of common stock. We will reimburse brokerage houses and other custodians, nominees, and fiduciaries for their reasonable out-of-pocket expenses for forwarding solicitation materials and collecting voting instructions.

Do I have any dissenters’ or appraisal rights or cumulative voting rights with respect to any of the matters to be voted on at the Annual Meeting?

No. None of our stockholders have any dissenters’ or appraisal rights with respect to the matters to be voted on at the Annual Meeting. Our organizational documents prohibit cumulative voting in the election of directors.

Where can I find the voting results of the Annual Meeting?

The Company expects to publish the voting results of the Annual Meeting in a Current Report on Form 8-K, which it expects to file with the SEC within four business days following the date of the Annual Meeting.

Who can help answer my questions?

The information provided above in this “Question and Answer” format is for your convenience only and is merely a summary of the information contained in this proxy statement. We urge you to carefully read this entire proxy statement, including the documents we refer to in this proxy statement. If you have any questions, or need additional material, please feel free to contact the firm assisting us in the solicitation of proxies, Morrow Sodali, if you have any questions or need assistance in voting your shares. Banks and brokers may call Morrow Sodali at 203-658-9400. Shareholders may call Morrow Sodali toll-free at 1-800-662-5200 or may send an email to STAF.info@investor.morrowsodali.com.

GOVERNANCE OF THE COMPANY

Our business, property and affairs are managed by, or under the direction of, our Board, in accordance with the Delaware General Corporation Law and our organizational documents. Members of the Board are kept informed of our business through discussions with the Chief Executive Officer and other key members of management, by reviewing materials provided to them by management, and by participating in meetings of the Board and its committees comprised of certain directors.

Executive Officers and Directors

Executive officers are elected annually by the Board to serve at the Board’s discretion until their successor is duly elected or qualified or until their earlier death, resignation or removal. For information regarding our directors’ terms of office, see “Proposal 1—Director Election Proposal.” The name, age (as of the Record Date), and position of our executive officers and directors are set forth below:

Brendan Flood, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, President and Director. Mr. Flood has been the Chairman or Executive Chairman and a Director of the Company since January 7, 2014. He assumed the role of Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”) on December 19, 2017 and has been in the staffing industry for over 20 years. Mr. Flood joined the Company upon the sale of his business, Initio International Holdings Limited (“Initio”), on January 3, 2014, where he was the chairman and chief executive officer, to the Company. He acquired Initio as part of a management buy-out, which he led, in January 2010. Prior to Initio, Mr. Flood worked in several staffing companies including Hudson Global Resources Inc. (“Hudson Global Resources”), which he brought to the Nasdaq National Market on April 1, 2003, as a spin-off from Monsterworldwide Inc. (“Monsterworldwide”). His experience while at Monsterworldwide included numerous M&A transactions, operational management in both London and New York, and various senior financial roles. Mr. Flood graduated from Dublin City University in Ireland with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Accounting and Finance. Mr. Flood’s strong financial background and years of experience at major staffing firms like Monsterworldwide and Hudson Global Resources qualifies him to be the President and Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Directors given the Company’s core business in the staffing industry.

Khalid Anwar, Senior Vice President of Corporate Finance. Mr. Anwar joined the Company in February 2020 as Senior Vice President of Corporate Finance. Since December 15, 2020, he has served as the Company’s principal financial officer and principal accounting officer. Mr. Anwar has more than 20 years of experience in finance leadership roles in a variety of industries ranging in size from $20 billion to startups. From 2015 to 2019 he was the Executive, Financial Planning and Analysis, for Element Solutions Inc., a specialty chemicals company. From 2011 to 2015 he was the Chief Financial Officer of Pemco Holdings, an investor/operator of turnkey energy programs. He has an MBA from Booth School of Business at The University of Chicago and is a CPA.

Alicia Barker, Chief Operating Officer, Executive Vice President and Director. Alicia Barker has served as a Director of the Company since April 2018 and Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer since July 2018. Ms. Barker brings over two decades of extensive human resources, communication and operational expertise to her role. From July 2016 to July 2018, she served as principal and owner of Act II Consulting, providing human resources consulting and professional coaching services to individuals and corporations. From May 2014 to May 2016, Ms. Barker served as senior vice president, Human Resources at Barker, a full-service advertising agency where she led talent procurement and executive development. She also previously served on the executive team as vice president, Human Resources at Hudson North America, a global talent solutions company, as vice president, Human Resources, at Grey Group, a global advertising and marketing agency, and before that, as Human Resources Director at Icon/Nicholson, which designs, develops, and produces prepackaged computer software. Over the past several years, Ms. Barker has held positions on not for profit boards in her local community. Ms. Barker was also solicited to be the Campaign Manager for the Mayoral Campaign in the town of Westfield, NJ during the 2018 election. Ms. Barker’s educational background includes a major in Communications, a SHRM-CP Certification in HR and a Professional Coaching Certification. Ms. Barker’s extensive human resources expertise qualifies her to be a director of the Company.

Dimitri Villard, Director. Dimitri Villard has been a Director of the Company since July 2012. Mr. Villard was chairman and chief executive officer of Peer Media Technologies, Inc., a public company Internet technology business, from February 2009 to December 2012. Peer Media Technologies, Inc. changed its name from ARTISTdirect, Inc. in May 2010. Prior to that, Mr. Villard served as interim chief executive officer from March 6, 2008 and as a director from January 2005 until 2012. Mr. Villard has also served as president and a director of Pivotal BioSciences, Inc., a biotechnology company, from September 1998 to August 2018. In addition, since January 1982, he has served as president and director of Byzantine Productions, Inc. Previously, Mr. Villard was a director at the investment banking firm of SG Cowen and affiliated entities, a position he held from January 1997 to July 1999. From 2004 to 2008, Mr. Villard served as chairman of the board of directors of Dax Solutions, Inc., an entertainment industry digital asset management venture, and from July 2012 until September 2013, he was a member of the board of directors of The Grilled Cheese Truck Company, a public company. He is also a member of the executive committee of the Los Angeles chapter of the Tech Coast Angels, a private venture capital group. Mr. Villard received a Bachelor of Arts from Harvard University and a Master of Science degree from China International Medical University. He is the Chairman of the Company’s Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee and also serves on the Compensation and Human Resources Committee and on the Audit Committee. Mr. Villard’s experience as an officer and/or director of several public companies, as well as an investment banker, qualifies him to be a Director of the Company.

Jeff Grout, Director. Jeff Grout has been a Director of the Company since February 2014. He is a successful business speaker, consultant and coach. From 1980 to 2001, he served as U.K. managing director of Robert Half International, a leading international recruitment consultancy, and business manager to Sir Clive Woodward, head coach of the England Rugby Team. From 2001, Mr. Grout has been an independent business consultant specializing in leadership, people management, team building, peak performance, recruitment and retention issues. He has spoken at Henley Business School, Ashridge Management College, Cardiff Business School and the Danish Centre for Leadership, and his clients include Amazon, Deloitte, LinkedIn, British Airways, Barclays, Ernst & Young, Virgin, etc. He holds several corporate advisory and executive coaching appointments and is also a successful business author. Mr. Grout has written books on leadership, recruitment, career success, the psychology of peak performance and his police detective father’s first murder case. His eighth book entitled “What You Need to Know about Leadership” was published in May 2011. Mr. Grout holds a Bachelor of Science (Economics) Degree from the London School of Economics and Political Science. Mr. Grout brings valuable operational experience within the staffing industry having grown the U.K. business of Robert Half International from $1 million to $100 million in sales and from 12 to 365 employees. He also identified and integrated several acquisitions of staffing businesses in the U.K. and continental Europe. He is the Chairman of the Company’s Compensation and Human Resources Committee and serves on the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee and on the Audit Committee. Mr. Grout’s extensive staffing industry experience, including his role as former Managing Director of Robert Half International, qualifies him to be a director of the Company.

Nicholas Florio, Director. Nicholas Florio has been a Director of the Company since May 2014. Mr. Florio provides business consulting and financial advice to a variety of closely held private businesses. He is a retired audit and accounting partner for Citrin Cooperman & Company, LLP (“Citrin Cooperman”). Mr. Florio has been with Citrin Cooperman for over 25 years. He currently serves as a consultant with Citrin Cooperman. With over 30 years of experience in the staffing and employment arena, Mr. Florio served as the practice leader of Citrin Cooperman’s employment and staffing area. Mr. Florio’s experience in this area included providing advice on corporate structuring; design of stock incentive and deferred compensation plans; merger and acquisition due diligence and consulting; among general business and tax advice. He was also a member of the board of directors of both the New York Staffing Association (“NYSA”) and New Jersey Staffing Association and was the president of the Industry Partner Group of NYSA for over 20 years. Prior to his retirement Mr. Florio was also a long-standing member of the Citrin Cooperman’s executive committee. A graduate of Pace University, Mr. Florio is a member of the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants as well as the American Institute of CPAs. He is the Chairman of the Company’s Audit Committee and serves on the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee and on the Compensation and Human Resources Committee. Mr. Florio’s acute knowledge of financial and accounting matters, with an emphasis in the staffing industry through his role as audit and accounting partner for Citrin Cooperman, qualifies him to be a director of the Company.

Vincent Cebula, Director. Vincent Cebula has been a Director of the Company since July 29, 2021. Mr. Cebula is presently an Operating Advisor for Solace Capital Partners, L.P. From 2013 to 2020, Mr. Cebula was Chief Operating Officer and co-founder of the bicoastal alternative asset manager, focused on distressed debt and special situation investment opportunities in middle-market companies. Earlier in his career, Mr. Cebula was Managing Director at Oaktree Capital Management, LLC and its predecessor, Trust Company of the West, and later at Jefferies Capital Partners where he was active in investing on behalf of funds representing more than $4 billion in combined capital commitments. Mr. Cebula began his career as an investment banker at Drexel Burnham Lambert. Mr. Cebula graduated from Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania summa cum laude earning a B.S. Economics degree with concentrations in Finance and Decision Science. He serves on each of the Audit Committee, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee and the Compensation and Human Resources Committee of the Board.

Board Composition

Our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation and our Restated Bylaws (“Bylaws”) provide that our Board will consist of such number of directors as determined from time to time by resolution adopted by our Board. The size of our Board has been fixed to six directors. Subject to any rights applicable to any then outstanding shares of preferred stock, any vacancies or newly created directorships resulting from an increase in the authorized number of directors may be filled by a majority of the directors then in office. Our Board is classified into three classes, designated Class I, Class II and Non-Classified. Class I and Class II directors have a term of two years or until such director’s successor is duly elected or qualified. Non-Classified Directors serve a term of one-year or until such director’s successor is duly elected or qualified. The terms of Class I directors and Non-Classified director expire at this Annual Meeting, and the term of Class II directors and Non-Classified director will expire at the Company’s annual meeting of stockholders to be held in 2022.

Board Meetings; Annual Meeting Attendance

For the fiscal year ended January 2, 2021 (“Fiscal 2020”), the Board met 14 times. Each director attended 100% of the total number of meetings of the Board. Directors are encouraged, but are not required, to attend our Annual Meeting of Stockholders. All of our directors at the time of our virtual 2020 Annual Meeting of Stockholders attended such meeting virtually.

Independence of Directors

In determining the independence of our directors, the Board applied the definition of “independent director” provided under the listing rules of The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (“Nasdaq”). Under the Nasdaq rules, a director will only qualify as an “independent director” if, in the opinion of our Board, that person does not have a relationship that would interfere with the exercise of independent judgment in carrying out the responsibilities of a director. After considering all relevant facts and circumstances, the Board has determined that each of Messrs. Villard, Florio, Cebula and Grout are independent within the definition of independence under the Nasdaq rules. Our Board has determined that Mr. Flood and Ms. Barker are not independent directors. In making this determination, the Board considered, among other things, (i) relationships and transactions involving directors or their affiliates or immediate family members that would be required to be disclosed as related party transactions and described under “Governance of the Company—Related Party Transactions” beginning on page 17 and (ii) other relationships and transactions involving directors or their affiliates or immediate family members that did not rise to the level of requiring such disclosure, of which there were none. If all of the director candidates nominated for election at the Annual Meeting are elected, our Board will consist of a majority of four independent directors out of a total of six directors on our Board.

Board Committees

Our Board currently has three standing committees: an Audit Committee, a Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee and a Compensation and Human Resources Committee, each of which is described below. All standing committees operate under a charter that has been approved by the Board. Copies of the charters of the Audit Committee, Compensation and Human Resources Committee and the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee can be found on our website at https://www.staffing360solutions.com/investors-2/links-page/corporate-governance-1.

Audit Committee. Our Audit Committee is composed of Messrs. Nicholas Florio (Chairman), Dimitri Villard, Vincent Cebula and Jeff Grout. Our Board has determined that each member of our Audit Committee is an independent director under current Nasdaq rules and Rule 10A-3 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and that each of the members of the Audit Committee is financially sophisticated and is able to read and understand our financial statements. Our Board has also determined that Mr. Florio qualifies as an Audit Committee ‘‘financial expert’’ as defined in Item 407(d)(5) of Regulation S-K and that he has accounting or related financial management expertise as required under the applicable Nasdaq rules. The Audit Committee formally met 12 times during Fiscal 2020.

The purpose of the Audit Committee is to assist the Board in its oversight of: (1) the integrity of the Company’s financial reporting and systems of internal accounting control, (2) the independence, qualifications and performance of the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm, and (3) the Company’s compliance with legal and regulatory requirements. Our Audit Committee’s primary responsibilities and obligations are set forth in the Audit Committee Charter and include, among other things:

Compensation and Human Resources Committee. Our Compensation and Human Resources Committee is composed of Messrs. Jeff Grout (Chairman), Dimitri Villard, Vincent Cebula and Nicholas Florio. Our Board has determined that each member of the Compensation and Human Resources Committee (i) meets the definition of “independence” under the rules and regulations of the SEC and Nasdaq and (ii) is a “non-employee director” within the meaning of Rule 16b-3 of the Exchange Act. The Compensation and Human Resources Committee formally met seven times during Fiscal 2020.

Our Compensation and Human Resources Committee’s primary responsibilities and obligations are set forth in the Compensation and Human Resources Committee Charter and include, among other things:

Pursuant to the Compensation and Human Resources Committee Charter, the Compensation and Human Resources Committee may delegate authority and assign responsibility with respect to its functions to such officers of the Company, or committees comprised of such persons, as it may deem appropriate from time to time, or to a subcommittee of the Compensation and Human Resources Committee. We did not engage any consultants in determining or recommending the amount or form of director compensation during 2020. With respect to executive compensation, in 2020 the Compensation and Human Resources Committee engaged the services of Mercer (US) Inc. (“Mercer”) to advise the Compensation and Human Resources Committee on the design of a separate long-term incentive plan that would only apply to the chief executive officer, the chief operating officer and the chief financial officer (the “Applicable Officers”), and which would be driven by market performance benchmarks rather than adjusted EBITDA benchmarks. Mercer was engaged directly by the Compensation and Human Resources Committee, and the engagement was ratified by the Board. Mercer also advises us with respect to our benefits program. In Fiscal 2020, we paid Mercer fees of approximately $32,000 with respect to their advice on the compensation for the Applicable Officers, and approximately $138,000 for the benefits management services. The Compensation and Human Resources Committee has reviewed, and will continue to review going forward, the independence of Mercer under applicable SEC and Nasdaq rules and believes that Mercer does not have any conflicts of interest in advising the Compensation and Human Resources Committee. We did not implement any recommendations of Mercer in Fiscal 2020.

Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. Our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee is composed of Messrs. Dimitri Villard (Chairman), Nicholas Florio, Vincent Cebula and Jeff Grout. Our Board has determined that each member of our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee qualifies as an “independent” member of the Board as defined by the rules and regulations of the SEC and Nasdaq. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee formally met four times during Fiscal 2020.

The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee is charged with the responsibility of reviewing our corporate governance policies and proposing potential director nominees to the Board for consideration. Our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee’s primary responsibilities and obligations are set forth in the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee Charter and include, among other things:

Policies with Regard to Stockholder Recommendations

The policy of our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee is to consider properly submitted recommendations for candidates to the Board from stockholders. Any stockholder recommendations for consideration by the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee should be accompanied by the information that is specified in our Bylaws, including the candidate’s name, biographical information, information regarding any relationships between the candidate and the Company within the last three years, a description of all arrangements between the candidate and the recommending stockholder and any other person pursuant to which the candidate is being recommended, a written indication of the candidate’s willingness to serve on the Board, any other information required to be provided under securities laws and regulations, and a written indication to provide such other information as the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee may reasonably request. There are no differences in the manner in which the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee evaluates nominees for director based on whether the nominee is recommended by a stockholder or otherwise. Stockholder recommendations to the Board should be sent to:

Staffing 360 Solutions, Inc.

641 Lexington Avenue

Suite 2701

New York, NY 10022

Attention: Corporate Secretary

In addition, our Bylaws permit stockholders to nominate directors for consideration at an Annual Meeting of Stockholders. Such nomination must satisfy the notice, information and consent requirements set forth in our Bylaws and must be received by us prior to the date set forth under “Submission of Future Stockholder Proposals” included herein. The exclusive means by which a stockholder may nominate a director pursuant to our Bylaws shall be by delivery of a notice to the Secretary setting forth: (a) the name, age, business address and the primary legal residence address of each nominee proposed in such notice, (b) the principal occupation or employment of such nominee, (c) the number of shares of capital stock of the Company which are owned directly or indirectly of record and directly or indirectly beneficially owned by the nominee and each of its affiliates (within the meaning of Rule 144), including any shares of the Company owned or controlled via derivatives, hedged positions and other economic and voting mechanisms, (d) any material agreements, understandings or relationships, including financial transactions and compensation, between the nominating stockholder and the proposed nominees and (e) such other information concerning each such nominee as would be required, under the rules of the SEC, in a proxy statement soliciting proxies in a contested election of such nominees. Such notice shall include a signed consent of each such nominee to serve as a director of the Company, if elected. In addition, any stockholder nominee, to be validly nominated, shall submit to the Secretary the questionnaire required pursuant our bylaws. A stockholder intending to nominate one or more candidates for election as directors must comply with the advance notice bylaw provisions specifically applicable to the nomination of candidates for election as directors for such nomination to be properly brought before the meeting.

Board Leadership Structure and Risk Oversight

Our Chairman of the Board (the “Chairman”), who also serves as our President and CEO, presides at all meetings of the Board. The Chairman is appointed on an annual basis by majority vote of the directors, excluding the vote of the Chairman. We do not have a lead independent director. Our Board has determined that its current structure, with a combined Chairman and CEO role and a majority of independent directors is in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders at this time. A number of factors support the leadership structure chosen by the Board, including, among others:

In our view, splitting the roles would potentially make our management and governance processes less effective through undesirable duplication of work and possibly lead to a blurring of clear lines of accountability and responsibility.

Enterprise risks are identified and prioritized by management and each prioritized risk is assigned to a Board committee or the full Board for oversight as follows:

Director Qualifications and Diversity

Our Board and our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee seek independent directors who represent a diversity of backgrounds and experiences that will enhance the quality of the Board’s deliberations and decisions. In evaluating potential Board candidates, our Board and our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee consider, among other things, the level of relevant experience, financial literacy, business acumen of the candidate and the candidate’s independence from the Company in light of the current makeup and independence of the Board. We aim to maintain a Board consisting of at least a majority of independent directors. Qualified candidates for director are those who, in the judgment of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee and the Board, have had significant decision-making responsibility, and have business, legal or academic experience, including experience in disciplines relevant to the Company’s businesses, and who will represent the best interests of the stockholders as a whole rather than special interest constituencies. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee and the Board will also consider the nominee’s willingness and ability to devote adequate time to Board duties, all in the context of the needs of the Board at that point in time and with the objective of ensuring of experience and viewpoints of Board members.

We have no formal policy regarding Board diversity. In evaluating nominations to the Board, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee also looks for certain personal attributes, such as integrity, ability and willingness to apply sound and independent business judgment, comprehensive understanding of a director’s role in corporate governance, availability for meetings and consultation on Company matters, and the willingness to assume and carry out fiduciary responsibilities. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee also takes into consideration the overall composition and diversity of the Board and areas of expertise that director nominees may be able to offer, including business experience, knowledge, abilities and customer relationships. Generally, we will strive to assemble a Board that brings to us a variety of perspectives and skills derived from business and professional experience as we may deem are in our and our stockholders’ best interests. In doing so, we will also consider candidates with appropriate non-business backgrounds.

The current director candidates were recommended by the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee and nominated by the full Board.

Director Resignation Policy

Pursuant to our Bylaws, we have adopted a director resignation policy which provides that our Board shall only nominate individuals for election or re-election to our Board if such individuals agree in advance to tender irrevocable resignations that become effective upon (i) the failure to receive the requisite vote for re-election at the next annual meeting of stockholders at which they face re-election and (ii) Board acceptance of such resignation. In the event that an incumbent director fails to receive the requisite vote for re-election to the Board, our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee will make a recommendation to the Board as to whether to accept or reject such director’s resignation, and the applicable director will abstain from participating in any decision as to his or her resignation.

Involvement in Certain Legal Proceedings

There have been no material legal proceedings that would require disclosure under the federal securities laws that are material to an evaluation of the ability or integrity of our directors or executive officers, or in which any director, officer, nominee or principal stockholder, or any affiliate thereof, is a party adverse to us or has a material interest adverse to us.

Family Relationships

There are no family relationships among any of our executive officers or any of our directors.

Code of Ethical Conduct

We have adopted a Code of Ethics and Whistleblower Policy that applies to our executive officers, directors, employees and our subsidiaries.

We have posted our Code of Ethics and our Whistleblower Policy on our website at https://www.staffing360solutions.com/investors-2/links-page/corporate-governance-1. In the event that we make any amendments to, or grant any waivers of, a provision of our code of ethics that applies to the principal executive officer, principal financial officer or principal accounting officer that requires disclosure under applicable SEC rules, we intend to disclose such amendment or waiver and the reasons therefor in a Form 8-K or in our next periodic report.

Conflicts of Interest

Members of our executive management team are required by their respective employment agreements with the Company to devote substantially all of their business time to our affairs. However, our directors are associated with other firms involved in a range of business activities. Consequently, there are potential inherent conflicts of interest in their acting as directors of our Company. Although the directors are engaged in other business activities, we anticipate they will devote an important amount of time to our affairs.

Our directors are now and may in the future become shareholders, officers or directors of other companies, which may be formed for the purpose of engaging in business activities similar to ours. Accordingly, additional direct conflicts of interest may arise in the future with respect to such individuals acting on behalf of us or other entities. Moreover, additional conflicts of interest may arise with respect to opportunities which come to the attention of such individuals in the performance of their Board duties or otherwise. Currently, we do not have a right of first refusal pertaining to opportunities that come to the attention of our directors and may relate to our business operations. Our directors are, so long as they are our directors, subject to the restriction that all opportunities contemplated by our plan of operation which come to their attention, either in the performance of their duties or in any other manner, will be considered opportunities of, and be made available to us and the companies that they are affiliated with on an equal basis. A breach of this requirement would be a breach of the fiduciary duties of the director. If we or the companies with which the directors are affiliated both desire to take advantage of an opportunity, then said directors would abstain from negotiating and voting upon the opportunity. However, all directors may still individually take advantage of opportunities if we should decline to do so.

Our officers are, so long as they remain officers, subject to the restriction that all opportunities contemplated by our plan of operation which come to their attention, either in the performance of their duties or in any other manner, will be considered opportunities of, and be made available to us exclusively during the term of their employment, and offered first to us on a right of first refusal basis for one year after any termination. A breach of this requirement would be a breach of the fiduciary duties of the officer and a breach of his or her employment agreement. Except as set forth above, we have not adopted any other conflict of interest policy with respect to such transactions.

Communications with the Board of Directors

Stockholders may communicate with the members of the Board, either individually or collectively, or with any independent directors as a group by writing to the Board (or a particular member or committee thereof) at 641 Lexington Avenue, Suite 2701, New York NY 10022.

These communications will be reviewed by the office of the President who, depending on the subject matter, will (a) forward the communication to the director or directors to whom it is addressed or who is responsible for the topic matter, (b) attempt to address the inquiry directly (for example, where it is a request for publicly available information or a stock related matter that does not require the attention of a director), or (c) not forward the communication if it is primarily commercial in nature or if it relates to an improper or irrelevant topic. The Board has requested that certain items that are unrelated to its duties and responsibilities be excluded, such as spam, junk mail and mass mailings, resumes and other forms of job inquiries, surveys, and business solicitations or advertisements. At each meeting of the Board, the corporate Secretary presents a summary of communications received and will make those communications available to any director upon request.

Delinquent Section 16(a) Reports

Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act requires our directors and officers, and persons who own more than ten percent of our common stock, to file with the SEC initial reports of ownership and reports of changes in ownership of our common stock.

To our knowledge, based solely on a review of the copies of such reports furnished to us, during Fiscal 2020, the following is the number of late reports filed since the beginning of Fiscal 2020, under Section 16(a) and the number of transactions reflected therein as not reported on a timely basis during such fiscal year by such executive officers and director:

Related Party Transactions

Review, Approval or Ratification of Transactions with Related Persons. Pursuant to our Audit Committee charter, our Audit Committee is responsible for reviewing and approving all related party transactions, including those required to be disclosed as a “related party transaction” under applicable federal securities laws. The Audit Committee has not adopted any specific procedures for conducting reviews of potential conflicts of interest and considers each transaction in light of the specific facts and circumstances presented. However, to the extent a potential related party transaction is presented to the Audit Committee, the Company expects that the Audit Committee would become fully informed regarding the potential transaction and the interests of the related party, and would have the opportunity to deliberate outside of the presence of the related party. The Company expects that the Audit Committee would only approve a related party transaction that was in the best interests of, and fair to, the Company, and further would seek to ensure that any completed related party transaction was on terms no less favorable to the Company than could be obtained in a transaction with an unaffiliated third party.

Summary of Related Party Transactions. Described below are transactions occurring since January 1, 2019 and any currently proposed transactions to which we were a party and in which the amounts involved exceeded or will exceed the lesser of (i) $120,000 or (ii) 1% of the average of our total assets at January 2, 2021 and December 28, 2019, and in which any related person had or will have a direct or indirect material interest, excluding executive compensation arrangements described elsewhere herein.

The Jackson Transactions¹

On August 29, 2019, the Company entered into a Fourth Omnibus Amendment and Reaffirmation Agreement with Jackson Investment Group, LLC (“Jackson”), as lender, which, among other things, amended that certain Amended and Restated Note Purchase Agreement, dated as of September 15, 2017, as amended (the “Existing Note Purchase Agreement”). Pursuant to this agreement, the Company issued and sold to Jackson that certain 18% Senior Secured Note due December 31, 2019 in aggregate principal amount of $2,538,000 (the “2019 Jackson Note”). All accrued and unpaid interest on the outstanding principal balance of the 2019 Jackson Note was due and payable monthly on the first day of each month, beginning on October 1, 2019. Pursuant to the terms of the 2019 Jackson Note, if it were not repaid by December 31, 2019, the Company would be required to issue 16,667 shares of its common stock to Jackson on a monthly basis until the 2019 Jackson Note is fully repaid, subject to certain exceptions to comply with Nasdaq Stock Market, LLC listing standards. The Company repaid the principal amount of the 2019 Jackson Note on May 20, 2020, and through that date had issued 83,334 shares of its common stock to Jackson.

On October 26, 2020, the Company entered into the Second Amended and Restated Note Purchase Agreement (the “Amended Note Purchase Agreement”) and the Second Amended and Restated 12% Senior Secured Note due September 30, 2022 (the “2020 Jackson Note”) with Jackson, which amended and restated the Existing Note Purchase Agreement. The Amended Note Purchase Agreement refinanced an aggregate of $35.7 million of debt provided by Jackson pursuant to the Existing Note Purchase Agreement and a Senior Secured 12% Promissory Note. In connection with the amendment and restatement, we paid Jackson an amendment fee of $488,000. The Company used 75% of the net proceeds from (i) the sale, on December 29, 2020, of 802,778 shares of common stock in an underwritten public offering (the “December 2020 Public Offering”) and (ii) the sale, on December 31, 2020, of 443,766 shares of common stock in a registered direct offering (the “December 2020 Registered Direct Offering”) to pay $3,029,309 in principal on the 2020 Jackson Note.

¹ The Company effected a one-for-six reverse stock split on June 30, 2021 (the “Reverse Stock Split”). All share and per share information in this proxy statement has been retroactively adjusted to reflect the Reverse Stock Split.

In connection with the entry into the Amended Note Purchase Agreement, the Company also amended the terms of our Series E Convertible Preferred Stock (the “Base Series E Preferred Stock”) and Series E-1 Convertible Preferred Stock (the “Series E-1 Preferred Stock” and collectively with the Base Series E Preferred Stock, the “Series E Preferred Stock”). Under the amended terms, holders of Series E Preferred Stock were entitled to monthly cash dividends on our Series E Preferred Stock at an annual rate of 12%. At the Company’s option, up to 50% of the cash dividend on the Base Series E Preferred Stock could be paid in kind by adding such 50% portion to the outstanding liquidation value of the Base Series E Preferred Stock (the “PIK Dividend Payment”), commencing on October 26, 2020 and ending on October 25, 2022. If the PIK Dividend Payment is elected, a holder of Series E Preferred Stock would be entitled to an additional fee to be paid in shares of our common stock in an amount equal to $60 divided by the average closing price, as reported by Nasdaq of such shares of our common stock over the 5 trading days prior to the applicable monthly interest payment date. If such average market price were less than $3.00, or were otherwise undeterminable because such shares were no longer publicly traded or the closing price were no longer reported by Nasdaq, then the average closing price for these purposes would be deemed to be $3.00, and if such average closing price were greater than $21.00 then the average closing price for these purposes would be deemed to be $21.00. Dividends on the Series E-1 Preferred Stock may only be paid in cash. If we fail to make dividend payments on our Series E Preferred Stock, it will be an event of default under the Amended Note Purchase Agreement.

Under the amended terms, shares of Series E-1 Preferred Stock were convertible into our common stock at a conversion rate equal to the liquidation value of each share of Series E-1 Preferred Stock divided by $1.00 per share commencing October 31, 2020. Each share of Series E-1 Preferred Stock had a liquidation value of $1,000 per share. Our shares of Base Series E Preferred Stock will be also convertible into shares of our common stock after October 31, 2022. The conversion rate for our Base Series E Preferred Stock is equal to the liquidation value of each shares of Base Series E Preferred Stock divided by $6.00 per share. Each share of Base Series E Preferred Stock has a liquidation value of $1,000 per share.

The Company used the proceeds from the December 2020 Public Offering and the December 2020 Registered Direct Offering to pay $1,010,000 to redeem a portion of the Base Series E Preferred Stock.

On October 26, 2020, in connection with the entry into the Amended Note Purchase Agreement, we entered into Amendment No. 3 to Amended and Restated Warrant Agreement (the “Amendment No. 3”), with Jackson. Amendment No. 3 amended that certain Amended and Restated Warrant Agreement with Jackson, dated as of April 25, 2018 (the “Warrant Agreement” and such warrant issued thereunder, the “Warrant”). Pursuant to Amendment No. 3, the exercise price of the Warrant was reduced from $9.96 per share to $6.00 per share and the term of the Warrant was extended to January 26, 2026.

On February 5, 2021, we entered into a Limited Consent and Waiver with Jackson whereby, among other things, Jackson agreed that we may use 75% of the proceeds from this offering to redeem a portion of the 2020 Jackson Note and 25% of the net proceeds from this offering to redeem a portion of our Base Series E Preferred Stock notwithstanding certain provisions of the certificate of designation for the Base Series E Preferred Stock that would have required us to use all the proceeds from this offering to redeem the Base Series E Preferred Stock. In addition, we also agreed in the Limited Consent and Waiver to additional limits on our ability to incur other indebtedness, including limits on advances under our revolving loan facility with MidCap Funding [X] Trust. We also agreed that to the extent that any of our PPP Loans are forgiven after this offering, Jackson may convert the Base Series E Preferred Stock and Series E-1 Preferred Stock that remains outstanding into a secured note that is substantially similar to the 2020 Jackson Note. On April 8, 2021, the limited waiver was extended to June 17, 2021.

Jackson also entered into a Limited Waiver and Agreement with us on February 5, 2021, whereby Jackson agreed that it would not convert any shares of the Base Series E Preferred Stock or Series E-1 Preferred Stock into shares of our common stock or exercise any warrants to purchase shares to the extent that doing so would cause the number of our authorized shares of common stock to be less than the number of shares being offered in the public offering of 3,642,547 shares of common stock, which closed on February 12, 2021. Jackson also waived any event of default under the Series E Certificate of Designation and the 2020 Jackson Note that would result from the Company having an insufficient number of authorized shares of common stock to honor conversions of the Base Series E Preferred Stock and exercise of Jackson’s warrants. On April 8, 2021, the limited waiver was extended to June 17, 2021, and on May 6, 2021, in connection with the Exchange (as defined herein), the limited waiver was extended to June 30, 2021.

On May 6, 2021, the Company entered into an Exchange Agreement with Jackson, pursuant to which, among other things, Jackson agreed to exchange 6,172 shares of the Company’s Series E Preferred Stock and 1,493 shares of the Company’s Series E-1 Convertible Preferred Stock for an equivalent number of shares of the Company’s Series G Convertible Preferred Stock, par value $0.00001 per share and Series G-1 Convertible Preferred Stock, par value $0.00001 per share (collectively, the “Series G Preferred Stock”, and such transaction, the “Exchange”). The Exchange was consummated on May 6, 2021.

On July 21, 2022, the Company exchanged its outstanding shares of Series G Convertible Preferred Stock and Series G-1 Preferred Stock for senior indebtedness by issuing to Jackson a new 12% Senior Secured Note, in aggregate principal amount of $7,733,000 (the “New Note”), which amount represented all of the outstanding Series G Preferred Stock and Series G-1 Convertible Preferred Stock of the Company held by Jackson as of July 21, 2022. The New Note was deemed issued pursuant to the Amended Note Purchase Agreement.

Under the terms of the New Note, the Company is required to pay interest on the New Note at a per annum rate of 12%, in cash only, accruing from and after the date of the Note and until the entire principal balance of the Note shall have been repaid in full, and on and at all times during which the “Default Rate” (as defined in the Amended Note Purchase Agreement) applies, to the extent permitted by law, at a per annum rate of 17%. The entire outstanding principal balance of the New Note is due and payable in full on September 30, 2022. Upon an Event of Default (as defined in the Amended Note Purchase Agreement), the principal of the New Note and all accrued and unpaid interest thereon may be accelerated and declared or otherwise become due and payable in accordance with the terms of the Amended Note Purchase Agreement.

On July 22, 2021 the Company entered into a Limited Consent with Jackson whereby, among other things, Jackson agreed that the Company could effect a registered direct offering and concurrent private placement (the “July 2021 Offerings”) and use $5 million of the net proceeds thereof to pay accrued and unpaid interest and prepay a portion of the outstanding principal balance of the Second Amended and Restated 12% Senior Secured Note, due September 30, 2022, notwithstanding certain provisions of the certificate of designation for the Series G Convertible Preferred Stock that would have required the Company to use all the proceeds from the July 2021 Offerings to redeem the Series G Preferred Stock.

EXECUTIVE AND DIRECTOR COMPENSATION

Executive Compensation Overview

The compensation program for our executive officers, as presented in the Summary Compensation Table below, is administered by our Board and our Compensation and Human Resources Committee. The intent of our compensation program is to align our executives’ interests with those of our stockholders, while providing reasonable and competitive compensation.

The purpose of this Executive Compensation discussion is to provide information about the material elements of compensation that we pay or award to, or that is earned by: (i) the individual who served as our principal executive officer during Fiscal 2020; (ii) our two most highly compensated executive officers, other than the individual who served as our principal executive officer, who were serving as executive officers, as determined in accordance with the rules and regulations promulgated by the SEC, as of January 2, 2021, with compensation during Fiscal 2020 of $100,000 or more; and (iii) an additional individual for whom disclosure would have been provided pursuant to clause (ii) but for the fact that such individuals was not serving as executive officers on January 2, 2021. We refer to these individuals as our “named executive officers.” For Fiscal 2020, our named executive officers and the positions in which they served are:

The named executive officers, including our Chief Executive Officer, do not participate in any part of the process of reviewing and setting their own compensation levels. The Chief Executive Officer acts in an advisory capacity in setting compensation for executives other than himself and defers to the decisions of the Compensation and Human Resources Committee.

For 2020, the compensation of our named executive officers consisted of salary, an annual cash bonus and equity awards, as well as benefits such as medical coverage, life insurance and 401(k) contributions.

All amounts presented in this section are in whole dollar amounts. All compensation amounts presented in British pounds have been translated using the foreign currency average exchange rates, unless otherwise indicated.

Compensation of Executive Officers

Summary Compensation Table

(1) Represents the amount recognized for financial statement reporting purposes in accordance with ASC Topic 718. Stock awards vest in full on the third anniversary of the grant date, and the value of stock award is based upon the fair value of the award at issuance over the vesting term on a straight-line basis. The fair value of the award is calculated by multiplying the number of restricted shares by the Company’s stock price on the date of issuance. The valuation assumptions used in calculating the value of stock awards is set forth in Note 12 to our audited consolidated financial statements included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended on January 2, 2021 and filed with the SEC on April 16, 2021.

On October 27, 2020, Mr. Flood, Ms. Viswakula and Mr. Anwar were issued 50,000, 417 and 417 shares, respectively at $7.38 per share. These shares vested in 2021. On January 7, 2020, September 25, 2020 and October 1, 2020, Ms. Barker was issued 234 shares at $5.10 per share, 467 shares at $3.36 per share and 234 shares at $3.78 per share, respectively. On January 7, 2019, April 4, 2019, July 2, 2019 and November 18, 2019, Ms. Barker was issued 234 shares at $10.74 per share, 234 shares at $9.48 per share, 234 shares at $10.14 per share and 234 shares at $4.98 per share, respectively.

(2) Includes vacation pay, car allowance, 401(k) match, pensions and life insurance premiums.

(3) Ms. Viswakula’s employment with the company ceased as of December 15, 2020.

(4) Mr. Anwar became our Senior Vice President of Corporate Finance on June 29, 2020. He has served as our principal financial officer and principal accounting officer, effective as of December 15, 2020.

Employment Agreements

The Flood Employment Agreement

On January 3, 2014, in connection with our acquisition of Initio, we entered into a services agreement (the “Flood Employment Agreement”) with Brendan Flood. Pursuant to the Flood Employment Agreement, Mr. Flood initially served as Executive Chairman of the Board. Mr. Flood was initially paid a salary of £192,000 per annum, less statutory deductions, plus other benefits including reimbursement for reasonable expenses, paid vacation and insurance coverage for his roles with both the Company and our U.K. subsidiary. Under the Flood Employment Agreement, Mr. Flood’s salary is required to be adjusted (but not decreased) annually in connection with the CPI Adjustment (as defined in the Flood Employment Agreement). Mr. Flood is also entitled to an annual bonus of up to 50% of his annual base salary based reaching certain financial milestones. Additionally, Mr. Flood was entitled to a gross profit appreciation participation, which entitled the participants to 10% of Initio’s “Excess Gross Profit,” which is defined as the increase in Initio gross profits in excess of 120% of the base year’s gross profit, up to $400,000. Mr. Flood’s participating level was 62.5%. On May 29, 2015, the Gross Profit Appreciation Bonus associated with this employment agreement was converted into 173,230 shares of Series A Preferred Stock. On January 8, 2021, all of his Series A Preferred Stock were converted into 4,504 shares of our common stock.

The Flood Employment Agreement had an initial term of five years and automatically renews thereafter unless 12 months’ written notice is provided by either party. It also includes customary non-compete/solicitation language for a period of 12 months after termination of employment, and in the event of a change in control, we may request that Mr. Flood continue employment with the new control entity. In December 2017, upon the reorganization of the Company and departure of Mr. Briand, Mr. Flood’s title was changed to Chairman and he assumed the roles of Chief Executive Officer and President of the Company. On January 1, 2018 the Company increased his salary by the CPI Adjustment. On January 1, 2019 and on January 1, 2020, Mr. Flood was eligible for a CPI salary adjustment and chose to waive this adjustment. All other terms of the Flood Employment Agreement remained unchanged.

The Viswakula Employment Agreement

We entered into an employment agreement with Sharnika Viswakula that appointed her as our Corporate Controller effective November 7, 2016 (the “Viswakula Employment Agreement”).

Under the terms of the Viswakula Employment Agreement, Ms. Viswakula received an annual base salary of $170,000 and was entitled to receive an annual performance bonus of up to 35% of her base salary based on the achievement of certain performance metrics. In addition, Ms. Viswakula received 4,167 restricted shares, vesting 50% on her 1^st anniversary and 50% on her 2^nd anniversary. Ms. Viswakula was also entitled to reimbursement of certain out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with her services to the Company and to participate in the benefit plans generally made available to other executives of the Company. On December 31, 2019, upon her appointment of Ms. Viswakula as our principal financial officer and principal accounting officer, her salary was increased to $190,000. In addition, on April 20, 2020, her salary was increased to $200,000. On December 15, 2020 Ms. Viswakula, tendered her resignation from all positions with the Company. Upon her resignation, the Viswakula Employment Agreement was terminated.

The Anwar Employment Agreement

We entered into an employment agreement with Khalid Anwar that appointed him as our Senior Vice President, Corporate Finance effective June 29, 2020 (the “Anwar Employment Agreement”).

Under the terms of the Anwar Employment Agreement, Mr. Anwar currently receives an annual base salary of $200,000 and is entitled to receive an annual performance bonus of up to 50% of his base salary based on the achievement of certain performance metrics. The Anwar Employment Agreement will automatically renew for successive one-year terms after the initial employment term unless terminated by either party upon written notice provided not less than three months before the end of the initial term or renewal term. Mr. Anwar is also entitled to reimbursement of certain out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with his services to the Company and to participate in the benefit plans generally made available to other executives of the Company.

In the event Mr. Anwar is terminated without cause or for good reason (as such terms are defined in the Anwar Employment Agreement), he is entitled to receive (subject to certain requirements, including signing a general release of claims) (i) any earned but unpaid base salary and vacation time, as well as unreimbursed expenses, through his termination date and (ii) any earned but unpaid performance bonus. In the event Mr. Anwar is terminated for cause or without good reason, he is only entitled to receive any earned but unpaid base salary and vacation time, as well as unreimbursed expenses, through her termination date.

The Anwar Employment Agreement also contains customary confidentiality, non-solicitation and non-disparagement clause

The Barker Employment Agreement

We entered into an employment agreement with Alicia Barker that appointed her as our Chief Operating Officer effective July 1, 2018 (the “Barker Employment Agreement”). Ms. Barker also serves as a member of our Board and receives stock compensation for her service as a member of the Board.

Under the terms of the Barker Employment Agreement, Ms. Barker currently receives an annual base salary of $250,000 and is entitled to receive an annual performance bonus of up to 75% of her base salary based on the achievement of certain performance metrics. Ms. Barker’s base salary is required to be reviewed by the Board on an annual basis and may be increased, but not decreased, in its sole discretion. Ms. Barker is also entitled to reimbursement of certain out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with her services to the Company and to participate in the benefit plans generally made available to other executives of the Company.

In the event Ms. Barker is terminated without cause or for good reason (as such terms are defined in the Barker Employment Agreement), she is entitled to receive (subject to certain requirements, including signing a general release of claims): (i) any earned but unpaid base salary and vacation time, as well as unreimbursed expenses, through her termination date; (ii) severance pay in an amount equal to 12 months’ base salary; and (iii) any earned but unpaid performance bonus. In the event Ms. Barker is terminated for cause or without good reason, she is only entitled to receive any earned but unpaid base salary and vacation time, as well as unreimbursed expenses, through her termination date.

The Barker Employment Agreement also contains customary confidentiality, non-solicitation and non-disparagement clauses.

Outstanding Equity Awards at January 2, 2021

The following table sets forth information concerning the outstanding equity awards that have been previously awarded to each of the named executive officers for Fiscal 2020.

(1) These options are fully vested, were issued pursuant to the 2014 Equity Incentive Plan and are exercisable for a period of 10 years from the date of grant.

(2) These options are fully vested, were issued pursuant to the 2015 Equity Incentive Plan and are exercisable for a period of 10 years from the date of grant.

(3) These options are fully vested, were issued pursuant to the 2016 Equity Incentive Plan and are exercisable for a period of 10 years from the date of grant.

Compensation of Directors

The following table provides compensation information for Fiscal 2020 for each member of our Board during Fiscal 2020:

(1) The Company accounts for stock-based instruments issued to employees in accordance with ASC Topic 718. The valuation assumptions used in calculating the value of stock awards is set forth in Note 12 to our audited consolidated financial statements included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for Fiscal 2020 and filed with the SEC on April 16, 2021. The Company has issued these shares under its 2015 Omnibus Incentive Plan and 2016 Omnibus Incentive Plan, whereby these shares vest on the third anniversary of the date of grant. A nonemployee who sits on the Board and is compensated by the Company solely for the individual’s role as a director will be treated as an employee under ASC 718.

On January 7, 2020, September 25, 2020 and October 1, 2020, Mr. Villard, Mr. Grout, Mr. Florio and Ms. Barker were each issued 234 shares at $5.10 per share, 467 shares at $3.36 per share and 234 shares at $3.78 per share, respectively.

(2) Mr. Flood does not receive any compensation for his service as a director. For information concerning Mr. Flood’s compensation as our President and Chief Executive Officer, please see “— Compensation of Executive Officers—Summary Compensation Table.” As of January 2, 2021, Mr. Flood had outstanding stock awards of 115,919 shares of common stock and outstanding options representing the right to purchase 3,200 shares of common stock, none of which were received in return for his services as a Board or committee member.

(3) In May 2014, Mr. Villard was named the Chairman of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee and was named as a member of the Audit Committee and of the Compensation and Human Resources Committee. As a member of our Board, Mr. Villard receives an annual payment of $75,000, effective April 1, 2017, payable in monthly installments of $6,250. In addition, for his services as a Board and committee member, Mr. Villard receives 234 shares of restricted common stock per quarter. During Fiscal 2020, Mr. Villard received 933 restricted common shares valued at $3,640 for his services as a Board and committee member. As of January 2, 2021, Mr. Villard had outstanding stock awards of 7,217 shares of common stock and outstanding options representing the right to purchase 167 shares of common stock.

(4) In February 2014, Mr. Grout was named the Chairman of the Compensation and Human Resources Committee and was also named as a member of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. In June 2015, Mr. Grout was also named as a member of the Audit Committee. As a member of our Board, Mr. Grout receives an annual payment of $75,000, effective April 1, 2017, payable in monthly installments of $6,250. In addition, for his services as a Board and committee member, Mr. Grout receives 234 shares of restricted common stock per quarter. During Fiscal 2020 Mr. Grout received 933 restricted common shares valued at $3,640 for his service as a Board and committee member. As of January 2, 2021, Mr. Grout had outstanding stock awards of 7,322 shares of common stock and outstanding options representing the right to purchase 167 shares of common stock.

(5) In May 2014, Mr. Florio was named the Chairman of the Audit Committee and was also named as a member of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee and of the Compensation and Human Resources Committee. As a member of our Board, Mr. Florio receives an annual payment of $75,000, effective April 1, 2017, payable in monthly installments of $6,250. At the request of Mr. Florio, all cash payments, common stock issuances and stock option issuances have been made in the name of Citrin Cooperman & Company, LLP. In addition, for his services as a Board and committee member, Mr. Florio receives 234 shares of restricted common stock per quarter. During Fiscal 2020, Mr. Florio received 933 restricted common shares valued at $3,640 for his services as a Board and committee member. As of January 2, 2021, Mr. Florio, in the name of Citrin Cooperman, had outstanding stock awards of 7,417 shares of common stock and outstanding options representing the right to purchase 167 shares of common stock.

(6) As a non-independent director, Ms. Barker receives equity compensation but is not entitled to cash compensation for services as a director. For her services as a director, Ms. Barker receives 234 shares of restricted common stock per quarter. During Fiscal 2020, Ms. Barker received 933 restricted common shares valued at $3,640 for her services as a Board member. For information concerning Ms. Barker’s compensation as our Chief Operating Officer, please see “Executive and Director Compensation—Summary Compensation Table.” As of January 2, 2021, Ms. Barker had outstanding stock awards of 9,467 shares of common stock and outstanding options representing the right to purchase 0 shares of common stock.

Securities Authorized for Issuance under Equity Compensation Plans

The following table provides information as of January 2, 2021 about the common stock that may be issued upon the exercise of outstanding options, warrants and rights under the Company’s equity compensation plans:

2014 Equity Incentive Plan

On January 28, 2014, our Board adopted the 2014 Equity Incentive Plan (the “2014 Plan”). Under the 2014 Plan, we may grant options to employees, directors, senior management of the Company and, under certain circumstances, consultants. The purpose of the 2014 Plan is to secure and retain the services of the group of persons eligible to receive option awards, to secure and retain the services of new members of this group and to provide incentives for such persons to exert maximum efforts for the success of our Company and its affiliates. A maximum of 8,333 shares of common stock has been reserved for issuance under the 2014 Plan. The 2014 Plan expires on January 28, 2024. As of January 2, 2021, the Company had issued 8,333 options and shares of common stock pursuant to the 2015 Plan and therefore there are no remaining shares eligible to be issued under the 2014 Plan.

The authority to administer the 2014 Plan currently resides with the Compensation and Human Resources Committee. They have the power to determine which persons eligible under the 2014 Plan will be granted option awards.

2015 Omnibus Incentive Plan

On September 23, 2015, our Board adopted the 2015 Omnibus Incentive Plan (the “2015 Plan”). Under the 2015 Plan, the Company may grant options to employees, directors, senior management of the Company and, under certain circumstances, consultants. The purpose of the 2015 Plan is to retain the services of the group of persons eligible to receive option awards, to secure and retain the services of new members of this group and to provide incentives for such persons to exert maximum efforts for the success of the company and its affiliates.

The 2015 Plan provides for an aggregate of 15,000 shares of common stock to be available for awards. The number of shares available for grant pursuant to awards under the 2015 Plan is referred to as the “Available Shares”. If an award is forfeited, canceled, or if any option terminates, expires or lapses without being exercised, the common stock subject to such award will again be made available for future grant. However, shares that are used to pay the exercise price of an option or that are withheld to satisfy the participant’s tax withholding obligation will not be available for re-grant under the 2015 Plan.

The 2015 Plan has a term of ten years and no further awards may be granted under the 2015 Plan after that date. As of January 2, 2021, we had issued 15,000 in options and shares of common stock and had 0 unissued securities remaining under this plan.

2016 Omnibus Incentive Plan

On October 25, 2016, our Board adopted the 2016 Omnibus Incentive Plan (the “2016 Plan”) to, among other things, attract and retain the best available personnel, to provide additional incentive to employees, directors and consultants and to promote the success of the Company’s business. On January 26, 2017, our stockholders approved the 2016 Plan, pursuant to which 83,333 shares of our common stock were reserved for issuance under stock and stock option awards. On May 30, 2018, our stockholders approved an amendment to the 2016 Plan to increase the total number of shares reserved for issuance under the 2016 Plan to 208,333 shares of our common stock. As of January 2, 2021, we had issued 205,713 shares and options to purchase shares of common stock pursuant to the 2016 Plan and therefore have 2,621 shares remaining under the 2016 Plan. The Compensation and Human Resources Committee administers the 2016 Plan. No stock options were granted in Fiscal 2020 and Fiscal 2019.

2019 Performance Unit Grants

In January 2019, the Company’s Board approved the 2019 Performance Unit Grants (the “2019 Performance Grants”).

The Board granted 51,667 units to adequately motivate the participants and drive performance as of January 2, 2021.

Units vest upon the following:

A fair valuation of the 2019 Performance Grants has not been completed; however, it is not expected to be material.

2020 Omnibus Incentive Plan

On June 30, 2020, the Board approved the 2020 Omnibus Incentive Plan (the “2020 Plan”) pursuant to which the Company may grant equity incentive awards to key employees, key contractors, and non-employee directors. The 2020 Plan provides for the granting of incentive stock options, nonqualified stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock, restricted stock units, performance awards, dividend equivalent rights, and other awards, which may be granted singly or in combination, and that may be paid in cash, shares of our common stock, or a combination of cash and common stock. A total of 125,000 shares of common stock are reserved for grant under the 2020 Plan, plus any Prior Plan Awards (as defined in the 2020 Plan), subject to adjustment in certain circumstances to prevent dilution or enlargement. On September 29, 2020, our stockholders approved the 2020 Plan. As of January 2, 2021, we had issued 5,167 shares and options to purchase shares of common stock pursuant to the 2020 Plan, and therefore, there are 119,833 shares remaining under the 2020 Plan. The Compensation and Human Resources Committee administers the 2020 Plan.

SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT

The following table sets forth certain information with respect to the beneficial ownership of our common stock as of the Record Date for: (i) each of our directors; (ii) each of our named executive officers; (iii) all of our directors and executive officers as a group; and (iv) all persons, to our knowledge, that are the beneficial owners of more than 5% of the outstanding shares of our common stock. Beneficial ownership is determined in accordance with the rules of the SEC and includes voting or investment power with respect to the securities.

Except as indicated in footnotes to this table, we believe each person named in this table has sole voting and investment power with respect to the shares of common stock set forth opposite such person’s name. Percentage ownership is based on 11,415,233 shares of common stock outstanding on the Record Date.

* Less than 1%.

(1) Shares of common stock beneficially owned and the respective percentages of beneficial ownership of common stock assume the exercise of all options and other securities convertible into common stock beneficially owned by such person or entity currently exercisable or exercisable within 60 days of the Record Date, except as otherwise noted. Shares issuable pursuant to the exercise of stock options and other securities convertible into common stock exercisable within 60 days are deemed outstanding and held by the holder of such options or other securities for computing the percentage of outstanding common stock beneficially owned by such person, but are not deemed outstanding for computing the percentage of outstanding common stock beneficially owned by any other person.

(2) Includes 115,924 shares of common stock owned (of which 18,464 shares were purchased on the open market) and 3,200 options that are currently exercisable or may be exercised by Mr. Flood within 60 days of August 17, 2021.

(3) Mr. Anwar owns 1,667 shares of common stock.

(4) Includes 925 shares of common stock held personally by Mr. Villard and 6,300 shares held through Byzantine Productions, Inc., for which Mr. Villard is deemed the beneficial owner with sole voting and dispositive power over the securities held by the entity, and Mr. Villard holds options to purchase 166 shares.

(5) Mr. Grout owns 7,323 shares of common stock and holds options to purchase 166 shares of stock.

(6) Includes 700 shares of common stock held personally by Mr. Florio and 6,717 shares of common stock and options to purchase 166 shares of common stock held in the name of Citrin Cooperman for which Mr. Florio is deemed the beneficial owner with sole voting and dispositive power over the securities held by the firm.

(7) Ms. Barker owns 12,800 shares of common stock.

(8) Mr. Cebula owns 0 shares of common stock.

PROPOSAL 1 — DIRECTOR ELECTION PROPOSAL

Overview

Our Board is currently composed of six individuals divided into two classes, as nearly equal as possible, and one non-classified director, as follows:

The term of office for directors in Class I expires at the Annual Meeting. The term of office for directors in Class II expires at the annual meeting of stockholders to occur in calendar year 2022. Non-classified directors are to be elected annually. Accordingly, each of our Class I and non-classified directors are up for election at the Annual Meeting.

In general, a director serves in office until his or her successor is duly elected and qualified unless the director resigns, dies or is unable to serve in the capacity of director due to disability or other cause. If a director resigns or is otherwise unable to serve before the end of his or her term, the Board may appoint a director to fill the remainder of that term, reduce the size of the Board, or leave the position vacant.

Nominee Information and Qualifications

After careful review and consideration, the Board has determined it is in the best interest of the Company to nominate Mr. Cebula as Class I director and to re-nominate each of Mr. Villard and Mr. Florio as Class I directors and Mr. Flood as a non-classified director. Our Board has determined that all of our current directors, including the four nominees for election, possess personal and professional integrity, good judgment, a high level of ability and business acumen. In addition, our Board has determined that each of Mr. Cebula, Mr. Villard and Mr. Florio qualifies as independent directors under applicable Nasdaq and SEC rules. No director nominee is being nominated pursuant to any arrangement or understanding between such nominee and any other person or persons.

The biographies and qualifications of each of our director nominees are set forth under “Governance of the Company — Executive Officers and Directors” herein. For additional information concerning the process of director nominations and the criteria for selection of director nominees, see “Governance of the Company — Director Qualifications and Diversity.”

Each of the director nominees has consented to be named in this proxy statement and agreed to serve as directors if elected by the stockholders. In the event that any nominee to the Board is unable or declines to serve as a director at the time of the Annual Meeting, the proxies will be voted for a nominee who may be designated by the Board to fill the vacancy. Alternatively, the Board may reduce the size of the Board or maintain such vacancy.

Vote Required and Recommendation

The election of our director nominees requires the approval of a majority of the votes validly cast with respect to such nominee. Accordingly, for a nominee to be validly appointed to our Board, the number of shares voted “FOR” that director nominee must exceed the number of votes cast “AGAINST” such director nominee. As a result, abstentions and broker non-votes will have no effect on the outcome of voting with respect to the election of any director.

PROPOSAL 2 — APPROVAL OF THE Staffing 360 Solutions, Inc.

2021 Omnibus Incentive Plan

Our Board is seeking the approval of our stockholders of the Staffing 360 Solutions, Inc. 2021 Omnibus Incentive Plan (the “2021 Plan”), which was adopted by our Board on August 17, 2021 (the “Effective Date”), subject to stockholder approval.

We believe that operation of the 2021 Plan is a necessary and powerful tool in enabling us to attract and retain the best available personnel for positions of substantial responsibility; to provide additional incentive to employees, contractors, and non-employee directors; and to promote the success of our business. The 2021 Plan is expected to provide flexibility to our compensation methods in order to adapt the compensation of employees, contractors, and non-employee directors to a changing business environment, after giving due consideration to competitive conditions and the impact of federal tax laws. We have strived to use our equity incentive plan resources effectively and to maintain an appropriate balance between stockholder interests and the ability to recruit and retain valuable employees, contractors, and non-employee directors. The Board believes there is an insufficient number of shares remaining under our current equity incentive plans, the Staffing 360 Solutions, Inc. 2020 Omnibus Incentive Plan (the “2020 Plan”), and the Staffing 360 Solutions, Inc. 2016 Omnibus Incentive Plan (the “2016 Plan”) to meet our current and projected needs. Therefore, it is the judgment of our Board that it is in the best interest of the Company and its stockholders to approve the 2021 Plan.

Prior Incentive Plans

The 2021 Plan is intended to supplement the 2020 Plan and the 2016 Plan, our current equity incentive plans. If the 2021 Plan is approved by our stockholders, the current number of shares of common stock authorized for issuance under all plans will be 833,334, although only 93,579 shares remain available for issuance under the 2020 Plan.

Description of the 2021 Plan

The following is a summary of the material terms of the 2021 Plan. The full text of the 2021 Plan is attached as Annex A to this proxy statement, and the following summary is qualified in its entirety by reference to the terms of the 2021 Plan. Stockholders are urged to review the 2021 Plan before determining how to vote on this proposal.

Summary of the 2020 Plan

Purpose. The purpose of the 2021 Plan is to enable us to remain competitive and innovative in our ability to attract and retain the services of key employees, key contractors, and non-employee directors of the Company and our subsidiaries. The 2021 Plan provides for the granting of incentive stock options, nonqualified stock options, stock appreciation rights (“SARs”), restricted stock, restricted stock units, performance awards, dividend equivalent rights, and other awards, which may be granted singly or in combination, and that may be paid in cash, shares of our common stock, or a combination of cash and common stock. The 2021 Plan is expected to provide flexibility to our compensation methods in order to adapt the compensation of our key employees, key contractors, and non-employee directors to a changing business environment, after giving due consideration to competitive conditions and the impact of applicable tax laws.

Effective Date and Expiration. The 2021 Plan was approved by our Board on the Effective Date, subject to approval by our stockholders. The 2021 Plan will terminate on the tenth anniversary of the Effective Date, unless earlier terminated by our Board. No award may be granted under the 2021 Plan after its termination date, but awards made prior to the termination date may extend beyond that date in accordance with their terms.

Shares Available. The 2021 Plan provides that the aggregate number of shares of our common stock that may be subject to awards under the 2021 Plan cannot exceed 2,000,000 shares, subject to adjustment in certain circumstances to prevent dilution or enlargement. All of the shares available for issuance as an award under the 2021 Plan may be delivered pursuant to incentive stock options.

Administration. Under the terms of the 2021 Plan, the 2021 Plan will be administered by our Board or such committee of our Board as is designated by it to administer the 2021 Plan (the “Committee”), which, to the extent necessary to satisfy the requirements of Rule 16b-3 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), shall consist entirely of two or more “non-employee directors” as defined in Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act. At any time there is no Committee to administer the 2021 Plan, any reference to the Committee is a reference to our Board. The Committee will determine the persons to whom awards are to be made; determine the type, size, and terms of awards; interpret the 2021 Plan; establish and revise rules and regulations relating to the 2021 Plan and any sub-plans (including sub-plans for awards made to participants who do not reside in the United States); establish performance goals applicable to awards and certify the extent of their achievement; and make any other determinations that it believes are necessary for the administration of the 2021 Plan. The Committee may delegate certain of its duties to one or more of our officers as provided in the 2021 Plan.

Shares to be issued under the 2021 Plan may be made available from authorized but unissued shares of our common stock, common stock held in our treasury, or shares purchased by us on the open market or otherwise. During the term of the 2021 Plan, we will at all times reserve and keep enough shares available to satisfy the requirements of the 2021 Plan. Shares underlying awards granted under the 2021 Plan, the 2020 Plan or the 2016 Plan that expire or are forfeited or terminated without being exercised, or awards that are settled for cash, will again be available for the grant of additional awards within the limits provided by the 2021 Plan. Shares withheld by or delivered to us to satisfy the exercise price of stock options or tax withholding obligations with respect to any award granted under the 2021 Plan will nonetheless be deemed to have been issued under the 2021 Plan and will not again be available for grant under the 2021 Plan. Awards that may be satisfied either by the issuance of common stock or by cash or other consideration shall be counted against the maximum number of shares that may be issued under the 2021 Plan only during the period that the award is outstanding or to the extent the award is ultimately satisfied by the issuance of shares. An award will not reduce the number of shares that may be issued pursuant to the 2021 Plan if the settlement of the award will not require the issuance of shares, such as, for example, SARs that can only be satisfied by the payment of cash. Only shares forfeited back to us or shares cancelled on account of termination, expiration, or lapse of an award shall again be available for grant as incentive stock options under the 2021 Plan, but shall not increase the maximum number of shares that may be delivered pursuant to incentive stock options.

If the 2021 Plan is approved by our stockholders, awards granted under the 2020 Plan and the 2016 Plan will remain in full force and effect under such plan in accordance with the awards’ respective terms.

Eligibility. The 2021 Plan provides for awards to the non-employee directors, officers, employees, and contractors of the Company and our subsidiaries and prospective non-employee directors, officers, employees, and contractors who have accepted offers of employment or service from the Company or our subsidiaries, with such awards being effective upon such individual’s commencement of employment with or service to the Company or our subsidiaries, as applicable. As of the date of this proxy statement, there were four non-employee directors, three Section 16 officers, and approximately 205 other employees eligible to participate in the 2021 Plan. The Company’s current Section 16 executive officers and each member of our Board are among the individuals eligible to receive awards under the 2021 Plan.

Stock Options. Subject to the terms and provisions of the 2021 Plan, options to purchase shares of our common stock may be granted to eligible individuals at any time and from time to time as determined by the Committee. Stock options may be granted as incentive stock options, which are intended to qualify for favorable treatment to the recipient under federal tax law, or as nonqualified stock options, which do not qualify for such favorable tax treatment. Subject to the limits provided in the 2021 Plan, the Committee determines the number of stock options granted to each recipient. Each stock option grant will be evidenced by a stock option agreement that specifies the stock option’s exercise price, whether the stock options are intended to be incentive stock options or nonqualified stock options, the duration of the stock options, the number of shares to which the stock options pertain, and such additional limitations, terms, and conditions as the Committee may determine.

The Committee determines the exercise price for each stock option granted, except that the exercise price may not be less than 100% of the fair market value of a share of our common stock on the date of grant; provided, however, that if an incentive stock option is granted to an employee who owns or is deemed to own more than 10% of the combined voting power of all classes of our common stock (or of any parent or subsidiary), the exercise price must be at least 110% of the fair market value of a share of our common stock on the date of grant. As of August 20, 2021, the fair market value (as that term is defined in the 2021 Plan) of a share of our common stock was $2.04. All stock options granted under the 2021 Plan will expire no later than ten years (or, in the case of an incentive stock option granted to an employee who owns or is deemed to own more than 10% of the combined voting power of all classes of our common stock (or of any parent or subsidiary), five years) from the date of grant. Stock options are nontransferable except by will or by the laws of descent and distribution or, in the case of nonqualified stock options, as otherwise expressly permitted by the Committee. The granting of a stock option does not accord the recipient the rights of a stockholder, and such rights accrue only after the exercise of a stock option and the registration of shares of our common stock in the recipient’s name. No dividend or dividend equivalent rights may be paid or granted with respect to any stock options granted under the 2021 Plan.

Stock Appreciation Rights. The 2021 Plan authorizes the Committee to grant SARs, either as a separate award or in connection with a stock option. A SAR entitles the holder to receive from us, upon exercise, an amount equal to the excess, if any, of the aggregate fair market value of a specified number of shares of our common stock to which such SAR pertains over the aggregate exercise price for the underlying shares. The exercise price of a SAR shall not be less than 100% of the fair market value of a share of our common stock on the date of grant.

Each SAR will be evidenced by an award agreement that specifies the exercise price, the number of shares to which the SAR pertains, and such additional limitations, terms, and conditions as the Committee may determine. We may make payment of the amount to which the participant exercising SARs is entitled by delivering shares of our common stock, cash, or a combination of stock and cash as set forth in the award agreement relating to the SARs. SARs are not transferable except as expressly permitted by the Committee. No dividend or dividend equivalent rights may be paid or granted with respect to any SARs granted under the 2021 Plan.

Restricted Stock. The 2021 Plan provides for the award of shares of our common stock that are subject to forfeiture and restrictions on transferability as set forth in the 2021 Plan, the applicable award agreement, and as may be otherwise determined by the Committee. Except for these restrictions and any others imposed by the Committee, upon the grant of restricted stock, the recipient will have rights of a stockholder with respect to the restricted stock, including the right to vote the restricted stock and to receive all dividends and other distributions paid or made with respect to the restricted stock on such terms as will be set forth in the applicable award agreement; provided, however, such dividends or distributions may be withheld by us for a participant’s account until the restrictions lapse with respect to such restricted stock. During the restriction period set by the Committee, the recipient may not sell, transfer, pledge, exchange, or otherwise encumber the restricted stock.

Restricted Stock Units. The 2021 Plan authorizes the Committee to grant restricted stock units. Restricted stock units are not shares of our common stock and do not entitle the recipients to the rights of a stockholder, although the award agreement may provide for rights with respect to dividends or dividend equivalents. The recipient may not sell, transfer, pledge, or otherwise encumber restricted stock units granted under the 2021 Plan prior to their vesting. Restricted stock units will be settled in shares of our common stock, in an amount based on the fair market value of our common stock on the settlement date. If the right to receive dividends on restricted stock units is awarded, then such dividends may be withheld by us for a participant’s account until the restrictions lapse with respect to such restricted stock units.

Dividend Equivalent Rights. The Committee may grant a dividend equivalent right either as a component of another award or as a separate award. The terms and conditions of the dividend equivalent right will be specified by the grant and, when granted as a component of another award, may have terms and conditions different from such other award; provided, however, that (i) any dividend equivalent rights with respect to such other award may be withheld by us for a participant’s account until such other award is vested, subject to such terms as determined by the Committee; and (ii) such dividend equivalent rights so withheld and attributable to another award will be distributed to such participant in cash or, at the discretion of the Committee, in common stock having a fair market value equal to the amount of such dividend equivalent rights, if applicable, upon vesting of the other award and, if such other award is forfeited, the right to dividend equivalent rights attributable to such forfeited award also will be forfeited. No dividend equivalent rights may be paid or granted with respect to any stock option or SAR. Dividend equivalent rights granted as a separate award also may be paid currently or may be deemed to be reinvested in additional common stock. Any such reinvestment will be at the fair market value at the time thereof. Dividend equivalent rights may be settled in cash or common stock.

Performance Awards. The Committee may grant performance awards payable at the end of a specified performance period in cash, shares of common stock, or other rights based upon, payable in, or otherwise related to our common stock. Payment will be contingent upon achieving pre-established performance goals (as described below) by the end of the applicable performance period. The Committee will determine the length of the performance period, the maximum payment value of an award, and the minimum performance goals required before payment will be made, so long as such provisions are not inconsistent with the terms of the 2021 Plan, and to the extent an award is subject to Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), are in compliance with the applicable requirements of Section 409A of the Code and any applicable regulations or authoritative guidance issued thereunder. In certain circumstances, the Committee may, in its discretion, determine that the amount payable with respect to certain performance awards will be reduced from the maximum amount of any potential awards. If the Committee determines, in its sole discretion, that the established performance measures or objectives are no longer suitable because of a change in our business, operations, corporate structure, or for other reasons that the Committee deems satisfactory, the Committee may modify the performance measures or objectives and/or the performance period.

Performance Goals. The 2021 Plan provides that performance goals may be established by the Committee in connection with the grant of any award under the 2021 Plan. Such goals shall be based on the attainment of specified levels of one or more business criteria, which may include, without limitation: cash flow; cost; revenues; sales; ratio of debt to debt plus equity; net borrowing, credit quality or debt ratings; profit before tax; economic profit; earnings before interest and taxes; earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization; gross margin; earnings per share (whether on a pre-tax, after-tax, operational or other basis); operating earnings; capital expenditures; expenses or expense levels; economic value added; ratio of operating earnings to capital spending or any other operating ratios; free cash flow; net profit; net sales; net asset value per share; the accomplishment of mergers, acquisitions, dispositions, public offerings or similar extraordinary business transactions; sales growth; price of our common stock; return on assets, equity or stockholders’ equity; market share; inventory management, inventory turn or shrinkage; employee retention; safety standards; service or product delivery or quality; or total return to stockholders, in each case with respect to the Company or any one or more of our subsidiaries, divisions, business units, or business segments, either in absolute terms or relative to the performance of one or more other companies (including an index covering multiple companies).

Other Awards. The Committee may grant other forms of awards, based upon, payable in, or that otherwise relate to, in whole or in part, shares of our common stock, if the Committee determines that such other form of award is consistent with the purpose and restrictions of the 2021 Plan. The terms and conditions of such other form of award shall be specified in the grant. Such other awards may be granted for no cash consideration, for such minimum consideration as may be required by applicable law, or for such other consideration as may be specified in the grant.

Vesting of Awards; Forfeiture; Assignment. Except as otherwise provided below, the Committee, in its sole discretion, may determine that an award will be immediately vested, in whole or in part, or that all or any portion may not be vested until a date, or dates, subsequent to its date of grant, or until the occurrence of one or more specified events, subject in any case to the terms of the 2021 Plan.

The Committee may impose on any award, at the time of grant or thereafter, such additional terms and conditions as the Committee determines, including terms requiring forfeiture of awards in the event of a participant’s termination of service. The Committee will specify the circumstances under which performance awards may be forfeited in the event of a termination of service by a participant prior to the end of a performance period or settlement of awards. Except as otherwise determined by the Committee, restricted stock will be forfeited upon a participant’s termination of service during the applicable restriction period.

Awards granted under the 2021 Plan generally are not assignable or transferable except by will or by the laws of descent and distribution, except that the Committee may, in its discretion and pursuant to the terms of an award agreement, permit transfers of nonqualified stock options or SARs to: (i) the spouse (or former spouse), children, or grandchildren of the participant (“Immediate Family Members”); (ii) a trust or trusts for the exclusive benefit of such Immediate Family Members; (iii) a partnership in which the only partners are (a) such Immediate Family Members and/or (b) entities that are controlled by the participant and/or his or her Immediate Family Members; (iv) an entity exempt from federal income tax pursuant to Section 501(c)(3) of the Code or any successor provision; or (v) a split interest trust or pooled income fund described in Section 2522(c)(2) of the Code or any successor provision, provided that (x) there shall be no consideration for any such transfer, (y) the applicable award agreement pursuant to which such nonqualified stock options or SARs are granted must be approved by the Committee and must expressly provide for such transferability, and (z) subsequent transfers of transferred nonqualified stock options or SARs shall be prohibited except those by will or the laws of descent and distribution.

Change in Control. In connection with a change in control, outstanding awards may be converted into new awards, exchanged or substituted for with new awards, or canceled for no consideration, provided participants were given notice and an opportunity to purchase or exercise such awards, or cancelled and cashed out based on the positive difference between the per share amount to be received in connection with the transaction and the purchase/exercise price per share of the award, if any. The description of a change in control and its effects on awards granted under the 2021 Plan is qualified in its entirety by reference to the relevant terms and provisions of the 2021 Plan, which is attached as Annex A to this proxy statement.

Recoupment for Restatements. To the extent set forth in the award agreement, the Company may recoup all or any portion of any shares of our common stock or cash paid to a participant in connection with an award, in the event of a restatement of our financial statements as set forth in our clawback policy as may be in effect from time to time.

Adjustments Upon Changes in Capitalization. In the event that any dividend or other distribution (whether in the form of cash, shares of our common stock, other securities, or other property), recapitalization, stock split, reverse stock split, rights offering, reorganization, merger, consolidation, split-up, spin-off, split-off, combination, subdivision, repurchase, or exchange of shares of our common stock or other securities, issuance of warrants or other rights to purchase shares of our common stock or other securities, or other similar corporate transaction or event affects the fair market value of an award, the Committee shall adjust any or all of the following so that the fair market value of the award immediately after the transaction or event is equal to the fair market value of the award immediately prior to the transaction or event: (i) the number of shares and type of common stock (or other securities or property) that thereafter may be made the subject of awards; (ii) the number of shares and type of common stock (or other securities or property) subject to outstanding awards; (iii) the exercise price of each outstanding stock option; (iv) the amount, if any, we pay for forfeited shares in accordance with the terms of the 2021 Plan; and (v) the number of or exercise price of shares then subject to outstanding SARs previously granted and unexercised under the 2021 Plan, to the extent that the same proportion of our issued and outstanding shares of common stock in each instance shall remain subject to exercise at the same aggregate exercise price; provided, however, that the number of shares of common stock (or other securities or property) subject to any award shall always be a whole number. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no such adjustment shall be made or authorized to the extent that such adjustment would cause the 2021 Plan or any stock option to violate Section 422 of the Code or Section 409A of the Code. All such adjustments must be made in accordance with the rules of any securities exchange, stock market, or stock quotation system to which we are subject.

Repricing of Stock Options or SARs. The Committee may “reprice” any stock option or SAR; provided, however, that the repricing of any Stock Option or SAR shall not be permitted without stockholder approval to the extent stockholder approval is required either by (i) any securities exchange or inter-dealer quotation system on which the Common Stock is listed or traded or (ii) applicable law. For purposes of the 2021 Plan, “reprice” means any of the following or any other action that has the same effect: (a) amending a stock option or SAR to reduce its exercise price; (b) canceling a stock option or SAR at a time when its exercise price exceeds the fair market value of a share of our common stock in exchange for cash or a stock option, SAR, award of restricted stock, or other equity award; or (c) taking any other action that is treated as a repricing under generally accepted accounting principles, provided that nothing will prevent the Committee from (x) making adjustments to awards upon changes in capitalization, (y) exchanging or cancelling awards upon a merger, consolidation, or recapitalization, or (z) substituting awards for awards granted by other entities, to the extent permitted by the 2021 Plan.

Federal Income Tax Consequences

The following is a brief summary of certain federal income tax consequences relating to the transactions described under the 2021 Plan as set forth below. This summary does not purport to address all aspects of federal income taxation and does not describe any potential state, local, or foreign tax consequences. This discussion is based upon provisions of the Code and the applicable Treasury Regulations issued thereunder, as well as judicial and administrative interpretations under the Code and Treasury Regulations, all as in effect as of the date hereof, and all of which are subject to change (possibly on a retroactive basis) or different interpretation.

Law Affecting Deferred Compensation. In 2004, Section 409A was added to the Code to regulate all types of deferred compensation. If the requirements of Section 409A of the Code are not satisfied, deferred compensation and earnings thereon will be subject to tax as it vests, plus (i) an interest charge at the then-current underpayment rate plus 1% and (ii) a 20% penalty tax. Certain performance awards, stock options, SARs, restricted stock units, and certain types of restricted stock are subject to Section 409A of the Code.

Incentive Stock Options. A participant will not recognize income at the time an incentive stock option is granted. When a participant exercises an incentive stock option, a participant also generally will not be required to recognize income (either as ordinary income or capital gain). However, to the extent that the fair market value (determined as of the date of grant) of the shares with respect to which the participant’s incentive stock options are exercisable for the first time during any year exceeds $100,000, the incentive stock options for the shares over $100,000 will be treated as nonqualified stock options, and not incentive stock options, for federal tax purposes, and the participant will recognize income as if the incentive stock options were nonqualified stock options (discussed below). In addition to the foregoing, if the fair market value of the shares received upon exercise of an incentive stock option exceeds the exercise price, then the excess may be deemed a tax preference adjustment for purposes of the federal alternative minimum tax calculation. The federal alternative minimum tax may produce significant tax repercussions depending upon the participant’s particular tax status.

The tax treatment of any shares acquired by exercise of an incentive stock option will depend upon whether the participant disposes of his or her shares prior to the later of: (i) two years after the date the incentive stock option was granted and (ii) one year after the shares were transferred to the participant (referred to as, the “Holding Period”). If a participant disposes of shares acquired by exercise of an incentive stock option after the expiration of the Holding Period, any amount received in excess of the participant’s tax basis for such shares will be treated as a short-term or long-term capital gain, depending upon how long the participant has held the shares. If the amount received is less than the participant’s tax basis for such shares, the loss will be treated as a short-term or long-term capital loss, depending upon how long the participant has held the shares. If the participant disposes of shares acquired by exercise of an incentive stock option prior to the expiration of the Holding Period, the disposition will be considered a “disqualifying disposition.” If the amount received for the shares is greater than the fair market value of the shares on the exercise date, then the difference between the incentive stock option’s exercise price and the fair market value of the shares at the time of exercise will be treated as ordinary income for the tax year in which the disqualifying disposition occurs. The participant’s basis in the shares will be increased by an amount equal to the amount treated as ordinary income due to such disqualifying disposition. In addition, the amount received in such disqualifying disposition over the participant’s increased basis in the shares will be treated as capital gain. However, if the price received for shares acquired by exercise of an incentive stock option is less than the fair market value of the shares on the exercise date and the disposition is a transaction in which the participant sustains a loss that otherwise would be recognizable under the Code, then the amount of ordinary income that the participant will recognize is the excess, if any, of the amount realized on the disqualifying disposition over the basis in the shares.

Nonqualified Stock Options. A participant generally will not recognize income at the time a nonqualified stock option is granted. When a participant exercises a nonqualified stock option, the difference between the exercise price and any higher market value of the shares of common stock on the date of exercise will be treated as compensation taxable as ordinary income to the participant. The participant’s tax basis for the shares acquired under a nonqualified stock option will be equal to the exercise price paid for such shares, plus any amounts included in the participant’s taxable income as compensation. When a participant disposes of shares acquired by exercise of a nonqualified stock option, any amount received in excess of the participant’s tax basis for such shares will be treated as short-term or long-term capital gain, depending upon how long the participant has held the shares. If the amount received is less than the participant’s tax basis for such shares, the loss will be treated as a short-term or long-term capital loss, depending upon how long the participant has held the shares.

Special Rule if Exercise price is Paid for in Shares. If a participant pays the exercise price of a nonqualified stock option with previously-owned shares of our common stock and the transaction is not a disqualifying disposition of shares previously acquired under an incentive stock option, the shares received equal to the number of shares surrendered are treated as having been received in a tax-free exchange. The participant’s tax basis and holding period for these shares received will be equal to the participant’s tax basis and holding period for the shares surrendered. The number of shares received in excess of the number of shares surrendered will be treated as compensation taxable as ordinary income to the participant to the extent of their fair market value. The participant’s tax basis in these shares will be equal to their fair market value on the date of exercise, and the participant’s holding period for such shares will begin on the date of exercise.

If the use of previously acquired shares to pay the exercise price of a nonqualified stock option constitutes a disqualifying disposition of shares previously acquired under an incentive stock option, the participant will have ordinary income as a result of the disqualifying disposition in an amount equal to the excess of the fair market value of the shares surrendered, determined at the time such shares were originally acquired upon exercise of the incentive stock option, over the aggregate exercise price paid for such shares. As discussed above, a disqualifying disposition of shares previously acquired under an incentive stock option occurs when the participant disposes of such shares before the end of the Holding Period. The other tax results from paying the exercise price with previously-owned shares are as described above, except that the participant’s tax basis in the shares that are treated as having been received in a tax-free exchange will be increased by the amount of ordinary income recognized by the participant as a result of the disqualifying disposition.

Restricted Stock. A participant who receives restricted stock generally will recognize as ordinary income the excess, if any, of the fair market value of the shares granted as restricted stock at such time as the shares are no longer subject to forfeiture or restrictions, over the amount paid, if any, by the participant for such shares. However, a participant who receives unvested restricted stock may make an election under Section 83(b) of the Code within 30 days of the date of transfer of the shares to recognize ordinary income on the date of transfer of the shares equal to the excess of the fair market value of such shares (determined without regard to the restrictions on such shares) over the purchase price, if any, paid for such shares. If a participant does not make an election under Section 83(b) of the Code, then the participant will recognize as ordinary income any dividends received with respect to such shares. At the time of the sale of such shares, any gain or loss realized by the participant will be treated as either short-term or long-term capital gain or loss depending upon how long the participant has held the shares. For purposes of determining any gain or loss realized, the participant’s tax basis will be the amount previously taxable as ordinary income, plus the purchase price paid by the participant, if any, for such shares.

Stock Appreciation Rights. Generally, a participant who receives a stand-alone SAR will not recognize taxable income at the time the stand-alone SAR is granted, provided that the SAR is exempt from or complies with Section 409A of the Code. If an individual receives the appreciation inherent in the SARs in cash, the cash will be taxed as ordinary income to the recipient at the time it is received. If a recipient receives the appreciation inherent in the SARs in stock, the spread between the then-current market value and the grant price, if any, will be taxed as ordinary income to the participant at the time it is received.

Other Awards. In the case of an award of restricted stock units, performance awards, dividend equivalent rights, or other stock-based or cash awards, the recipient will generally recognize ordinary income in an amount equal to any cash received and the fair market value of any shares received on the date of payment or delivery, provided that the award is exempt from or complies with Section 409A of the Code.

Federal Tax Withholding. Any ordinary income realized by a participant upon the granting, vesting, exercise, or conversion of an award under the 2020 Plan, as applicable, is subject to withholding of federal, state, and local income tax and to withholding of the participant’s share of tax under the Federal Insurance Contribution Act and the Federal Unemployment Tax Act. To satisfy our federal income tax withholding requirements, we (or, if applicable, any of our subsidiaries) will have the right to require, as a condition to delivery of any certificate for shares of our common stock or the registration of the shares in the participant’s name, that the participant remit to us an amount sufficient to satisfy the withholding requirements. Alternatively, we may withhold a portion of the shares (valued at fair market value) that otherwise would be issued to the participant to satisfy all or part of the withholding tax obligations or may, if we consent, accept delivery of shares (that the participant has not acquired from us within six months prior to the date of exercise) with an aggregate fair market value that equals or exceeds the required tax withholding payment. Withholding does not represent an increase in the participant’s total income tax obligation because it is fully credited toward his or her tax liability for the year. Additionally, withholding does not affect the participant’s tax basis in the shares. Compensation income realized and tax withheld will be reflected on Forms W-2 supplied by us to employees no later than January 31 of the succeeding year. Deferred compensation that is subject to Section 409A of the Code will also be subject to certain federal income tax withholding and reporting requirements.

Tax Consequences to Us. To the extent a participant recognizes ordinary income in the circumstances described above, we will be entitled to a corresponding deduction, provided that, among other things, the income meets the test of reasonableness, is an ordinary and necessary business expense, is not an “excess parachute payment” within the meaning of Section 280G of the Code, and is not disallowed by the $1,000,000 limitation on certain executive compensation under Section 162(m) of the Code.

Million Dollar Deduction Limit and Other Tax Matters. We may not deduct compensation of more than $1,000,000 that is paid to “covered employees” (as defined in Section 162(m) of the Code), which include (i) an individual (or, in certain circumstances, his or her beneficiaries) who, at any time during the taxable year, is either our principal executive officer or principal financial officer; (ii) an individual who is among our three highest compensated officers for the taxable year (other than an individual who was either our principal executive officer or principal financial officer at any time during the taxable year); or (iii) anyone who was a covered employee for purposes of Section 162(m) of the Code for any tax year beginning on or after January 1, 2017. This limitation on deductions (x) only applies to compensation paid by a publicly-traded corporation (and not compensation paid by non-corporate entities) and (z) may not apply to certain types of compensation, such as qualified performance-based compensation that is payable pursuant to a written, binding contract that was in effect as of November 2, 2017, so long as the contract is not materially modified after that date.

If an individual’s rights under the 2021 Plan are accelerated as a result of a change in control and the individual is a “disqualified individual” under Section 280G of the Code, the value of any such accelerated rights received by such individual may be included in determining whether such individual has received an “excess parachute payment” under Section 280G of the Code, which could result in (i) the imposition of a 20% federal excise tax (in addition to federal income and employment taxes, if applicable) payable by the individual on the value of such accelerated rights and (ii) the loss by us of a corresponding compensation deduction.

The foregoing general tax discussion is intended for the information of stockholders considering how to vote with respect to this proposal and not as tax guidance to participants in the 2021 Plan. Participants are strongly urged to consult their own tax advisors regarding the federal, state, local, foreign, and any other tax consequences to them by participating in the 2021 Plan.

Interest of Directors and Executive Officers.

All members of our Board and all of our executive officers are eligible for awards under the 2021 Plan and, thus, have a personal interest in the approval of the 2021 Plan.

New Plan Benefits

We cannot currently determine the benefits or number of shares subject to awards that may be granted in the future to eligible participants under the 2021 Plan because the grant of awards and the terms of such awards are to be determined in the sole discretion of the Committee at the time of grant.

The fair market value of our common stock is $2.04 per share based on the closing price of our common stock on August 20, 2021.

Required Vote

The affirmative vote of a majority of the shares represented in person in person or by proxy and entitled to vote thereon at the Annual Meeting is required to approve the adoption of the 2021 Plan, provided that a quorum is present at the Annual Meeting. Abstentions will have the effect of a vote against this proposal. Broker non-votes will have no effect on the outcome of voting with respect to this proposal.

PROPOSAL 3 – AUDITOR RATIFICATION PROPOSAL

Overview

The Audit Committee of the Board has selected BDO USA, LLP (“BDO”) as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending January 1, 2022, and the Board has directed that management submit the selection of independent registered public accountant for ratification by the stockholders at the Annual Meeting. A representative of BDO is expected to be present at the meeting, will have the opportunity to make a statement if he or she desires to do so, and is expected to be available to respond to appropriate questions.

Stockholder ratification of the appointment of BDO is not required by our bylaws or other applicable legal requirements. However, the Board is submitting the selection of BDO to the Company’s stockholders for ratification as a matter of good corporate practice. In the event that the selection of an independent registered public accounting firm is not ratified by the requisite vote of our stockholders, the appointment of the independent registered public accounting firm is expected to be reconsidered by the Audit Committee. Even if the selection is ratified, the Audit Committee in its discretion may direct the appointment of a different accounting firm at any time during the year if the Audit Committee determines that such a change would be in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders.

Principal Accounting Fees and Services

The aggregate fees billed for our 2020 and 2019 fiscal years for professional services rendered by BDO are set forth below.

Audit Fees represents fees for professional services necessary to perform an annual audit of the financial statements, review of quarterly reports and other services required to be performed by our independent auditors.

Audit-Related Fees, if incurred, represents fees for services that are reasonably related to the performance of the audit or review of our financial statements including the support of business acquisition and divestiture activities, independent assessment of controls related to outsourcing services, audit and review of certain benefit-related programs.

Tax Fees represents fees for tax compliance, tax planning, and tax advice. Corporate tax services encompass a variety of permissible services, including technical tax advice related to United States and international tax matters, assistance with foreign income and withholding tax matters, assistance with sales tax, value added tax and equivalent tax related matters in local jurisdictions, preparation of reports to comply with local tax authority transfer pricing documentation requirements, and assistance with tax audits.

Other Fees represents fees for financial statement audits of acquired and targeted companies as well as review of registration statements.

Pre-Approval Policies and Procedure for Audit Services

Our Audit Committee has developed policies and procedures regarding the approval of all services that are to be rendered by our independent registered public accounting firm, as permitted under applicable laws, and the corresponding fees for such services. Consistent with these policies and procedures, all audit services and non-audit services and all fees associated with such services performed by our independent registered public accounting firm in fiscal years 2020 and 2019 were pre-approved by Audit Committee.

Vote Required and Recommendation

The approval of the Auditor Ratification Proposal requires the vote of a majority of the shares represented in person or by proxy and entitled to vote on the Auditor Ratification Proposal at the Annual Meeting. Abstentions will have the effect of a vote against the Auditor Ratification Proposal. Broker non-votes are not applicable to the Auditor Ratification Proposal because your broker has discretionary authority to vote your shares of common stock with respect to such proposal.

REPORT OF THE AUDIT COMMITTEE

The following Report of the Audit Committee shall not be deemed to be soliciting material or to be filed with the SEC, nor shall such information be incorporated by reference into any of our filings under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), or the Exchange Act, except to the extent we specifically incorporate it by reference therein.

The Audit Committee of the Board has:

In reliance on the review and discussions referred to above, the Audit Committee recommended to the Board that the financial statements audited by BDO for the fiscal year ended January 2, 2021 be included in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for such fiscal year.

Audit Committee:

Nicholas Florio (Chairman)

Dimitri Villard

Jeff Grout

Vincent Cebula

SUBMISSION OF FUTURE STOCKHOLDER PROPOSALS

Pursuant to Rule 14a-8 under the Exchange Act, a stockholder proposal submitted for inclusion in our proxy statement for the 2022 annual meeting must be received no later than April 25, 2022. However, pursuant to such rule, if the 2022 annual meeting is held on a date that is before August 31, 2022 or after October 30, 2022, then a stockholder proposal submitted for inclusion in our proxy statement for the 2022 annual meeting must be received by us a reasonable time before we begin to print and mail our proxy statement for the 2022 annual meeting. Stockholder proposals should be addressed to the Corporation at 641 Lexington Avenue, Suite 2701, New York NY 10022.

Proposals submitted outside Rule 14a-8 of the Exchange Act must comply with our bylaws. To be timely in connection with our next annual meeting, a stockholder proposal concerning director nominations or other business must be received by the Company at its principal executive offices between June 2, 2022 and July 2, 2022; provided, however, if and only if the 2022 annual meeting is scheduled to be held before August 31, 2022 or after December 9, 2022, such stockholder’s notice must be delivered not earlier than 120 days prior to the date of the 2022 annual meeting and not later than the later of (A) the tenth day following the date of the public announcement of the date of the 2022 annual meeting or (B) the date which is 90 days prior to the date of the 2022 annual meeting. Recommendations from stockholders which are received after the applicable deadline likely will not be considered timely for consideration by our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee for next year’s annual meeting.

OTHER MATTERS

The Board does not intend to bring any other matters before the Annual Meeting and has no reason to believe any other matters will be presented. If other matters properly do come before the Annual Meeting, however, it is the intention of the persons named as proxy agents in the enclosed proxy card to vote on such matters as recommended by the Board, or if no recommendation is given, in their own discretion.

Our financial statements for Fiscal 2020 are included in our 2020 Annual Report. This proxy statement and our 2020 Annual Report are posted on the Investor Relations section of our website at https://www.staffing360solutions.com/investors/links-1/financial-reports and are available from the SEC at its website at www.sec.gov. You may also obtain a copy of our annual report without charge by sending a written request to Staffing 360 Solutions, Inc., 641 Lexington Avenue, Suite 2701, New York NY 10022.

APPENDIX A

STAFFING 360 SOLUTIONS, INC.
2021 OMNIBUS INCENTIVE PLAN

The Staffing 360 Solutions, Inc. 2021 Omnibus Incentive Plan (the “Plan”) was adopted by the Board of Directors of Staffing 360 Solutions, Inc. a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), effective as of August 17, 2021 (the “Effective Date”), subject to approval by the Company’s stockholders.

Article 1.
PURPOSE

The purpose of the Plan is to attract and retain the services of key Employees, key Contractors, and Outside Directors of the Company and its Subsidiaries and to provide such persons with a proprietary interest in the Company through the granting of Incentive Stock Options, Nonqualified Stock Options, Stock Appreciation Rights, Restricted Stock, Restricted Stock Units, Performance Awards, Dividend Equivalent Rights, and Other Awards, whether granted singly, or in combination, or in tandem, that will:

(a)                 increase the interest of such persons in the Company’s welfare;

(b)                furnish an incentive to such persons to continue their services for the Company or its Subsidiaries; and

(c)                 provide a means through which the Company may attract able persons as Employees, Contractors, and Outside Directors.

 With respect to Reporting Participants, the Plan and all transactions under the Plan are intended to comply with all applicable conditions of Rule 16b-3 promulgated under the Exchange Act. To the extent any provision of the Plan or action by the Committee fails to so comply, such provision or action shall be deemed null and void ab initio, to the extent permitted by law and deemed advisable by the Committee.

Article 2.
DEFINITIONS

For the purpose of the Plan, unless the context requires otherwise, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:

2.1       “Applicable Law” means all legal requirements relating to the administration of equity incentive plans and the issuance and distribution of shares of Common Stock, if any, under applicable corporate laws, applicable securities laws, the rules of any exchange or inter-dealer quotation system upon which the Company’s securities are listed or quoted, the rules of any foreign jurisdiction applicable to Incentives granted to residents therein, and any other applicable law, rule or restriction.

2.2       “Authorized Officer” is defined in Section 3.2(b) hereof.

2.3       “Award” means the grant of any Incentive Stock Option, Nonqualified Stock Option, Restricted Stock, SAR, Restricted Stock Unit, Performance Award, Dividend Equivalent Right or Other Award, whether granted singly or in combination or in tandem (each individually referred to herein as an “Incentive”).

2.4       “Award Agreement” means a written agreement between a Participant and the Company which sets out the terms of the grant of an Award.

2.5       “Award Period” means the period set forth in the Award Agreement during which one or more Incentives granted under an Award may be exercised.

2.6       “Board” means the board of directors of the Company.

2.7       “Change in Control” means (a) an acquisition (whether directly from the Company or otherwise) of any voting securities of the Company (the “Voting Securities”) by any “Person” (as the term person is used for purposes of Section 13(d) or 14(d) of the Exchange Act, immediately after which such Person has “Beneficial Ownership” (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 promulgated under the Exchange Act) of more than fifty percent (50%) of the combined voting power of the Company’s then outstanding Voting Securities; (b) the individuals who constitute the members of the Board cease, by reason of a financing, merger, combination, acquisition, takeover, or other non-ordinary course transaction affecting the Company, to constitute at least fifty-one percent (51%) of the members of the Board; or (c) approval by the Board and, if required, stockholders of the Company of, or execution by the Company of any definitive agreement with respect to, or the consummation of (it being understood that the mere execution of a term sheet, memorandum of understanding, or other non-binding document shall not constitute a Change of Control): (i) a merger, consolidation or reorganization involving the Company, where either or both of the events described in clauses (a) or (b) above would be the result, (ii) a liquidation or dissolution of or appointment of a receiver, rehabilitator, conservator or similar person for, or the filing by a third party of an involuntary bankruptcy against, the Company; provided, however, that to the extent necessary to comply with Section 409A of the Code, the occurrence of an event described in this subsection (ii) shall not trigger the settlement or payment of any Award granted under this Plan that constitutes non-exempt “deferred compensation” for purposes of Section 409A of the Code, and (iii) an agreement for the sale or other disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company to any Person (other than a transfer to a subsidiary of the Company).

Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section 2.7, if an Award issued under the Plan is subject to Section 409A of the Code, then an event shall not constitute a Change in Control for purposes of such Award under the Plan unless such event also constitutes a change in the Company’s ownership, its effective control or the ownership of a substantial portion of its assets within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code.

2.8       “Claim” means any claim, liability or obligation of any nature, arising out of or relating to this Plan or an alleged breach of this Plan or an Award Agreement.

2.9       “Code” means the United States Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.

2.10       “Committee” means the committee appointed or designated by the Board to administer the Plan in accordance with Article 3 of this Plan.

2.11       “Common Stock” means the common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, which the Company is currently authorized to issue or may in the future be authorized to issue, or any securities into which or for which the common stock of the Company may be converted or exchanged, as the case may be, pursuant to the terms of this Plan.

2.12       “Company” means Staffing 360 Solutions, Inc., a Delaware corporation, and any successor entity.

2.13       “Contractor” means any natural person, who is not an Employee, rendering bona fide services to the Company or a Subsidiary, with compensation, pursuant to a written independent contractor agreement between such person and the Company or a Subsidiary, provided that such services are not rendered in connection with the offer or sale of securities in a capital raising transaction and do not directly or indirectly promote or maintain a market for the Company’s securities.

2.14       “Corporation” means any entity that (a) is defined as a corporation under Section 7701 of the Code and (b) is the Company or is in an unbroken chain of corporations (other than the Company) beginning with the Company, if each of the corporations other than the last corporation in the unbroken chain owns stock possessing a majority of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock in one of the other corporations in the chain. For purposes of clause (b) hereof, an entity shall be treated as a “corporation” if it satisfies the definition of a corporation under Section 7701 of the Code.

2.15       “Date of Grant” means the effective date on which an Award is made to a Participant as set forth in the applicable Award Agreement; provided, however, that solely for purposes of Section 16 of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, the Date of Grant of an Award shall be the date of stockholder approval of the Plan if such date is later than the effective date of such Award as set forth in the Award Agreement.

2.16       “Dividend Equivalent Right” means the right of the holder thereof to receive credits based on the cash dividends that would have been paid on the shares of Common Stock specified in the Award if such shares were held by the Participant to whom the Award is made.

2.17       “Employee” means a common law employee (as defined in accordance with the Regulations and Revenue Rulings then applicable under Section 3401(c) of the Code) of the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company; provided, however, in the case of individuals whose employment status, by virtue of their employer or residence, is not determined under Section 3401(c) of the Code, “Employee” shall mean an individual treated as an employee for local payroll tax or employment purposes by the applicable employer under Applicable Law for the relevant period.

2.18       “Exchange Act” means the United States Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

2.19       “Executive Officer” means an officer of the Company or a Subsidiary subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act.

2.20       “Exercise Date” is defined in Section 8.3(b) hereof.

2.21       “Exercise Notice” is defined in Section 8.3(b) hereof.

2.22       “Fair Market Value” means, as of a particular date, (a) if the shares of Common Stock are listed on any established national securities exchange, the closing sales price per share of Common Stock on the consolidated transaction reporting system for the principal securities exchange for the Common Stock on that date (as determined by the Committee, in its discretion), or, if there shall have been no such sale so reported on that date, on the last preceding date on which such a sale was so reported; (b) if the shares of Common Stock are not so listed, but are quoted on an automated quotation system, the closing sales price per share of Common Stock reported on the automated quotation system on that date, or, if there shall have been no such sale so reported on that date, on the last preceding date on which such a sale was so reported; (c) if the Common Stock is not so listed or quoted, the mean between the closing bid and asked price on that date, or, if there are no quotations available for such date, on the last preceding date on which such quotations shall be available, as reported by the National Association of Securities Dealer, Inc.’s OTC Bulletin Board or the Pink OTC Markets, Inc. (previously known as the National Quotation Bureau, Inc.); or (d) if none of the above is applicable, such amount as may be determined by the Board (acting on the advice of an Independent Third Party, should the Board elect in its sole discretion to utilize an Independent Third Party for this purpose), in good faith, to be the fair market value per share of Common Stock. The determination of Fair Market Value shall, where applicable, be in compliance with Section 409A of the Code.

2.23       “Immediate Family Members” is defined in Section 15.8 hereof.

2.24       “Incentive” is defined in Section 2.3 hereof.

2.25       “Incentive Stock Option” means an incentive stock option within the meaning of Section 422 of the Code, granted pursuant to this Plan.

2.26       “Independent Third Party” means an individual or entity independent of the Company having experience in providing investment banking or similar appraisal or valuation services and with expertise generally in the valuation of securities or other property for purposes of this Plan. The Board may utilize one or more Independent Third Parties.

2.27       “Nonqualified Stock Option” means a nonqualified stock option, granted pursuant to this Plan, which is not an Incentive Stock Option.

2.28       “Option Price” means the price which must be paid by a Participant upon exercise of a Stock Option to purchase a share of Common Stock.

2.29       “Other Award” means an Award issued pursuant to Section 6.9 hereof.

2.30       “Outside Director” means a director of the Company who is not an Employee or a Contractor.

2.31       “Participant” means an Employee, Contractor or an Outside Director to whom an Award is granted under this Plan.

2.32       “Performance Award” means an Award hereunder of cash, shares of Common Stock, units or rights based upon, payable in, or otherwise related to, Common Stock pursuant to Section 6.7 hereof.

2.33       “Performance Goal” means any of the Performance Criteria set forth in Section 6.10 hereof.

2.34       “Plan” means this Staffing 360 Solutions, Inc. 2021 Omnibus Incentive Plan, as amended from time to time.

2.35        “Reporting Participant” means a Participant who is subject to the reporting requirements of Section 16 of the Exchange Act.

2.36       “Restricted Stock” means shares of Common Stock issued or transferred to a Participant pursuant to Section 6.4 of this Plan which are subject to restrictions or limitations set forth in this Plan and in the related Award Agreement.

2.37       “Restricted Stock Units” means units awarded to Participants pursuant to Section 6.6 hereof, which are convertible into Common Stock at such time as such units are no longer subject to restrictions as established by the Committee.

2.38       “Restriction Period” is defined in Section 6.4(b)(i) hereof.

2.39       “Retirement” shall have the meaning set forth in the Participant’s Award Agreement.

2.40       “SAR” or “Stock Appreciation Right” means the right to receive an amount, in cash and/or Common Stock, equal to the excess of the Fair Market Value of a specified number of shares of Common Stock as of the date the SAR is exercised (or, as provided in the Award Agreement, converted) over the SAR Price for such shares.

2.41       “SAR Price” means the exercise price or conversion price of each share of Common Stock covered by a SAR, determined on the Date of Grant of the SAR.

2.42       “Spread” is defined in Section 12.4(b) hereof.

2.43       “Stock Option” means a Nonqualified Stock Option or an Incentive Stock Option.

2.44       “Subsidiary” means (a) any corporation in an unbroken chain of corporations beginning with the Company, if each of the corporations other than the last corporation in the unbroken chain owns stock possessing a majority of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock in one of the other corporations in the chain, (b) any limited partnership, if the Company or any corporation described in item (a) above owns a majority of the general partnership interest and a majority of the limited partnership interests entitled to vote on the removal and replacement of the general partner, and (c) any partnership or limited liability company, if the partners or members thereof are composed only of the Company, any corporation listed in item (a) above or any limited partnership listed in item (b) above. “Subsidiaries” means more than one of any such corporations, limited partnerships, partnerships or limited liability companies.

2.45       “Termination of Service” occurs when a Participant who is (a) an Employee of the Company or any Subsidiary ceases to serve as an Employee of the Company and its Subsidiaries, for any reason; (b) an Outside Director of the Company or a Subsidiary ceases to serve as a director of the Company and its Subsidiaries for any reason; or (c) a Contractor of the Company or a Subsidiary ceases to serve as a Contractor of the Company and its Subsidiaries for any reason. Except as may be necessary or desirable to comply with applicable federal or state law, a “Termination of Service” shall not be deemed to have occurred when a Participant who is an Employee becomes an Outside Director or Contractor or vice versa. If, however, a Participant who is an Employee and who has an Incentive Stock Option ceases to be an Employee but does not suffer a Termination of Service, and if that Participant does not exercise the Incentive Stock Option within the time required under Section 422 of the Code upon ceasing to be an Employee, the Incentive Stock Option shall thereafter become a Nonqualified Stock Option. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section 2.45, in the event an Award issued under the Plan is subject to Section 409A of the Code, then, in lieu of the foregoing definition and to the extent necessary to comply with the requirements of Section 409A of the Code, the definition of “Termination of Service” for purposes of such Award shall be the definition of “separation from service” provided for under Section 409A of the Code and the regulations or other guidance issued thereunder.

2.46       “Total and Permanent Disability” means a Participant is qualified for long-term disability benefits under the Company’s or Subsidiary’s disability plan or insurance policy; or, if no such plan or policy is then in existence or if the Participant is not eligible to participate in such plan or policy, that the Participant, because of a physical or mental condition resulting from bodily injury, disease, or mental disorder, is unable to perform his or her duties of employment for a period of six (6) continuous months, as determined in good faith by the Committee, based upon medical reports or other evidence satisfactory to the Committee; provided that, with respect to any Incentive Stock Option, Total and Permanent Disability shall have the meaning given it under the rules governing Incentive Stock Options under the Code. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section 2.46, in the event an Award issued under the Plan is subject to Section 409A of the Code, then, in lieu of the foregoing definition and to the extent necessary to comply with the requirements of Section 409A of the Code, the definition of “Total and Permanent Disability” for purposes of such Award shall be the definition of “disability” provided for under Section 409A of the Code and the regulations or other guidance issued thereunder.

Article 3.
ADMINISTRATION

General Administration; Establishment of Committee. Subject to the terms of this Article 3, the Plan shall be administered by the Board or such committee of the Board as is designated by the Board to administer the Plan (the “Committee”). The Committee shall consist of not fewer than two persons. Any member of the Committee may be removed at any time, with or without cause, by resolution of the Board. Any vacancy occurring in the membership of the Committee may be filled by appointment by the Board. At any time there is no Committee to administer the Plan, any references in this Plan to the Committee shall be deemed to refer to the Board.

Membership on the Committee shall be limited to those members of the Board who are “non-employee directors” as defined in Rule 16b-3 promulgated under the Exchange Act. The Committee shall select one of its members to act as its Chairman. A majority of the Committee shall constitute a quorum, and the act of a majority of the members of the Committee present at a meeting at which a quorum is present shall be the act of the Committee.

3.1       Designation of Participants and Awards.

(a)       The Committee or the Board shall determine and designate from time to time the eligible persons to whom Awards will be granted and shall set forth in each related Award Agreement, where applicable, the Award Period, the Date of Grant, and such other terms, provisions, limitations, and performance requirements, as are approved by the Committee, but not inconsistent with the Plan. The Committee shall determine whether an Award shall include one type of Incentive or two or more Incentives granted in combination or two or more Incentives granted in tandem (that is, a joint grant where exercise of one Incentive results in cancellation of all or a portion of the other Incentive). Although the members of the Committee shall be eligible to receive Awards, all decisions with respect to any Award, and the terms and conditions thereof, to be granted under the Plan to any member of the Committee shall be made solely and exclusively by the other members of the Committee, or if such member is the only member of the Committee, by the Board.

(b)       Notwithstanding Section 3.1(a), to the extent permitted by Applicable Law, the Board may, in its discretion and by a resolution adopted by the Board, authorize one or more officers of the Company (an “Authorized Officer”) to (i) designate one or more Employees as eligible persons to whom Awards will be granted under the Plan, and (ii) determine the number of shares of Common Stock that will be subject to such Nonqualified Stock Options, Incentive Stock Options or SARs; provided, however, that the resolution of the Board granting such authority shall (x) specify the total number of shares of Common Stock that may be made subject to the Nonqualified Stock Options, Incentive Stock Options or SARs, (y) set forth the price or prices (or a formula by which such price or prices may be determined) to be paid for the purchase of the Common Stock subject to such Nonqualified Stock Options, Incentive Stock Options or SARs, and (z) not authorize an officer to designate himself as a recipient of any Award.

3.2       Authority of the Committee. The Committee, in its discretion, shall (a) interpret the Plan and Award Agreements, (b) prescribe, amend, and rescind any rules and regulations and sub-plans (including sub-plans for Awards made to Participants who are not resident in the United States), as necessary or appropriate for the administration of the Plan, (c) establish performance goals for an Award and certify the extent of their achievement, and (d) make such other determinations or certifications and take such other action as it deems necessary or advisable in the administration of the Plan. Any interpretation, determination, or other action made or taken by the Committee shall be final, binding, and conclusive on all interested parties. The Committee’s discretion set forth herein shall not be limited by any provision of the Plan, including any provision which by its terms is applicable notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan to the contrary.

The Committee may delegate to officers of the Company, pursuant to a written delegation, the authority to perform specified functions under the Plan. Any actions taken by any officers of the Company pursuant to such written delegation of authority shall be deemed to have been taken by the Committee.

With respect to restrictions in the Plan that are based on the requirements of Rule 16b-3 promulgated under the Exchange Act, Section 422 of the Code, the rules of any exchange or inter-dealer quotation system upon which the Company’s securities are listed or quoted, or any other Applicable Law, to the extent that any such restrictions are no longer required by Applicable Law, the Committee shall have the sole discretion and authority to grant Awards that are not subject to such mandated restrictions and/or to waive any such mandated restrictions with respect to outstanding Awards.

Article 4.
ELIGIBILITY

Any Employee (including an Employee who is also a director or an officer), Contractor or Outside Director of the Company whose judgment, initiative, and efforts contributed or may be expected to contribute to the successful performance of the Company is eligible to participate in the Plan; provided that only Employees of a Corporation shall be eligible to receive Incentive Stock Options. The Committee, upon its own action, may grant, but shall not be required to grant, an Award to any Employee, Contractor or Outside Director. Awards may be granted by the Committee at any time and from time to time to new Participants, or to then Participants, or to a greater or lesser number of Participants, and may include or exclude previous Participants, as the Committee shall determine. Except as required by this Plan, Awards need not contain similar provisions. The Committee’s determinations under the Plan (including without limitation determinations of which Employees, Contractors or Outside Directors, if any, are to receive Awards, the form, amount and timing of such Awards, the terms and provisions of such Awards and the agreements evidencing same) need not be uniform and may be made by it selectively among Participants who receive, or are eligible to receive, Awards under the Plan.

Article 5.
SHARES SUBJECT TO PLAN

5.1       Number Available for Awards. Subject to adjustment as provided in Articles 11 and 12, the maximum number of shares of Common Stock that may be delivered pursuant to Awards granted under the Plan is two million (2,000,000) shares, of which one hundred percent (100%) may be delivered pursuant to Incentive Stock Options. Shares to be issued may be made available from authorized but unissued Common Stock, Common Stock held by the Company in its treasury, or Common Stock purchased by the Company on the open market or otherwise. During the term of this Plan, the Company will at all times reserve and keep available the number of shares of Common Stock that shall be sufficient to satisfy the requirements of this Plan.

5.2       Reuse of Shares. To the extent that any Award under this Plan shall be forfeited, shall expire or be canceled, in whole or in part, then the number of shares of Common Stock covered by the Award so forfeited, expired or canceled may again be awarded pursuant to the provisions of this Plan. Awards that may be satisfied either by the issuance of shares of Common Stock or by cash or other consideration shall be counted against the maximum number of shares of Common Stock that may be issued under this Plan only during the period that the Award is outstanding or to the extent the Award is ultimately satisfied by the issuance of shares of Common Stock. Shares of Common Stock otherwise deliverable pursuant to an Award that are withheld upon exercise or vesting of an Award for purposes of paying the exercise price or tax withholdings shall be treated as delivered to the Participant and shall be counted against the maximum number of shares of Common Stock that may be issued under this Plan. Awards will not reduce the number of shares of Common Stock that may be issued pursuant to this Plan if the settlement of the Award will not require the issuance of shares of Common Stock, as, for example, a SAR that can be satisfied only by the payment of cash. Notwithstanding any provisions of the Plan to the contrary, only shares forfeited back to the Company, shares canceled on account of termination, expiration or lapse of an Award, shall again be available for grant of Incentive Stock Options under the Plan, but shall not increase the maximum number of shares described in Section 5.1 above as the maximum number of shares of Common Stock that may be delivered pursuant to Incentive Stock Options.

Article 6.
GRANT OF AWARDS

6.1       In General.

(a)       The grant of an Award shall be authorized by the Committee and shall be evidenced by an Award Agreement setting forth the Incentive or Incentives being granted, the total number of shares of Common Stock subject to the Incentive(s), the Option Price (if applicable), the Award Period, the Date of Grant, and such other terms, provisions, limitations, and performance objectives, as are approved by the Committee, but (i) not inconsistent with the Plan, and (ii) to the extent an Award issued under the Plan is subject to Section 409A of the Code, in compliance with the applicable requirements of Section 409A of the Code and the regulations or other guidance issued thereunder. The Company shall execute an Award Agreement with a Participant after the Committee approves the issuance of an Award. Any Award granted pursuant to this Plan must be granted within ten (10) years of the date of adoption of this Plan by the Board. The Plan shall be submitted to the Company’s stockholders for approval; however, the Committee may grant Awards under the Plan prior to the time of stockholder approval. Any such Award granted prior to such stockholder approval shall be made subject to such stockholder approval. The grant of an Award to a Participant shall not be deemed either to entitle the Participant to, or to disqualify the Participant from, receipt of any other Award under the Plan.

(b)       If the Committee establishes a purchase price for an Award, the Participant must accept such Award within a period of thirty (30) days (or such shorter period as the Committee may specify) after the Date of Grant by executing the applicable Award Agreement and paying such purchase price.

(c)       Any Award under this Plan that is settled in whole or in part in cash on a deferred basis may provide for interest equivalents to be credited with respect to such cash payment. Interest equivalents may be compounded and shall be paid upon such terms and conditions as may be specified by the grant.

6.2       Option Price. The Option Price for any share of Common Stock which may be purchased under a Nonqualified Stock Option for any share of Common Stock must be equal to or greater than the Fair Market Value of the share on the Date of Grant. The Option Price for any share of Common Stock which may be purchased under an Incentive Stock Option must be at least equal to the Fair Market Value of the share on the Date of Grant; if an Incentive Stock Option is granted to an Employee who owns or is deemed to own (by reason of the attribution rules of Section 424(d) of the Code) more than ten percent (10%) of the combined voting power of all classes of stock of the Company (or any parent or Subsidiary), the Option Price shall be at least one hundred ten percent (110%) of the Fair Market Value of the Common Stock on the Date of Grant. No dividends or Dividend Equivalent Rights may be paid or granted with respect to any Stock Option granted hereunder.

6.3       Maximum ISO Grants. The Committee may not grant Incentive Stock Options under the Plan to any Employee which would permit the aggregate Fair Market Value (determined on the Date of Grant) of the Common Stock with respect to which Incentive Stock Options (under this and any other plan of the Company and its Subsidiaries) are exercisable for the first time by such Employee during any calendar year to exceed $100,000. To the extent any Stock Option granted under this Plan which is designated as an Incentive Stock Option exceeds this limit or otherwise fails to qualify as an Incentive Stock Option, such Stock Option (or any such portion thereof) shall be a Nonqualified Stock Option. In such case, the Committee shall designate which stock will be treated as Incentive Stock Option stock by causing the issuance of a separate stock certificate and identifying such stock as Incentive Stock Option stock on the Company’s stock transfer records.

6.4       Restricted Stock. If Restricted Stock is granted to or received by a Participant under an Award (including a Stock Option), the Committee shall set forth in the related Award Agreement: (a) the number of shares of Common Stock awarded, (b) the price, if any, to be paid by the Participant for such Restricted Stock and the method of payment of the price, (c) the time or times within which such Award may be subject to forfeiture, (d) specified Performance Goals of the Company, a Subsidiary, any division thereof or any group of Employees of the Company, or other criteria, which the Committee determines must be met in order to remove any restrictions (including vesting) on such Award, and (e) all other terms, limitations, restrictions, and conditions of the Restricted Stock, which shall be consistent with this Plan, to the extent applicable and, to the extent Restricted Stock granted under the Plan is subject to Section 409A of the Code, in compliance with the applicable requirements of Section 409A of the Code and the regulations or other guidance issued thereunder. The provisions of Restricted Stock need not be the same with respect to each Participant.

(a)       Legend on Shares. The Company shall electronically register the Restricted Stock awarded to a Participant in the name of such Participant, which shall bear an appropriate legend referring to the terms, conditions, and restrictions applicable to such Restricted Stock, substantially as provided in Section 15.10 of the Plan. No stock certificate or certificates shall be issued with respect to such shares of Common Stock, unless, following the expiration of the Restriction Period (as defined in Section 6.4(b)(i)) without forfeiture in respect of such shares of Common Stock, the Participant requests delivery of the certificate or certificates by submitting a written request to the Committee (or such party designated by the Company) requesting delivery of the certificates. The Company shall deliver the certificates requested by the Participant to the Participant as soon as administratively practicable following the Company’s receipt of such request.

(b)       Restrictions and Conditions. Shares of Restricted Stock shall be subject to the following restrictions and conditions:

(i)       Subject to the other provisions of this Plan and the terms of the particular Award Agreements, during such period as may be determined by the Committee commencing on the Date of Grant or the date of exercise of an Award (the “Restriction Period”), the Participant shall not be permitted to sell, transfer, pledge or assign shares of Restricted Stock. Except for these limitations, the Committee may in its sole discretion, remove any or all of the restrictions on such Restricted Stock whenever it may determine that, by reason of changes in Applicable Laws or other changes in circumstances arising after the date of the Award, such action is appropriate.

(ii)       Except as provided in sub-paragraph (a) above or in the applicable Award Agreement, the Participant shall have, with respect to his or her Restricted Stock, all of the rights of a stockholder of the Company, including the right to vote the shares, and the right to receive any dividends thereon. Certificates for shares of Common Stock free of restriction under this Plan shall be delivered to the Participant promptly after, and only after, the Restriction Period shall expire without forfeiture in respect of such shares of Common Stock or after any other restrictions imposed on such shares of Common Stock by the applicable Award Agreement or other agreement have expired. Certificates for the shares of Common Stock forfeited under the provisions of the Plan and the applicable Award Agreement shall be promptly returned to the Company by the forfeiting Participant. Each Award Agreement shall require that each Participant, in connection with the issuance of a certificate for Restricted Stock, shall endorse such certificate in blank or execute a stock power in form satisfactory to the Company in blank and deliver such certificate and executed stock power to the Company.

(iii)       The Restriction Period of Restricted Stock shall commence on the Date of Grant or the date of exercise of an Award, as specified in the Award Agreement, and, subject to Article 12 of the Plan, unless otherwise established by the Committee in the Award Agreement setting forth the terms of the Restricted Stock, shall expire upon satisfaction of the conditions set forth in the Award Agreement; such conditions may provide for vesting based on length of continuous service or such Performance Goals, as may be determined by the Committee in its sole discretion.

(iv)       Except as otherwise provided in the particular Award Agreement, upon Termination of Service for any reason during the Restriction Period, the nonvested shares of Restricted Stock shall be forfeited by the Participant. In the event a Participant has paid any consideration to the Company for such forfeited Restricted Stock, the Committee shall specify in the Award Agreement that either (1) the Company shall be obligated to, or (2) the Company may, in its sole discretion, elect to, pay to the Participant, as soon as practicable after the event causing forfeiture, in cash, an amount equal to the lesser of the total consideration paid by the Participant for such forfeited shares or the Fair Market Value of such forfeited shares as of the date of Termination of Service, as the Committee, in its sole discretion shall select. Upon any forfeiture, all rights of a Participant with respect to the forfeited shares of the Restricted Stock shall cease and terminate, without any further obligation on the part of the Company.

6.5       SARs. The Committee may grant SARs to any Participant, either as a separate Award or in connection with a Stock Option. SARs shall be subject to such terms and conditions as the Committee shall impose, provided that such terms and conditions are (a) not inconsistent with the Plan, and (b) to the extent a SAR issued under the Plan is subject to Section 409A of the Code, in compliance with the applicable requirements of Section 409A of the Code and the regulations or other guidance issued thereunder. The grant of the SAR may provide that the holder may be paid for the value of the SAR either in cash or in shares of Common Stock, or a combination thereof. In the event of the exercise of a SAR payable in shares of Common Stock, the holder of the SAR shall receive that number of whole shares of Common Stock having an aggregate Fair Market Value on the date of exercise equal to the value obtained by multiplying (x) the difference between the Fair Market Value of a share of Common Stock on the date of exercise over the SAR Price as set forth in such SAR (or other value specified in the agreement granting the SAR), by (y) the number of shares of Common Stock as to which the SAR is exercised, with a cash settlement to be made for any fractional shares of Common Stock. The SAR Price for any share of Common Stock subject to a SAR may be equal to or greater than the Fair Market Value of the share on the Date of Grant. The Committee, in its sole discretion, may place a ceiling on the amount payable upon exercise of a SAR, but any such limitation shall be specified at the time that the SAR is granted. No dividends or Dividend Equivalent Rights may be paid or granted with respect to any SAR granted hereunder.

6.6        Restricted Stock Units. Restricted Stock Units may be awarded or sold to any Participant under such terms and conditions as shall be established by the Committee, provided, however, that such terms and conditions are (a) not inconsistent with the Plan, and (b) to the extent a Restricted Stock Unit issued under the Plan is subject to Section 409A of the Code, in compliance with the applicable requirements of Section 409A of the Code and the regulations or other guidance issued thereunder. Restricted Stock Units shall be subject to such restrictions as the Committee determines, including, without limitation, (x) a prohibition against sale, assignment, transfer, pledge, hypothecation or other encumbrance for a specified period; or (y) a requirement that the holder forfeit (or in the case of shares of Common Stock or units sold to the Participant, resell to the Company at cost) such shares or units in the event of Termination of Service during the period of restriction.

6.7        Performance Awards.

(a)       The Committee may grant Performance Awards to one or more Participants. The terms and conditions of Performance Awards shall be specified at the time of the grant and may include provisions establishing the performance period, the Performance Goals to be achieved during a performance period, and the maximum or minimum settlement values, provided that such terms and conditions are (i) not inconsistent with the Plan and (ii) to the extent a Performance Award issued under the Plan is subject to Section 409A of the Code, in compliance with the applicable requirements of Section 409A of the Code and the regulations or other guidance issued thereunder. If the Performance Award is to be in shares of Common Stock, the Performance Awards may provide for the issuance of the shares of Common Stock at the time of the grant of the Performance Award or at the time of the certification by the Committee that the Performance Goals for the performance period have been met; provided, however, if shares of Common Stock are issued at the time of the grant of the Performance Award and if, at the end of the performance period, the Performance Goals are not certified by the Committee to have been fully satisfied, then, notwithstanding any other provisions of this Plan to the contrary, the Common Stock shall be forfeited in accordance with the terms of the grant to the extent the Committee determines that the Performance Goals were not met. The forfeiture of shares of Common Stock issued at the time of the grant of the Performance Award due to failure to achieve the established Performance Goals shall be separate from and in addition to any other restrictions provided for in this Plan that may be applicable to such shares of Common Stock. Each Performance Award granted to one or more Participants shall have its own terms and conditions.

If the Committee determines, in its sole discretion, that the established performance measures or objectives are no longer suitable because of a change in the Company’s business, operations, corporate structure, or for other reasons that the Committee deemed satisfactory, the Committee may modify the performance measures or objectives and/or the performance period.

(b)       Performance Awards may be valued by reference to the Fair Market Value of a share of Common Stock or according to any formula or method deemed appropriate by the Committee, in its sole discretion, including, but not limited to, achievement of Performance Goals or other specific financial, production, sales or cost performance objectives that the Committee believes to be relevant to the Company’s business and/or remaining in the employ of the Company or a Subsidiary for a specified period of time. Performance Awards may be paid in cash, shares of Common Stock, or other consideration, or any combination thereof. If payable in shares of Common Stock, the consideration for the issuance of such shares may be the achievement of the performance objective established at the time of the grant of the Performance Award. Performance Awards may be payable in a single payment or in installments and may be payable at a specified date or dates or upon attaining the performance objective. The extent to which any applicable performance objective has been achieved shall be conclusively determined by the Committee.

6.8       Dividend Equivalent Rights. The Committee may grant a Dividend Equivalent Right to any Participant, either as a component of another Award or as a separate Award. The terms and conditions of the Dividend Equivalent Right shall be specified by the grant. Dividend equivalents credited to the holder of a Dividend Equivalent Right may be paid currently or may be deemed to be reinvested in additional shares of Common Stock (which may thereafter accrue additional dividend equivalents). Any such reinvestment shall be at the Fair Market Value at the time thereof. Dividend Equivalent Rights may be settled in cash or shares of Common Stock, or a combination thereof, in a single payment or in installments. A Dividend Equivalent Right granted as a component of another Award may provide that such Dividend Equivalent Right shall be settled upon exercise, settlement, or payment of, or lapse of restrictions on, such other Award, and that such Dividend Equivalent Right granted as a component of another Award may also contain terms and conditions different from such other Award; provided that (a) any Dividend Equivalent Rights with respect to such Award may be withheld by the Company for the Participant’s account until such Award is vested, subject to such terms as determined by the Committee; and (b) such Dividend Equivalent Rights so withheld by the Company and attributable to any particular Award shall be distributed to such Participant in cash or, at the discretion of the Committee, in shares of Common Stock having a Fair Market Value equal to the amount of such Dividend Equivalent Rights, if applicable, upon vesting of the Award and if such Award is forfeited, the Participant shall have no right to such Dividend Equivalent Rights. No Dividend Equivalent Rights may be paid or granted with respect to any Stock Option or SAR.

6.9       Other Awards. The Committee may grant to any Participant other forms of Awards, based upon, payable in, or otherwise related to, in whole or in part, shares of Common Stock, if the Committee determines that such other form of Award is consistent with the purpose and restrictions of this Plan. The terms and conditions of such other form of Award shall be specified by the grant. Such Other Awards may be granted for no cash consideration, for such minimum consideration as may be required by Applicable Law, or for such other consideration as may be specified by the grant.

6.10       Performance Goals. Awards of Restricted Stock, Restricted Stock Units, Performance Award and Other Awards (whether relating to cash or shares of Common Stock) under the Plan may be made subject to the attainment of Performance Goals relating to one or more business criteria which may consist of one or more or any combination of the following criteria: cash flow; cost; revenues; sales; ratio of debt to debt plus equity; net borrowing, credit quality or debt ratings; profit before tax; economic profit; earnings before interest and taxes; earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization; gross margin; earnings per share (whether on a pre-tax, after-tax, operational or other basis); operating earnings; capital expenditures; expenses or expense levels; economic value added; ratio of operating earnings to capital spending or any other operating ratios; free cash flow; net profit; net sales; net asset value per share; the accomplishment of mergers, acquisitions, dispositions, public offerings or similar extraordinary business transactions; sales growth; price of the Company’s Common Stock; return on assets, equity or stockholders’ equity; market share; inventory management, inventory turn or shrinkage; employee retention; safety standards; service or product delivery or quality; or total return to stockholders (“Performance Criteria”). Any Performance Criteria may be used to measure the performance of the Company as a whole or any business unit of the Company and may be measured relative to a peer group or index. Any Performance Criteria may include or exclude (a) events that are of an unusual nature or indicate infrequency of occurrence, (b) gains or losses on the disposition of a business, (c) changes in tax or accounting regulations or laws, (d) the effect of a merger or acquisition, as identified in the Company’s quarterly and annual earnings releases, or (e) other similar occurrences. In all other respects, Performance Criteria shall be calculated in accordance with the Company’s financial statements, under generally accepted accounting principles, or under a methodology established by the Committee prior to the issuance of an Award which is consistently applied and identified in the audited financial statements, including footnotes, or the Compensation Discussion and Analysis section of the Company’s annual report.

6.11       Tandem Awards. The Committee may grant two or more Incentives in one Award in the form of a “tandem Award,” so that the right of the Participant to exercise one Incentive shall be canceled if, and to the extent, the other Incentive is exercised. For example, if a Stock Option and a SAR are issued in a tandem Award, and the Participant exercises the SAR with respect to one hundred (100) shares of Common Stock, the right of the Participant to exercise the related Stock Option shall be canceled to the extent of one hundred (100) shares of Common Stock.

6.12       Repricing of Stock Options or SARs. The Committee may “reprice” any Stock Option or SAR. For purposes of this Section 6.12, “reprice” means any of the following or any other action that has the same effect: (a) amending a Stock Option or SAR to reduce its exercise price or base price, (b) canceling a Stock Option or SAR at a time when its exercise price or base price exceeds the Fair Market Value of a share of Common Stock in exchange for cash or a Stock Option, SAR, award of Restricted Stock or other equity award, or (c) taking any other action that is treated as a repricing under generally accepted accounting principles; provided, however, that repricing of any Stock Option or SAR shall not be permitted without stockholder approval to the extent stockholder approval is required either by (x) any securities exchange or inter-dealer quotation system on which the Common Stock is listed or traded or (y) Applicable Law, unless such repricing is approved by the requisite vote of the stockholders of the Company entitled to vote thereon. Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing in this Section 6.12 shall prevent the Committee from making adjustments pursuant to Article 11, from exchanging or cancelling Incentives pursuant to Article 12, or substituting Incentives in accordance with Article 14.

6.13       Recoupment for Restatements. Notwithstanding any other language in this Plan to the contrary, the Company may recoup all or any portion of any shares or cash paid to a Participant in connection with an Award, in the event of a restatement of the Company’s financial statements as set forth in the Company’s clawback policy, if any, approved by the Company’s Board from time to time.

Article 7.
AWARD PERIOD; VESTING

7.1         Award Period. Subject to the other provisions of this Plan, the Committee may, in its discretion, provide that an Incentive may not be exercised in whole or in part for any period or periods of time or beyond any date specified in the Award Agreement. Except as provided in the Award Agreement, an Incentive may be exercised in whole or in part at any time during its term. The Award Period for an Incentive shall be reduced or terminated upon Termination of Service. No Incentive granted under the Plan may be exercised at any time after the end of its Award Period. No portion of any Incentive may be exercised after the expiration of ten (10) years from its Date of Grant. However, if an Employee owns or is deemed to own (by reason of the attribution rules of Section 424(d) of the Code) more than ten percent (10%) of the combined voting power of all classes of stock of the Company (or any parent or Subsidiary) and an Incentive Stock Option is granted to such Employee, the term of such Incentive Stock Option (to the extent required by the Code at the time of grant) shall be no more than five (5) years from the Date of Grant.

7.2       Vesting. The Committee, in its sole discretion, may determine that an Incentive will be immediately vested in whole or in part, or that all or any portion may not be vested until a date, or dates, subsequent to its Date of Grant, or until the occurrence of one or more specified events, subject in any case to the terms of the Plan. If the Committee imposes conditions upon vesting, then, subsequent to the Date of Grant, the Committee may, in its sole discretion, accelerate the date on which all or any portion of the Incentive may be vested.

Article 8.
EXERCISE OR CONVERSION OF INCENTIVE

8.1       In General. A vested Incentive may be exercised or converted, during its Award Period, subject to limitations and restrictions set forth in the Award Agreement.

8.2       Securities Law and Exchange Restrictions. In no event may an Incentive be exercised or shares of Common Stock issued pursuant to an Award if a necessary listing or quotation of the shares of Common Stock on a stock exchange or inter-dealer quotation system or any registration under state or federal securities laws required under the circumstances has not been accomplished.

8.3       Exercise of Stock Option.

(a)       In General. If a Stock Option is exercisable prior to the time it is vested, the Common Stock obtained on the exercise of the Stock Option shall be Restricted Stock which is subject to the applicable provisions of the Plan and the Award Agreement. If the Committee imposes conditions upon exercise, then subsequent to the Date of Grant, the Committee may, in its sole discretion, accelerate the date on which all or any portion of the Stock Option may be exercised. No Stock Option may be exercised for a fractional share of Common Stock. The granting of a Stock Option shall impose no obligation upon the Participant to exercise that Stock Option.

(b)       Notice and Payment. Subject to such administrative regulations as the Committee may from time to time adopt, a Stock Option may be exercised by the delivery of written notice to the Committee setting forth the number of shares of Common Stock with respect to which the Stock Option is to be exercised (the “Exercise Notice”) and the date of exercise thereof (the “Exercise Date”) with respect to any Stock Option shall be the date that the Participant has delivered both the Exercise Notice and consideration to the Company with a value equal to the total Option Price of the shares to be purchased (plus any employment tax withholding or other tax payment due with respect to such Award), payable as provided in the Award Agreement, which may provide for payment in any one or more of the following ways: (i) cash or check, bank draft, or money order payable to the order of the Company, (ii) Common Stock owned by the Participant on the Exercise Date, valued at its Fair Market Value on the Exercise Date, and which the Participant has not acquired from the Company within six (6) months prior to the Exercise Date, (iii) by delivery (including by FAX or electronic transmission) to the Company or its designated agent of an executed irrevocable option exercise form (or, to the extent permitted by the Company, exercise instructions, which may be communicated in writing, telephonically, or electronically) together with irrevocable instructions from the Participant to a broker or dealer, reasonably acceptable to the Company, to sell certain of the shares of Common Stock purchased upon exercise of the Stock Option or to pledge such shares as collateral for a loan and promptly deliver to the Company the amount of sale or loan proceeds necessary to pay such purchase price, (iv) by requesting the Company to withhold the number of shares otherwise deliverable upon exercise of the Stock Option by the number of shares of Common Stock having an aggregate Fair Market Value equal to the aggregate Option Price at the time of exercise (i.e., a cashless net exercise), and/or (v) in any other form of valid consideration that is acceptable to the Committee in its sole discretion. If the Participant fails to deliver the consideration described in this Section 8.3(b) within three (3) business days of the date of the Exercise Notice, then the Exercise Notice shall be null and void and the Company will have no obligation to deliver any shares of Common Stock to the Participant in connection with such Exercise Notice.

(c)       Issuance of Certificate. Except as otherwise provided in Section 6.4 hereof (with respect to shares of Restricted Stock) or in the applicable Award Agreement, upon payment of all amounts due from the Participant, the Company shall cause the Common Stock then being purchased to be registered in the Participant’s name (or the person exercising the Participant’s Stock Option in the event of his or her death), but shall not issue certificates for the Common Stock unless the Participant or such other person requests delivery of the certificates for the Common Stock, in writing in accordance with the procedures established by the Committee. The Company shall deliver certificates to the Participant (or the person exercising the Participant’s Stock Option in the event of his or her death) as soon as administratively practicable following the Company’s receipt of a written request from the Participant or such other person for delivery of the certificates. Notwithstanding the forgoing, if the Participant has exercised an Incentive Stock Option, the Company may at its option retain physical possession of the certificate evidencing the shares acquired upon exercise until the expiration of the holding periods described in Section 422(a)(1) of the Code. Any obligation of the Company to deliver shares of Common Stock shall, however, be subject to the condition that, if at any time the Committee shall determine in its discretion that the listing, registration, or qualification of the Stock Option or the Common Stock upon any securities exchange or inter-dealer quotation system or under any state or federal law, or the consent or approval of any governmental regulatory body, is necessary as a condition of, or in connection with, the Stock Option or the issuance or purchase of shares of Common Stock thereunder, the Stock Option may not be exercised in whole or in part unless such listing, registration, qualification, consent, or approval shall have been effected or obtained free of any conditions not reasonably acceptable to the Committee.

(d)       Failure to Pay. Except as may otherwise be provided in an Award Agreement, if the Participant fails to pay for any of the Common Stock specified in such notice or fails to accept delivery thereof, that portion of the Participant’s Stock Option and right to purchase such Common Stock may be forfeited by the Participant.

8.4       SARs. Subject to the conditions of this Section 8.4 and such administrative regulations as the Committee may from time to time adopt, a SAR may be exercised by the delivery (including by FAX) of written notice to the Committee setting forth the number of shares of Common Stock with respect to which the SAR is to be exercised and the date of exercise thereof (the “Exercise Date”) which shall be at least three (3) days after giving such notice unless an earlier time shall have been mutually agreed upon. Subject to the terms of the Award Agreement and only if permissible under Section 409A of the Code and the regulations or other guidance issued thereunder (or, if not so permissible, at such time as permitted by Section 409A of the Code and the regulations or other guidance issued thereunder), the Participant shall receive from the Company in exchange therefor in the discretion of the Committee, and subject to the terms of the Award Agreement:

(a)       cash in an amount equal to the excess (if any) of the Fair Market Value (as of the Exercise Date, or if provided in the Award Agreement, conversion, of the SAR) per share of Common Stock over the SAR Price per share specified in such SAR, multiplied by the total number of shares of Common Stock of the SAR being surrendered;

(b)       that number of shares of Common Stock having an aggregate Fair Market Value (as of the Exercise Date, or if provided in the Award Agreement, conversion, of the SAR) equal to the amount of cash otherwise payable to the Participant, with a cash settlement to be made for any fractional share interests; or

(c)       the Company may settle such obligation in part with shares of Common Stock and in part with cash.

The distribution of any cash or Common Stock pursuant to the foregoing sentence shall be made at such time as set forth in the Award Agreement.

8.5        Disqualifying Disposition of Incentive Stock Option. If shares of Common Stock acquired upon exercise of an Incentive Stock Option are disposed of by a Participant prior to the expiration of either two (2) years from the Date of Grant of such Stock Option or one (1) year from the transfer of shares of Common Stock to the Participant pursuant to the exercise of such Stock Option, or in any other disqualifying disposition within the meaning of Section 422 of the Code, such Participant shall notify the Company in writing of the date and terms of such disposition. A disqualifying disposition by a Participant shall not affect the status of any other Stock Option granted under the Plan as an Incentive Stock Option within the meaning of Section 422 of the Code.

Article 9.
AMENDMENT OR DISCONTINUANCE

Subject to the limitations set forth in this Article 9, the Board may at any time and from time to time, without the consent of the Participants, alter, amend, revise, suspend, or discontinue the Plan in whole or in part; provided, however, that no amendment for which stockholder approval is required either (a) by any securities exchange or inter-dealer quotation system on which the Common Stock is listed or traded or (b) in order for the Plan and Incentives awarded under the Plan to continue to comply with Sections 421 and 422 of the Code, including any successors to such Sections, or other Applicable Law, shall be effective unless such amendment shall be approved by the requisite vote of the stockholders of the Company entitled to vote thereon. Any such amendment shall, to the extent deemed necessary or advisable by the Committee, be applicable to any outstanding Incentives theretofore granted under the Plan, notwithstanding any contrary provisions contained in any Award Agreement. In the event of any such amendment to the Plan, the holder of any Incentive outstanding under the Plan shall, upon request of the Committee and as a condition to the exercisability thereof, execute a conforming amendment in the form prescribed by the Committee to any Award Agreement relating thereto. Notwithstanding anything contained in this Plan to the contrary, unless required by law, no action contemplated or permitted by this Article 9 shall adversely affect any rights of Participants or obligations of the Company to Participants with respect to any Incentive theretofore granted under the Plan without the consent of the affected Participant.

Article 10.
TERM

The Plan shall be effective from the date that this Plan is adopted by the Board. Unless sooner terminated by action of the Board, the Plan will terminate on the tenth anniversary of the Effective Date, but Incentives granted before that date will continue to be effective in accordance with their terms and conditions.

Article 11.
CAPITAL ADJUSTMENTS

In the event that any dividend or other distribution (whether in the form of cash, Common Stock, other securities, or other property), recapitalization, stock split, reverse stock split, rights offering, reorganization, merger, consolidation, split-up, spin-off, split-off, combination, subdivision, repurchase, or exchange of Common Stock or other securities of the Company, issuance of warrants or other rights to purchase Common Stock or other securities of the Company, or other similar corporate transaction or event affects the fair value of an Award, then the Committee shall adjust any or all of the following so that the fair value of the Award immediately after the transaction or event is equal to the fair value of the Award immediately prior to the transaction or event (a) the number of shares and type of Common Stock (or the securities or property) which thereafter may be made the subject of Awards, (b) the number of shares and type of Common Stock (or other securities or property) subject to outstanding Awards, (c) the Option Price of each outstanding Award, (d) the amount, if any, the Company pays for forfeited shares of Common Stock in accordance with Section 6.4, and (e) the number of or SAR Price of shares of Common Stock then subject to outstanding SARs previously granted and unexercised under the Plan, to the end that the same proportion of the Company’s issued and outstanding shares of Common Stock in each instance shall remain subject to exercise at the same aggregate SAR Price; provided, however, that the number of shares of Common Stock (or other securities or property) subject to any Award shall always be a whole number. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no such adjustment shall be made or authorized to the extent that such adjustment would cause the Plan or any Stock Option to violate Section 422 of the Code or Section 409A of the Code. Such adjustments shall be made in accordance with the rules of any securities exchange, stock market, or stock quotation system to which the Company is subject.

Upon the occurrence of any such adjustment, the Company shall provide notice to each affected Participant of its computation of such adjustment which shall be conclusive and shall be binding upon each such Participant.

Article 12.
RECAPITALIZATION, MERGER AND CONSOLIDATION

12.1       No Effect on Company’s Authority. The existence of this Plan and Incentives granted hereunder shall not affect in any way the right or power of the Company or its stockholders to make or authorize any or all adjustments, recapitalizations, reorganizations, or other changes in the Company’s capital structure and its business, or any Change in Control, or any merger or consolidation of the Company, or any issuance of bonds, debentures, preferred or preference stocks ranking prior to or otherwise affecting the Common Stock or the rights thereof (or any rights, options, or warrants to purchase same), or the dissolution or liquidation of the Company, or any sale or transfer of all or any part of its assets or business, or any other corporate act or proceeding, whether of a similar character or otherwise.

12.2       Conversion of Incentives Where Company Survives. Subject to any required action by the stockholders and except as otherwise provided by Section 12.4 hereof or as may be required to comply with Section 409A of the Code and the regulations or other guidance issued thereunder, if the Company shall be the surviving or resulting corporation in any merger, consolidation or share exchange, any Incentive granted hereunder shall pertain to and apply to the securities or rights (including cash, property, or assets) to which a holder of the number of shares of Common Stock subject to the Incentive would have been entitled.

12.3       Exchange or Cancellation of Incentives Where Company Does Not Survive. Except as otherwise provided by Section 12.4 hereof or as may be required to comply with Section 409A of the Code and the regulations or other guidance issued thereunder, in the event of any merger, consolidation or share exchange pursuant to which the Company is not the surviving or resulting corporation, there shall be substituted for each share of Common Stock subject to the unexercised portions of outstanding Incentives, that number of shares of each class of stock or other securities or that amount of cash, property, or assets of the surviving, resulting or consolidated company which were distributed or distributable to the stockholders of the Company in respect to each share of Common Stock held by them, such outstanding Incentives to be thereafter exercisable for such stock, securities, cash, or property in accordance with their terms.

12.4       Cancellation of Incentives. Notwithstanding the provisions of Sections 12.2 and 12.3 hereof, and except as may be required to comply with Section 409A of the Code and the regulations or other guidance issued thereunder, all Incentives granted hereunder may be canceled by the Company, in its sole discretion, as of the effective date of any Change in Control, merger, consolidation or share exchange, or any issuance of bonds, debentures, preferred or preference stocks ranking prior to or otherwise affecting the Common Stock or the rights thereof (or any rights, options, or warrants to purchase same), or of any proposed sale of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company, or of any dissolution or liquidation of the Company, by either:

(a)       giving notice to each holder thereof or his personal representative of its intention to cancel those Incentives for which the issuance of shares of Common Stock involved payment by the Participant for such shares, and permitting the purchase during the thirty (30) day period next preceding such effective date of any or all of the shares of Common Stock subject to such outstanding Incentives, including in the Board’s discretion some or all of the shares as to which such Incentives would not otherwise be vested and exercisable; or

(b)       in the case of Incentives that are either (i) settled only in shares of Common Stock, or (ii) at the election of the Participant, settled in shares of Common Stock, paying the holder thereof an amount equal to a reasonable estimate of the difference between the net amount per share payable in such transaction or as a result of such transaction, and the price per share of such Incentive to be paid by the Participant (hereinafter the “Spread”), multiplied by the number of shares subject to the Incentive. In cases where the shares constitute, or would after exercise, constitute Restricted Stock, the Company, in its discretion, may include some or all of those shares in the calculation of the amount payable hereunder. In estimating the Spread, appropriate adjustments to give effect to the existence of the Incentives shall be made, such as deeming the Incentives to have been exercised, with the Company receiving the exercise price payable thereunder, and treating the shares receivable upon exercise of the Incentives as being outstanding in determining the net amount per share. In cases where the proposed transaction consists of the acquisition of assets of the Company, the net amount per share shall be calculated on the basis of the net amount receivable with respect to shares of Common Stock upon a distribution and liquidation by the Company after giving effect to expenses and charges, including but not limited to taxes, payable by the Company before such liquidation could be completed.

An Award that by its terms would be fully vested or exercisable upon a Change in Control will be considered vested or exercisable for purposes of Section 12.4(a) hereof.

Article 13.
LIQUIDATION OR DISSOLUTION

Subject to Section 12.4 hereof, in case the Company shall, at any time while any Incentive under this Plan shall be in force and remain unexpired, (a) sell all or substantially all of its property, or (b) dissolve, liquidate, or wind up its affairs, then each Participant shall be entitled to receive, in lieu of each share of Common Stock of the Company which such Participant would have been entitled to receive under the Incentive, the same kind and amount of any securities or assets as may be issuable, distributable, or payable upon any such sale, dissolution, liquidation, or winding up with respect to each share of Common Stock of the Company. If the Company shall, at any time prior to the expiration of any Incentive, make any partial distribution of its assets, in the nature of a partial liquidation, whether payable in cash or in kind (but excluding the distribution of a cash dividend payable out of earned surplus and designated as such) and an adjustment is determined by the Committee to be appropriate to prevent the dilution of the benefits or potential benefits intended to be made available under the Plan, then the Committee shall, in such manner as it may deem equitable, make such adjustment in accordance with the provisions of Article 11 hereof.

Article 14.
INCENTIVES IN SUBSTITUTION FOR
INCENTIVES GRANTED BY OTHER ENTITIES

Incentives may be granted under the Plan from time to time in substitution for similar instruments held by employees, independent contractors or directors of a corporation, partnership, or limited liability company who become or are about to become Employees, Contractors or Outside Directors of the Company or any Subsidiary as a result of a merger or consolidation of the employing corporation with the Company, the acquisition by the Company of equity of the employing entity, or any other similar transaction pursuant to which the Company becomes the successor employer. The terms and conditions of the substitute Incentives so granted may vary from the terms and conditions set forth in this Plan to such extent as the Committee at the time of grant may deem appropriate to conform, in whole or in part, to the provisions of the incentives in substitution for which they are granted.

Article 15.
MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS

15.1       Investment Intent. The Company may require that there be presented to and filed with it by any Participant under the Plan, such evidence as it may deem necessary to establish that the Incentives granted or the shares of Common Stock to be purchased or transferred are being acquired for investment and not with a view to their distribution.

15.2       No Right to Continued Employment. Neither the Plan nor any Incentive granted under the Plan shall confer upon any Participant any right with respect to continuance of employment by the Company or any Subsidiary.

15.3       Indemnification of Board and Committee. No member of the Board or the Committee, nor any officer or Employee of the Company acting on behalf of the Board or the Committee, shall be personally liable for any action, determination, or interpretation taken or made in good faith with respect to the Plan, and all members of the Board and the Committee, each officer of the Company, and each Employee of the Company acting on behalf of the Board or the Committee shall, to the extent permitted by law, be fully indemnified and protected by the Company in respect of any such action, determination, or interpretation to the fullest extent provided by law. Except to the extent required by any unwaiveable requirement under applicable law, no member of the Board or the Committee (and no Subsidiary of the Company) shall have any duties or liabilities, including without limitation any fiduciary duties, to any Participant (or any Person claiming by and through any Participant) as a result of this Plan, any Award Agreement or any Claim arising hereunder and, to the fullest extent permitted under applicable law, each Participant (as consideration for receiving and accepting an Award Agreement) irrevocably waives and releases any right or opportunity such Participant might have to assert (or participate or cooperate in) any Claim against any member of the Board or the Committee and any Subsidiary of the Company arising out of this Plan.

15.4       Effect of the Plan. Neither the adoption of this Plan nor any action of the Board or the Committee shall be deemed to give any person any right to be granted an Award or any other rights except as may be evidenced by an Award Agreement, or any amendment thereto, duly authorized by the Committee and executed on behalf of the Company, and then only to the extent and upon the terms and conditions expressly set forth therein.

15.5       Compliance with Other Laws and Regulations. Notwithstanding anything contained herein to the contrary, the Company shall not be required to sell or issue shares of Common Stock under any Incentive if the issuance thereof would constitute a violation by the Participant or the Company of any provisions of any law or regulation of any governmental authority or any national securities exchange or inter-dealer quotation system or other forum in which shares of Common Stock are quoted or traded (including without limitation Section 16 of the Exchange Act); and, as a condition of any sale or issuance of shares of Common Stock under an Incentive, the Committee may require such agreements or undertakings, if any, as the Committee may deem necessary or advisable to assure compliance with any such law or regulation. The Plan, the grant and exercise of Incentives hereunder, and the obligation of the Company to sell and deliver shares of Common Stock, shall be subject to all applicable federal and state laws, rules and regulations and to such approvals by any government or regulatory agency as may be required.

15.6       Foreign Participation. To assure the viability of Awards granted to Participants employed in foreign countries, the Committee may provide for such special terms as it may consider necessary or appropriate to accommodate differences in local law, tax policy or custom. Moreover, the Committee may approve such supplements to, or amendments, restatements or alternative versions of, this Plan as it determines is necessary or appropriate for such purposes. Any such amendment, restatement or alternative versions that the Committee approves for purposes of using this Plan in a foreign country will not affect the terms of this Plan for any other country.

15.7       Tax Requirements. The Company or, if applicable, any Subsidiary (for purposes of this Section 15.7, the term “Company” shall be deemed to include any applicable Subsidiary), shall have the right to deduct from all amounts paid in cash or other form in connection with the Plan, any federal, state, local, or other taxes required by law to be withheld in connection with an Award granted under this Plan. The Company may, in its sole discretion, also require the Participant receiving shares of Common Stock issued under the Plan to pay the Company the amount of any taxes that the Company is required to withhold in connection with the Participant’s income arising with respect to the Award. Such payments shall be required to be made when requested by the Company and may be required to be made prior to the delivery of any certificate representing shares of Common Stock. Such payment may be made by (a) the delivery of cash to the Company in an amount that equals or exceeds (to avoid the issuance of fractional shares under (c) below) the required tax withholding obligations of the Company; (b) if the Company, in its sole discretion, so consents in writing, the actual delivery by the exercising Participant to the Company of shares of Common Stock that the Participant has not acquired from the Company within six (6) months prior to the date of exercise, which shares so delivered have an aggregate Fair Market Value that equals or exceeds (to avoid the issuance of fractional shares under (c) below) the required tax withholding payment; (c) if the Company, in its sole discretion, so consents in writing, the Company’s withholding of a number of shares to be delivered upon the exercise of the Stock Option, which shares so withheld have an aggregate fair market value that equals (but does not exceed) the required tax withholding payment; or (d) any combination of (a), (b), or (c). The Company may, in its sole discretion, withhold any such taxes from any other cash remuneration otherwise paid by the Company to the Participant. The Committee may in the Award Agreement impose any additional tax requirements or provisions that the Committee deems necessary or desirable.

15.8       Assignability. Incentive Stock Options may not be transferred, assigned, pledged, hypothecated or otherwise conveyed or encumbered other than by will or the laws of descent and distribution and may be exercised during the lifetime of the Participant only by the Participant or the Participant’s legally authorized representative, and each Award Agreement in respect of an Incentive Stock Option shall so provide. The designation by a Participant of a beneficiary will not constitute a transfer of the Stock Option. The Committee may waive or modify any limitation contained in the preceding sentences of this Section 15.8 that is not required for compliance with Section 422 of the Code.

Except as otherwise provided herein, Awards may not be transferred, assigned, pledged, hypothecated or otherwise conveyed or encumbered other than by will or the laws of descent and distribution. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Committee may, in its discretion, authorize all or a portion of a Nonqualified Stock Option or SAR to be granted to a Participant on terms which permit transfer by such Participant to (a) the spouse (or former spouse), children or grandchildren of the Participant (“Immediate Family Members”), (b) a trust or trusts for the exclusive benefit of such Immediate Family Members, (c) a partnership in which the only partners are (1) such Immediate Family Members and/or (2) entities which are controlled by the Participant and/or Immediate Family Members, (d) an entity exempt from federal income tax pursuant to Section 501(c)(3) of the Code or any successor provision, or (e) a split interest trust or pooled income fund described in Section 2522(c)(2) of the Code or any successor provision, provided that (x) there shall be no consideration for any such transfer, (y) the Award Agreement pursuant to which such Nonqualified Stock Option or SAR is granted must be approved by the Committee and must expressly provide for transferability in a manner consistent with this Section, and (z) subsequent transfers of transferred Nonqualified Stock Options or SARs shall be prohibited except those by will or the laws of descent and distribution.

Following any transfer, any such Nonqualified Stock Option and SAR shall continue to be subject to the same terms and conditions as were applicable immediately prior to transfer, provided that for purposes of Articles 8, 9, 11, 13 and 15 hereof the term “Participant” shall be deemed to include the transferee. The events of Termination of Service shall continue to be applied with respect to the original Participant, following which the Nonqualified Stock Options and SARs shall be exercisable or convertible by the transferee only to the extent and for the periods specified in the Award Agreement. The Committee and the Company shall have no obligation to inform any transferee of a Nonqualified Stock Option or SAR of any expiration, termination, lapse or acceleration of such Stock Option or SAR. The Company shall have no obligation to register with any federal or state securities commission or agency any Common Stock issuable or issued under a Nonqualified Stock Option or SAR that has been transferred by a Participant under this Section 15.8.

15.9       Use of Proceeds. Proceeds from the sale of shares of Common Stock pursuant to Incentives granted under this Plan shall constitute general funds of the Company.

15.10     Legend. Each certificate representing shares of Restricted Stock issued to a Participant shall bear the following legend, or a similar legend deemed by the Company to constitute an appropriate notice of the provisions hereof (any such certificate not having such legend shall be surrendered upon demand by the Company and so endorsed):

On the face of the certificate:

“Transfer of this stock is restricted in accordance with conditions printed on the reverse of this certificate.”

On the reverse:

“The shares of stock evidenced by this certificate are subject to and transferable only in accordance with that certain Staffing 360 Solutions, Inc. 2021 Omnibus Incentive Plan, a copy of which is on file at the principal office of the Company in New York City, New York. No transfer or pledge of the shares evidenced hereby may be made except in accordance with and subject to the provisions of said Plan. By acceptance of this certificate, any holder, transferee or pledgee hereof agrees to be bound by all of the provisions of said Plan.”

The following legend shall be inserted on a certificate evidencing Common Stock issued under the Plan if the shares were not issued in a transaction registered under the applicable federal and state securities laws:

“Shares of stock represented by this certificate have been acquired by the holder for investment and not for resale, transfer or distribution, have been issued pursuant to exemptions from the registration requirements of applicable state and federal securities laws, and may not be offered for sale, sold or transferred other than pursuant to effective registration under such laws, or in transactions otherwise in compliance with such laws, and upon evidence satisfactory to the Company of compliance with such laws, as to which the Company may rely upon an opinion of counsel satisfactory to the Company.”

15.11     Governing Law. The Plan shall be governed by, construed, and enforced in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware (excluding any conflict of laws, rule or principle of Delaware law that might refer the governance, construction, or interpretation of this Plan to the laws of another state). A Participant’s sole remedy for any Claim shall be against the Company, and no Participant shall have any claim or right of any nature against any Subsidiary of the Company or any stockholder or existing or former director, officer or Employee of the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company. The individuals and entities described above in this Section 15.11 (other than the Company) shall be third-party beneficiaries of this Plan for purposes of enforcing the terms of this Section 15.11.

A copy of this Plan shall be kept on file in the principal office of the Company in New York City, New York.

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this instrument to be executed as of _________________________, 2021, by its Chief Executive Officer pursuant to prior action taken by the Board.