4.             Participation.

a.             Enrollment.  An employee eligible on the Offering Commencement Date of any Offering may participate in such Offering by enrolling, in such manner and at such time approved, from time to time, by the Board or the Committee, prior to the applicable Offering Commencement Date in said Offering.  The enrollment will authorize a regular payroll deduction from the Compensation received by the employee during the Plan Period.  Unless an employee changes his enrollment in a manner prescribed by the Committee from time to time or withdraws from the Plan, his deductions and purchases will continue at the same rate for future Offerings under the Plan as long as the Plan remains in effect.  The term “Compensation” shall be defined by the Board or the Committee from time to time, but until modified shall mean regular earnings and sales rewards or other sales-related payments made to sales associates in lieu of commissions, and excluding payments for overtime, incentive compensation, shift premiums, bonuses, contributions to all employee fringe benefit plans (except employee contributions in lieu of cash earnings pursuant to any “cash or deferred plan” or “cafeteria plan”), allowances and reimbursements, income or gains on the exercise of Company stock options, or stock appreciation rights, and other special payments except to the extent that the inclusion of any such item is specifically approved by the Board.

b.             Tax Withholding Authorized.  The enrollment of each employee shall constitute such participating employee’s authorization of his or her employer, to the extent permitted by applicable law, to deduct from such employee’s compensation in the relevant month or months (or subsequent months, if appropriate) any amount appropriate for the payment or reimbursement of any tax liability payable by such employee with respect to the grant or exercise of the options hereunder, or the sale of any stock acquired through the exercise of such option.

5.             Deductions.  The Company will maintain payroll deduction accounts for all participating employees.  With respect to any Offering made under this Plan, an employee may authorize a payroll deduction in any amount up to a maximum of ten percent (10%) of the Compensation he or she receives during the Plan Period or such shorter period during which deductions from payroll are made.  Payroll deductions may

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be made in any whole percentage up to ten percent (10%).  Each participating employee shall designate what percentage of his or her payroll deductions during the Offering shall be used to purchase Staples Common Stock upon the completion of such Offering, subject to any limits as may be imposed for such Offering by the Board or the Committee.  Any change in compensation during the Plan Period will result in an automatic corresponding change in the amount withheld.  The payroll deductions shall be made in the applicable local currency and will be converted into United Stated currency at the prevailing rate of exchange in effect on the date determined by the Board or the Committee from time to time.  All amounts deducted may be transferred to an account of the Company or the Subsidiary outside the country in which such employee is employed.

The Board or the Committee may permit direct contributions by eligible employees of a Subsidiary instead of payroll deductions if it determines such action to be advisable, and on such terms as it deems advisable.  In the event that such direct contributions are permitted, the Board or Committee may modify other terms of this Plan to reflect such direct contributions.

No employee may be granted an Option (as defined in Section 9) which permits his rights to purchase Staples Common Stock under this Plan and any other employee stock purchase plan of the Company and its subsidiaries (as defined by the Board or the Committee), to accrue at a rate which exceeds $25,000 of the Fair Market Value (as defined below) of Staples Common Stock (determined at the Offering Commencement Date of the Plan Period) for each calendar year in which the Option is outstanding at any time. Options granted during any Plan Period to all officers and Directors of the Company shall not equal or exceed fifty percent (50%) of the total Options granted during such Plan Period.

6.             Deduction Changes.  An employee may discontinue his payroll deduction once during any Plan Period, up to such deadline as may be established by the Board or the Committee, prior to the close of business on the last business day, in such manner as may be permitted by the Board or Committee.  However, an employee may not increase or decrease his payroll deduction, during a Plan Period.  If an employee elects to discontinue his payroll deductions during a Plan Period, amounts previously withheld will be refunded to the employee without interest.  The refund will be made in the currency in which such Participant’s deductions were originally made or, if such employee is employed in a country which maintains a fixed exchange rate between its local currency and the Euro, there may be repayment in Euros (“Payment in Euros”).