Modern Slavery Act Statement

This statement, made pursuant to section 54(1) of the Modern Slavery Act 2015, demonstrates our commitment to tackle modern slavery and sets out the approach taken by YouGov plc to understand whether slavery, servitude, forced labour and/or human trafficking (together “Modern Slavery”) exist in our supply chain. This statement demonstrates the actions undertaken to eliminate Modern Slavery during the financial year ended 31 July 2022.

Our Business

YouGov is an international online research data and analytics technology group. Our mission is to offer unparalleled insight into what the world thinks. Our innovative solutions help the world’s most recognised brands, media owners and agencies to plan, activate and track their marketing activities better.

YouGov is headquartered in the UK, with over 1,600 employees worldwide and operating across 55 markets. Our supply chain consists of global suppliers of data, research services and consultancy, computer software and equipment, office supplies, and over 22 million registered members.

Group Policies & Procedures

The global issues caused by Modern Slavery exist across all sectors and industries. We acknowledge that whilst our industry is considered low risk, it is not without risk, and it is our responsibility to mitigate every potential modern slavery risk. The business is committed to ensuring that there is no modern slavery in our supply chain or any other part of the business.

Our corporate services teams are responsible for implementation of policies and procedures that support the business in meeting its human rights responsibilities: HR (employees), Governance (whistleblowing, compliance, environmental, social and governance), Legal (contractual terms and conditions) and Finance (payments).

Expectations for Suppliers

YouGov expects the same high standards which we set for ourselves from those parties with whom we engage, such as our suppliers and customers. The Company has a Supplier Approval Process to determine a potential supplier’s suitability and alignment with our values. As part of this process, we assess whether they operate lawfully and ethically and take this into consideration when choosing our suppliers.

All key suppliers (see below for the definition) are required to confirm compliance with our Supplier Code of Conduct (“the Supplier Code”), which asks that the supplier has one or more policies to eliminate Modern Slavery from their supply chains. The Supplier Code includes expectations for the prohibition of modern slavery and child labour; fair and ethical working hours, conditions, and environments; and commitments to freedom of association and non-discrimination. The Supplier Code is available for download here and on the ESG and Compliance FAQ pages.

‘Key suppliers’ refers to suppliers that meet the following criteria: all Master Service Agreements; any supplier contract valued at >£10K per annum; and any supplier in the following categories: sample/data provider, software license provider, panel acquisition provider, panel sample provider, corporate sponsor or partnership, supplier has access to YouGov’s personal data, supplier has access to YouGov premises (e.g., office) or systems (e.g., Netsuite). The majority of our suppliers meet one or more of these criteria.

Expectations for Employees

Our commitment to eradicating modern slavery is emphasised in our employee training and company policies, which promote ethical behaviours. Our employees are required to abide by a Global Code of Conduct & Ethics (“the Code”) which sets out the expectations that YouGov employees will have to meet to ensure our good reputation is carried forward into the future. This includes the expectation that employees will familiarise themselves with the Modern Slavery Act Statement, remain alert to potential violations, and report instances swiftly and appropriately. The Code brings together all our existing policies covering key areas - such as ethical business, our approach to Environmental, Social and Governance (“ESG”) and Speaking Up - and is available for download here.

Board Oversight

YouGov’s Board is committed to delivering high standards of corporate governance and a key element of this is managing the Company in a socially responsible and ethical way. The Company aims to comply with all local laws and regulations applicable to our business; it follows that YouGov is absolutely committed to preventing Modern Slavery in its corporate activities and its supply chain.

Areas for Improvement

While we have a robust supplier management system in place, we are aware that we can be more proactive in assessing existing suppliers to ensure they remain compliant with our expectations and continue to align with our values and practices. We are currently exploring methods of conducting a supplier audit and/or a human rights risk assessment, both of which would include an assessment of modern slavery risks in our existing supply chain.

In 2023, we intend to publish a long-term ESG Roadmap to align with the Company’s next long-term strategic plan. We will use this as an opportunity to develop a long-term strategy to prevent modern slavery, incorporating existing actions and setting further accountability measures to maintain and expand our commitment.

We will provide an update on these actions in the revision of our Modern Slavery Act Statement in 2023.

We will continue to review the effectiveness of our policies and procedures, to ensure they remain fit-for-purpose.

We do not have a corporate key performance indicator in relation to combatting Modern Slavery specifically, as any instance would be a breach of law, our supplier standards and/or our company policies. However, our executive directors’ FY23 remuneration is tied to an objective to drive adherence with YouGov and ESG values - which includes our expectations regarding Modern Slavery - in our supply chain.

This statement is approved by the Board and signed on its behalf by:

Stephan Shakespeare

CEO

YouGov PLC

30 November 2022

YouGov’s Modern Slavery Act Statement is listed on the UK Home Office online registry, available here.