Modern Slavery Act Statement

This statement is made pursuant to section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 (the ‘Act’) and sets out the steps that YouGov plc (YouGov) has taken and is continuing to take to ensure that modern slavery or human trafficking is not taking place within its business or supply chain during the financial year ended 31 July 2024.

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.

At YouGov we do not tolerate modern slavery, servitude, human trafficking or forced labour. We are committed to acting ethically and with integrity and transparency in all business dealings and to having effective systems and controls in place to safeguard against any form of modern slavery taking place within the business or its supply chain.

YouGov is headquartered in the UK, with over 3000 employees worldwide across 34 countries, and operating a member panel across 55 markets. Our supply chain consists of global suppliers of data, research services and consultancy, computer software and equipment, office supplies, and the member panel of millions of registered members.

During the year, we entered into the UN Global Compact and submitted our first Communication of Progress Report on YouGov's performance against the Ten Principles of the Compact and the Sustainable Development Goals. This commitment covers the protection of human rights and the elimination of forced and compulsory labour. More details can be found on page 41 of our Annual Report & Accounts 2024 available to download from our corporate website.

We have taken the following steps to prevent any slavery or trafficking:

  • Our corporate services teams are responsible for the implementation of a number of HR and Governance policies and procedures that support the business in meeting its human rights responsibilities. These are available here and here.
  • Our employees are required to abide by our Global Code of Conduct & Ethics which sets out the expectations YouGov employees have to meet to ensure our good reputation is carried forward into the future.
  • During the year we incorporated modern slavery awareness training into our mandatory Introduction to ESG module for new joiners. This training includes the International Labour Organization (ILO)’s 11 indicators of forced labour, an overview of YouGov’s approach to mitigating modern slavery risks, and information on how to raise any concerns.
  • We provide speak up guidance and operate a speak up policy so that all employees know that they can raise concerns about employee behaviour or treatment, compliance or practices within our business or supply chain, without fear of reprisals.
  • Our recruitment policy includes conducting eligibility-to-work checks for all employees to safeguard against human trafficking and individuals being forced to work against their will.
  • To identify and manage the risk of modern slavery and enforced labour in our supply chain we operate anti-bribery and corruption training.
  • We have taken the following steps to assess and manage any risk that our supply chain may use forced labour:
  • All suppliers go through 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. Key YouGov suppliers are expected to comply with our Business Partner Code of Conduct.
  • We impose specific contractual obligations in contracts with key suppliers under which they warrant that their business complies with prevailing law.
  • We expect our key suppliers to impose equivalent obligations on their own suppliers.

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.

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

Steve Hatch

CEO

YouGov PLC

29 January 2025

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