UNiDAYS is a leading global student affinity network innovating how students and recent graduates interact with their favourite brands since 2011. Headquartered in the UK with over 300 team members across 6 offices in 5 countries, Myunidays Limited, the parent company, and its subsidiaries make up “UNiDAYS”. In accordance with the United Kingdom Modern Slavery Act 2015 (the “Act”), this statement is UNiDAYS’ third annual statement outlining the company’s commitment to ethical labour practices, combating slavery and human trafficking.
At UNiDAYS our core mission is to give students the power to make every experience more valuable and rewarding. We are committed to conducting our business in an ethical, legal, environmentally sustainable and socially responsible manner. Whilst based on our business model we believe that our risk to modern slavery is limited, we aim to operate a business that embodies the changes and values our members are determined to impart to the world. As a part of our overall commitment to our mission, we stand against all forms of modern slavery (which includes slavery, servitude, forced or compulsory labour, and human trafficking), and continuously strive to ensure it will not find a foothold in our business operations. This commitment extends beyond our internal policies and procedures to our business partners, vendors, service providers and suppliers.
Our business partners, vendors, service providers and suppliers, play a crucial role in upholding our ethical mission and values. These include but are not limited to:
- Partners who advertise and offer promotions for their goods and services on UNiDAYS’ Platform.
- Vendors and service providers who provide services that help our Platform operate.
- Suppliers who provide everyday office needs (e.g., cleaning, catering, stationery, etc.).
To mitigate potential modern slavery risks, UNiDAYS has implemented the following measures:
UNiDAYS Corporate Code of Conduct
One of UNiDAYS’ core values is ‘Everyone is Important’ and we strive to ensure that all colleagues are valued and respected in an open and safe environment. The UNiDAYS Corporate Code of Conduct reflects this core value by outlining the expectations of every person connected to and/or who works for and on behalf of UNiDAYS. This includes UNiDAYS Board members, employees, directors, officers, contractors, volunteers, interns, subsidiaries, agents, representatives, consultants and professional advisors. UNiDAYS maintains additional policies addressing equality, diversity, and whistleblowing. The Corporate Code of Conduct establishes clear channels for individuals to report suspected violations and provides protection against retaliation for those making a report. In the event of a violation of our Corporate Code of Conduct, disciplinary actions may include immediate termination of employment or the business relationship.
Partners:
When working with our partners, UNiDAYS takes a proactive approach to mitigating modern slavery risks. All UNiDAYS partners are required to confirm their compliance with applicable international, federal, state, local, and other laws, which include laws related to modern slavery. Our partner terms also require each partner to conform with our Business Partner Code of Conduct (the “Business Partner Code”) which specifically states, “UNiDAYS and our Business Partners must comply with all applicable human rights and employment laws in the jurisdictions in which they work. This includes fully complying with the provisions of global anti-slavery legislation (including the UK Modern Slavery Act 2015), and requires that all Business Partners have in place robust and adequate internal procedures (including but not limited to appropriate policies, approval processes, training and monitoring) to ensure that human trafficking, child and forced labour are not taking part in any part of your business or supply chain.”
Anyone who has knowledge of an actual or suspected violation of the Business Partner Code is asked to make a report using the methods described in the Monitoring and Reporting section below.
Additionally, we upgraded our contract lifecycle management system this year, further facilitating the contract review and due diligence process.
Vendors & Suppliers:
UNiDAYS utilises a rigorous vetting process for all vendors, suppliers, and service providers (“providers”). All potential providers must complete a questionnaire that asks about their commitment to preventing child labour, slavery, forced labour and human trafficking. We evaluate responses to ensure they meet our ethical standards. Providers with unsatisfactory responses will be rejected as providers for our business. Should we become aware of any policy violations by a provider or issues related to modern slavery, our Legal Team ensures that we take appropriate measures in regard to that provider, which may include reporting the information to relevant authorities or terminating the relationship with that provider.
Whistleblower and Non-retaliation Policy
UNiDAYS fosters a culture of open communication through our Whistleblower and Non-retaliation Policy. This policy applies to all persons working or who have worked for UNiDAYS or on its behalf in any capacity, including employees at all levels, directors, officers, workers, agency workers, seconded workers, volunteers, interns, agents, contractors, consultants, third-party representatives and business partners, sponsors, or any other person associated with us, including any relatives, dependants, or spouses of the aforementioned, provides information about raising concerns and complaints arising under or related to the Act, and provides methods for reporting such concerns and complaints, which are also detailed in the Monitoring and Reporting section below.
UNiDAYS’ reviews all policies and codes, including but not limited to, UNiDAYS’ Corporate Code of Conduct, Business Partner Code of Conduct, and Whistleblowing and Non-retaliation Policy, to make sure they are up to date and aligned with the latest industry standards.
Monitoring and Reporting
UNiDAYS takes all concerns seriously. If you suspect modern slavery or any unethical practices within our business, you can report them to the UNiDAYS Legal Team at legal.team@myunidays.com. Additionally, complaints may be made anonymously via the UNiDAYS Whistleblowing Hotline.
The Legal Team will promptly investigate any concerns and complaints arising under or related to the Act and/or the objectives set out in this statement.
We are committed to continuously improving our efforts to prevent slavery and human trafficking within our business. Over the next year, we will continue to build awareness through developing further training for our workforce to equip them with the knowledge and skills to identify and report potential red flags. We will continue to routinely review our People Team policies, procedures and processes to ensure they are appropriate and compliant, in all material aspects.
This Modern Slavery Statement is prepared in accordance with section 54(1) of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and constitutes UNiDAYS’ Modern Slavery Statement for the financial year ending 2023. It has been approved by the Myunidays Limited Board on 24th May 2024.
Jon Hawley
CEO
15th July 2024
Our previous Modern Slavery Transparency Statements can be found here: