PROPOSAL FIVE — STOCKHOLDER PROPOSAL REGARDING VIRTUAL MEETINGS
The Company received from The Humane Society of the United States (“HSUS”) the following shareholder proposal (the “HSUS Proposal”) for action at the Annual Meeting. We will promptly provide HSUS’s address, and, to our knowledge, share ownership upon a shareholder’s written request to the Corporate Secretary at Jack in the Box Inc., 9357 Spectrum Center Blvd., San Diego, CA 92123, Attention: Corporate Secretary.
The following text of the HSUS Proposal and supporting statement appears exactly as received by the Company. All statements contained in the HSUS Proposal are the sole responsibility of HSUS:
Shareholder Proposal Regarding Virtual Meetings
Resolved: Shareholders ask that Jack in the Box develop and adopt a policy, and amend its governing documents as necessary, to ensure that moving forward, its annual and special shareholder meetings will be held either in whole or in part through virtual means (i.e., webcast or other on-line system) and that virtual attendance be allowed. This policy should be formally adopted within six months of the 2022 annual meeting and take effect immediately thereafter.
Supporting Statement:
In 2021, Jack in the Box held its annual shareholder meeting via virtual webcast. Just a few of the other major companies which have held their annual shareholder meetings via virtual webcast include: Walmart, Amazon, ExxonMobil, McDonald’s, Facebook, KraftHeinz, Kroger and Apple.
Shareholders support this format and seek to ensure virtual meetings and attendance continue into the future. Please consider the following:
The COVID pandemic has highlighted for many companies the need to ensure continuity of business operations through virtual or remote means. Countless employees have been expected (or even required) to work remotely. Business travel has been dramatically curtailed as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued health and safety warnings related to air travel. And meetings of all types have been held virtually in greater numbers than ever before.
Yet under its current by-laws, the company may choose to only hold its annual and special shareholder meetings in-person, requiring attendance to be physical, even in circumstances where the CDC recommends against, or when unexpected conditions prevent, travel.
To put it simply, this is unfair and unnecessary: it increases the health risks for any shareholder who may wish to present a proposal, ask a question, or even just attend such a meeting; for company executives and other employees who may be required to attend; for board members; and for support staff at meeting venues.
It also likely deters attendance by forcing shareholders to choose between protecting their health or risking illness in order to exercise their basic shareholder rights.
The advantages of virtual meetings are significant: they add convenience and reduce time and expenses for shareholders, management, and board members; and they promote wider engagement between the company and shareholders.
Further, virtual meetings contribute to various company social and sustainability policies. They further an inclusive company culture by enabling all shareholders an equal opportunity to participate in annual meetings, regardless of financial, physical, or other barriers. And removing the necessity of all shareholders to travel would provide an environmental benefit to the company’s ESG practices.
The COVID pandemic has fundamentally changed the way companies think about and hold meetings. In addition to the business advantages virtual meetings provide, it is fundamental that shareholders should be allowed to attend meetings and exercise their rights without putting themselves and others at increased risk. And corporate executives and employees, as well as board members, should be allowed to do the same. For this reason, you are encouraged to vote FOR this proposal.