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Day after day, all news on the web about employee share ownership


 December 2023 - Employee Ownership is finally coming to Canada!

Canadian colleagues were calling for three things:

 A dedicated Employee Ownership Trust in the income tax act that would provide ownership benefits to all employees at no cost to them.

 A regulatory structure that ensured benefits would go to workers.

 And tax incentives to encourage owners to sell their businesses to their employees, as they do in the US and the UK.

In its Fall Economic Statement, the Federal government delivered meaningful tax incentives, and their policy now includes all three.

Canada's employee ownership policy is thus coming together very well, and significant uptake should be seen as soon as 2024.

Simply a revolution in employee ownership for SMEs in Canada.

More info   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 December 2023 - Echternach procession in Germany

Until now, Germany has never succeeded to fully embrace employee share ownership. Even the words are still lacking to describe it.

In 2021, tax incentives were multiplied by four, to €1,440 instead of 360. With what result? Zero.

Two years later, new political debate. This time we were going to see what we were going to see. 5,000€ decided the Federal Government, promised sworn.

Finally, the German Parliament decided, it will only be 2,000€.

Three steps forward, two steps back, like in the Echternach procession. Germany is progressing, but we are still far from a real employee share ownership policy.

More info    

 

 

 

 

 

 November 2023 - Employee Ownership Knowledge Programme 2023

What is the impact of employee ownership on behaviors and on corporate performance?
It is still not so easy to get reliable information about this.
Until recently, American research was the main provider. This was because the United States was the only place in the world where one could find thousands of employee owned SMEs (ESOP companies), so econometric methods could be used effectively to compare representative samples of employee owned and non-employee owned companies.
Now, with the explosive growth of the number of employee owned SMEs in the UK since the introduction of the EOT scheme, things are changing.
For the first time, such a comparison of representative samples of employee owned and non-employee owned businesses has also been organized in the UK, bringing together numerous facts, numbers and estimates.
The findings of the new "Employee Ownership Knowledge Programme" are presented in two reports: The Conclusion Report and the Detailed Report

 

 

 

 

 

 October 2023 - Risk-free

Employee ownership in SMEs is developing in all sectors and all branches of activity. Here are a few new cases of companies in Great Britain that have just been transferred to the employees:


All these employees became owners of their company, without having to pay anything.
They could keep their savings, nor did they have to take out a loan.
Yet they paid. How? With their work – the same work they had always done.
In other words, employee has not exposed them to any additional risk, contrary to the common misunderstandings.
The financial mechanism that enables companies to be passed on to employees is collective employee ownership.
It works in the USA. It works in Great Britain.
There are in fact many other European countries that have similar legal mechanisms in place: private foundation, fondation privée, fiducie, stichting administratiekantoor, Privatstiftung, stiftelse,…

Find out more        



 

 September 2023 - Oxford Symposium 2023

60 experts and practitioners gathered at Oxford University on 30 and 31 August.

There, they discussed the tools of collective employee ownership, the form of employee ownership that enables SMEs to be transferred to employees on a large scale.

When the owner of an SME wants to retire, the best option is often to transfer the business on to employees. But this is not just about a few shares, the sums involved are much larger. This is not something individual employees can take on. On the other hand, it is perfect for collective employee ownership.

The collective ownership approach avoids the need for employees to invest, risk their own savings or go into debt. Financing comes from outside, in the form of credit, and employees do not bear the risk.

In the Anglo-Saxon world, trusts are used as the legal vehicle for organising this effectively. In the United States, they have used the Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) since 1974. In the UK, the Employee Ownership Trust option is becoming increasingly popular.

There are legal vehicles in many European countries that can be used for the same collective employee ownership process. Their names vary from country to country: private foundation, fondation privée, fiducie, stichting administratiekantoor, Privatstiftung, stiftelse,…

A first set of European countries has now been identified. Currently, the aim is to draw up the model employee ownership vehicle in line with the legislation of each country. Calling all interested lawyers!


 
July 2023 - Collective employee ownership - the unstoppable rise



The new employee-owners at High Speed Training Company, UK
  

While individual employee share ownership is more common in large companies, collective employee ownership works better for SMEs.

By owning shares individually, employees invest their savings in company shares. Large companies are, of course, used to offering their shares to the public. For employees, the shares are often offered on advantageous terms, in the form of a reduced price or a company contribution.

In SMEs, it's a completely different story. Issuing of new shares is rare. Rather, ownership changes only in very specific circumstances: business transfers, when the managing owner wants to retire. We're not talking about a few shares, but the whole company. The sums involved are much larger. This is not something an individual employee can take on. On the other hand, it's perfect for collective employee ownership.

The collective ownership approach avoids the need for employees to invest, risk their own savings or go into debt. Financing comes from outside, in the form of credit, and employees do not bear the risk.

In the Anglo-Saxon world, trusts are used as the legal vehicle for organising this effectively. In the United States, they have used the Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) plan since 1974. In the UK, the Employee Ownership Trust option is becoming increasingly popular. Unstoppable.

There are legal vehicles in many European countries that can be used for the same collective employee ownership process. Their names vary from country to country: private foundation, fondation privée, fiducie, stichting administratiekantoor, Privatstiftung, stiftelse,…

Family ownership has for years been organised across Europe using these mechanisms. The time has come for employees to make use of collective ownership via these vehicles as well.
That will allow for employee ownership to spread throughout Europe, including to SMEs.


 June 2023 - EFES database of European companies

The EFES database of European companies is a unique information tool about European companies. The database gathers all detailed information about employee share ownership, employee share plans and participation in each of all significant European companies.
In addition the database gathers  information about corporate governance, about the ownership structure and about the anchorage (or relocation) of European companies.
It is a unique information tool for analysis, for benchmarking, for academic research and teaching, for understanding current developments.
All the information is available for each company in the form of time series over the entire period from 2006 to 2022.

More info

 

 

 April 2023 - Annual Economic Survey of Employee Share Ownership


JUST RELEASED

The new "Annual Economic Survey of Employee Share Ownership in European Countries" is just released
More information

 



in partnership with



  April 2023 - Employee share ownership in Europe in 2022

• Employee share ownership continues its slow erosion in Europe. Democratic employee share ownership peaked in 2011 in large European companies and has been steadily declining ever since. This is the case in all European countries (with the notable exception of Great Britain).

• Why this falling off? It is a sign that employee share ownership plans are becoming less and less effective. The national fiscal policies that support them have reached their limits.

• Overall, employee share ownership policies, because they remained national, have lost 30% of their effectiveness in a few years. This explains why recent legislative efforts in several countries (Pacte Law in France, fourfold increase of tax incentives in Germany) have not had any significant impact on employee share ownership in large companies.

Press release   

 March 2023 - Jackpot

Everyone of La Redoute’s 1.000 employee shareholders will get 100.000 euro !

This news is doing the rounds in France and beyond, as you can see in our press review.

The story began in 2013 when La Redoute was on the verge of bankruptcy. The employees took over and 1,000 of them invested a few euro. Today they have turned the company around and Galeries Lafayette is now offering millions to buy it back.

These figures are spectacular and unheard of on our shores. But they are common in Anglo-Saxon countries where employee share ownership is widespread in SMEs, unlike in continental Europe. That becomes evident when ESOP participants retire or when there is an IPO.

It seems likely that employee ownership will become popular also in European SMEs, in fact this process has already started.

However, there is no lottery or magic in this. Employees who also co-own their companies are more innovative, work harder and are more motivated. Then there is the control premium, what a buyer is ready to offer to obtain control of a company. For Galeries Lafayette, that is 100 million for La Redoute.

Is employees giving up control of their company in exchange for a big pile of cash a good idea? The future will tell.

We still remember the case of good trade unionists who, together with their colleagues, controlled 10% of a medium-sized Irish bank. They were the majority shareholder. They could not resist the temptation of the prize that Royal Bank of Scotland paid them for their share. Unfortunately, they soon realized that with 1% of RBS, they no longer mattered. Don’t forget how badly that ended.


 February 2023 - Canadian Employee Ownership Coalition

Canada is on its way to introduce the Employee Ownership Trust formula, as has successfully been done in the UK.

The Government of Ottawa is committed to this, along with new incentives for retiring business owners to sell their companies to their employees.

The Canadian Employee Ownership Coalition has just been launched to support this movement, with participants from multiple backgrounds.

More info

 

 

 

 Why HR is a dirty word at Gripple

Gripple is an iconic employee-owned business in the UK. Everyone in the business is a shareholder and it is 100% employee-owned.

That’s not just about having share options, it means everyone has a voice.

Twenty years ago they had around 150 employees. Today, they’ve got over 1,300 globally. 

As Gripple grew, the focus was very much on developing people and culture.

This is why they took the decision to ban HR at Gripple.

More info

 

 

 

 January 2023 - ESG performance and employee share ownership

Environmental, Social and Governance performance is a key point for employee shareholders.

A new research work identifies a very strong link between a company's ESG performance and employees investing in employee share plans.

After ESG incidents, employees are less likely to invest and they invest smaller amounts in their company’s stock. Incidents in the “Social” category, especially those related to working conditions and local incidents, are the ones that affect these investment decisions the most. Pecuniary motives are unlikely to explain this finding. Overall, the results suggest that ESG policies directly impacting the well-being of employees affect employee satisfaction and loyalty the most.

These results indicate that employees do not react according to purely financial motivations. Today, employees are increasingly concerned by the corporate social responsibility practised by their companies.

Employees are also highly sensitive to ESG policies when they invest in their employer’s shares. However, of the various aspects of ESG policy, those directly associated with working conditions have the strongest impact for employee shareholders.

The schizophrenia sometimes attributed to employee shareholders does not stand up to examination of the facts.

See the full study   

 December 2022 - Multiplication of political proposals on the left

Proposals for employee share ownership are multiplying in European left parties.

In Great Britain, the Labour Party has introduced a bill that would reform employee share ownership schemes to allow preferential access to low-income workers. The proposal is in line with industry wishes to encourage more democratic regimes, in particular the distribution of free shares to employees.

Meanwhile in France, the Socialist Party wants to make employee share ownership compulsory in all French companies.

In Slovenia, the new government also feels very inspired. However Domel, the famous Slovenian employee-owned company is calling for help against the intentions of Minister Luka Mesec.

All the details in the press review

 

 

 

 

 

 November 2022 - The great wave of collective employee ownership in SMEs


The employee owners of Oliver & Co. Solicitors

The wave of business transfers to employees has accelerated since the beginning of the summer in Great Britain.

Each day that passes, a new SME is transferred to the employees, most often at 100%.

In October, among others in our press review, the cases of: JDDK Architects, Lyneal Group, Planit-IE, Linear Recruitment, Intec Systems, Dent Instrumentation, Medstrom Beds, Shedkm Architects, Oliver & Co. Solicitors (see photo), Your Equipment Solutions, NE Components, RJ Lifts Services.

Since the introduction of the “Employee Ownership Trust”, the milestone of 1,000 new companies sold and 75,000 new employee shareholders has been reached.

This will support the goal of having one million employee shareholders in UK SMEs by 2030.


 
October 2022 - Controversy in employee share ownership

We know that the results of employee share ownership are beneficial. This is a proven fact. However, employee share ownership takes many forms (there are about ten basic models).

The ideological and political origins of employee share ownership are even more diverse. The review of the supporters of employee ownership ranges from Margaret Thatcher to Ronald Reagan, Charles de Gaulle, Karl Marx to Michel Bakunin. And as for the opponents, they can be found just as easily in the ranks of anarchism, Marxists, Gaullists, ultra-liberals and conservatives. Of course, we can also put Donald Trump in both camps.

As for us, we have to differentiate between fact and fiction, motivations, interpretations, ideologies and particularities as much as possible.

Never before has the distribution of wealth or the ownership of companies been so democratised as it is today. Billions of people around the world have access to it today through banks, pension funds, investment funds and others.

In comparison, employee share ownership remains relatively less widespread.

There is a growing controversy about this, especially in the United States (see this month's press review). It originates from the increasing choice of major private equity funds to include a share for employee ownership in their financial plans. The KKR fund and its leader Pete Stavros express this strongly (“Greater employee ownership can make work fairer”).

On the other hand, historical supporters of employee share ownership view this willingness to participate in the financing of employee share ownership in a negative light. They see it as an intrusion. They argue against finance, for a return to community spirit, to local roots. Corey Rosen, the founder of the central organisation for employee ownership in the United States, the National Center for Employee Ownership, expresses this view in a new book (Ownership: Reinventing Companies, Capitalism, and Who Owns What). A must-read. 


 
September 2022 - Employee share ownership, what is it?

Employee share ownership, what is it? Employee share ownership is when employees hold a stake in the capital of the company that employs them. It starts with one employee holding one share and can extend up to 100% held by all employees.

A small number of model employee share ownership plans exist around the world (but with many variations depending on the specific legislation of each country). These plans are more or less adapted to startups (or micro-enterprises) or to SMEs or large companies.

Like corporate ownership in general, employee share ownership plans can be divided into two main categories, individual direct and collective indirect share ownership:


Direct individual employee share ownership is the most traditional and familiar form.. To achieve this, the employee uses part of his or her savings or financial resources to buy shares in the company, thus assuming a personal risk. This is possible under various types of plans. This category of employee share ownership plans is virtually the only one of its kind in continental Europe.

Indirect collective employee ownership is very little practised in Europe (except in the UK). This explains why employee share ownership in Europe is almost non-existent in SMEs, and why it is almost unknown outside large companies. Indeed, SMEs generally avoid increasing their shareholder numbers, whether or not they are employees. They are only forced into it when they become larger.

On the other hand, one particular phase may trigger a desire for new shareholders: Business transmission. That is why this is the best time to introduce employee ownership in SMEs. Indirect collective ownership is the most suitable form for transferring a company to employees. Plans within this category (ESOP, EOT) have been designed for this purpose. They allow employees to acquire ownership of their company, often 100%, without having to use up their savings or personal finances, and therefore without personal risk.

Indirect collective employee ownership plans (ESOPs, EOTs) facilitate the transfer of companies to employees, which direct individual share ownership schemes can only achieve with great difficulty and expense, as employee savings are usually not up to the task.

More information    

 July 2022 - Employee ownership in SMEs

Today it is a fact, employee ownership is developing at a dazzling rate in SMEs. Where? In Great Britain.

The secret? It is a collective employee ownership. Much easier to finance and to manage than individual shareholdings.

Every day in the UK, a new SME is passed on to its employees. Medium size, 75 employees. They often become 100% employee-owners.

Ten years ago, the Nuttal Review commissioned by the British government gave the signal for this political choice for employee ownership in SMEs. Hence a set of measures based on the implementation of the "Employee Ownership Trust" scheme.

Today Graeme Nuttal looks back on this success by showing "How the UK is encouraging employee ownership internationally". This ranges from the United States to Australia, Canada, South Africa as well as Denmark and continental Europe.

The next 10 years could see collective employee ownership established as the standard model of employee ownership internationally for business successions.

 

 

 

 June 2022 - Corporate Social Responsibility

A new survey in the US found that workers at private businesses owned by employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs) place a higher priority on their companies' commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility than employees at non-ESOP companies.

The survey also found that employee-owned companies are more likely to deliver on those expectations, with workers in ESOP companies giving their employers higher marks than their peers at non-ESOP companies for community investment, volunteering, economic opportunity, and social justice.

At the same time in Poland, the annual report of the Responsible Business Forum singles out Ang Group for its best practices. The Ang Group is the only credit and insurance intermediary operating on the basis of employee ownership in Poland.


More info

 

 

 

 

 

May 2022 - Private-Equity giants back employee ownership
Business transmission to employees has proven itself for a long time in the USA with the ESOP model. Then with the Employee Ownership Trust in Great Britain, and now also in Australia, and very soon in Canada and all over Europe.
So it is practiced, it can be seen, it can be measured, employee ownership is the opportunity to energize SMEs.
The "Ownership Works" consortium is a coalition of leading banking groups, pension funds, financial investors and others. It has just been set up to support this development in the United States, as the centerpiece of an ESG strategy for 2030. More information

 April 2022 - Annual Economic Survey of Employee Share Ownership


JUST RELEASED

The new "Annual Economic Survey of Employee Share Ownership in European Countries" is just released
More information

 



in partnership with



Employee share ownership in Europe in 2021

New progression for employee shareholders in Europe last year, with a capitalization held of 433 billion Euro in shares in their companies, a new record figure. Happy news for all those who can benefit from employee share plans.

The development of employee share ownership has continued in large European companies in 2021. More and more of them are organizing employee share plans. In 2021, 88% of all large European companies had employee share plans of all kinds, while 53% had "broad-based" plans for all employees, and 60% had stock option plans. Finally, 32% of all large European companies launched new employee share plans, a proportion that tends to increase from year to year.

However employee share ownership is in danger within Europe. It is becoming less and less democratic.

The number of employee shareholders decreased last year and it is lower than it was ten years before; 7 million employee shareholders are now recorded in large companies; if we add one million in SMEs, the total number in Europe reaches 8 million (Graph 1). The fall in the democratization rate of employee share ownership has been dramatic over the last ten years. And the employees' stake in the ownership structure of large European companies is decreasing for five years now.

In addition, a shift has occurred between the share held by top executive officers and that of ordinary employees, that of democratic employee share ownership. For the first time in European listed companies, the share held by top executives exceeds that of ordinary employees (Graph 2). In fact, as recently as 15 years ago, the top executives as a whole held 1.06% compared to 1.45% for ordinary employees; today it is 1.53% for the top executives compared to 1.48% for the others.




A group of 10,000 top executive officers (on average four in each company) now owns more than the 34 million employees of large European companies. That’s more than 20 million Euros on average for each top executive, and 30,000 for each ordinary employee shareholder.

It should also be noted that the share held by ordinary employees is back to the same level as fifteen years ago. This observation sanctions Europe's failure to promote a democratic employee share ownership policy. Promoting democratic employee ownership is indeed a political choice, usually supported by fiscal incentives. Without support, the average employee cannot afford to invest financially in his or her company. Few European countries do this effectively.

On the contrary, we observe that the top executives have not lacked the resources to do so. Have public policies to support employee share ownership, where they exist, been poorly calibrated and misused by top executives? We can see that this is not the case; in fact, the share of the 1.53% resulting from the exercise of stock options and other plans is microscopic, representing only 0.05%.

However, where, in which countries has the share of top executives multiplied the most over the last fifteen years, and where has it been contained? The share of top executives increased the most in countries where democratic share plans are most absent. Where has the share of top executives been contained? Where democratic employee ownership is most significant. This is particularly the case in France, the country with the highest share of ordinary employees in Europe (3.50%), and the rare country where the share of top executives has not soared, since it is now at the same level as fifteen years ago (1.05%).

The facts are plain to see: Democratic employee ownership is a guarantee of balance. Its absence or weakness opens the door to the soaring share held by top executives.


   February 2022 - Disaster in Norway

It's done. Since 1st January, the surprise abolition of all employee share ownership incentives by the new Norwegian government has been completed.
The time for a political debate has therefore arrived. What should be done, and what is the alternative? As a former celebrated Belgian socialist prime minister used to say: "I act first and think later".
For the Norwegian Social Democratic Party, employee ownership represented inequality. We will replace it with tax benefits for stock options in start-ups, which will surely be much more egalitarian.
Start-ups are currently all the rage for politicians throughout Europe.
At the European Commission, Commissioner Thierry Breton made a similar statement a while ago.  We highlighted the delay in Europe for employee shareholding in SMEs, the need to introduce in Europe financial tools adapted to the transfer of companies to employees. "The job is done", he said: in just a few months we have put in place a European strategy to promote the use of stock options in start-ups.
This European strategy (the EU Start-up Nation Standard) consists essentially of asking the European states to act, which is apparently what is also happening in Norway.
We responded that a strategy aimed at the 20 to 30,000 European start-ups cannot be commensurate with the needs of European SMEs. In fact, the European Union currently has two million SMEs employing 50 million people (not counting the 23 million micro-enterprises which also employ nearly 50 million people).
According to such logic, Europe now has such good electric bicycles that it will not even require rockets for future trips to Mars.
At least in Norway the debate is lively, as you can see in our press review.


   January 2022 - Model plans

Employee share ownership, what is it? Employee share ownership is when employees hold a stake in the capital of the company that employs them. It starts with one employee holding one share and can extend up to 100% held by all employees.

A small number of model employee share ownership plans exist around the world (but with many variations depending on the specific legislation of each country). These plans are more or less adapted to startups (or micro-enterprises) or to SMEs or large companies.

Like corporate ownership in general, employee share ownership plans can be divided into two main categories, individual direct and collective indirect share ownership:


Direct individual employee share ownership is the most traditional and familiar form.. To achieve this, the employee uses part of his or her savings or financial resources to buy shares in the company, thus assuming a personal risk. This is possible under various types of plans. This category of employee share ownership plans is virtually the only one of its kind in continental Europe.

Indirect collective employee ownership is very little practised in Europe (except in the UK). This explains why employee share ownership in Europe is almost non-existent in SMEs, and why it is almost unknown outside large companies. Indeed, SMEs generally avoid increasing their shareholder numbers, whether or not they are employees. They are only forced into it when they become larger.

On the other hand, one particular phase may trigger a desire for new shareholders: Business transmission. That is why this is the best time to introduce employee ownership in SMEs. Indirect collective ownership is the most suitable form for transferring a company to employees. Plans within this category (ESOP, EOT) have been designed for this purpose. They allow employees to acquire ownership of their company, often 100%, without having to use up their savings or personal finances, and therefore without personal risk.

Indirect collective employee ownership plans (ESOPs, EOTs) facilitate the transfer of companies to employees, which direct individual share ownership schemes can only achieve with great difficulty and expense, as employee savings are usually not up to the task.

More information    


   December 2021 - Threat in Norway

It begins in Denmark.

Under the spectre of the financial crisis, one of the first acts of the new Danish government in 2011 (Helle Thorning-Schmidt, social democrat) was to stop all incentives for employee ownership. Five years later, in 2016, one of the first acts of the new Danish government (Lars Rasmussen, liberal conservatives) was to restore these incentives as they were.
But there was nothing to be done. Fatal political instability. Reinvestment in new employee share plans did not take place, companies did not return to it.
Today, Denmark is once again led by a social democratic government. It dreams of promoting “democratic” companies.

And now there’s Norway.

It is not the best-placed country in Europe for the development of employee share ownership, with 40,000 employee shareholders, accounting for only 10% of the total workforce of large companies. To catch up, the Norwegian government decided to increase incentives for employee share plans in 2021.
But then there were elections. New social democratic government. Surprise, surprise: The project changed. The aim now is to abolish all tax incentives for employee share ownership, which is seen as a source of inequality.
Nonetheless, it has long been established that employee ownership benefits not only the direct beneficiaries and the companies, but also the all-round quality of life for the general population.
In the Norwegian press, the arguments for and against clash with each other, with organisations and unions divided.

See the press review    


  November 2021 - Go Ape Adventure Forest
                                        New employee-owned company in the UK


Founders Rebecca and Tristram Mayhew announced on 23rd October 2021 that 90% of Go Ape shares will be transferred into an Employee Ownership Trust, for the benefit of all current and future employees. The remaining 10% of the business will be retained by Rebecca and Tristram.
Since founding Go Ape in 2002 the proudly independent company has experienced ‘tree-mendous’ growth. Nearly 20 years on they have built a multi-award winning forest adventure business with 35 locations across Britain. It welcomes over a million customers a year and employs a team of a thousand in the UK. Go Ape has also branched out across the pond, operating in 16 states in America.
Now what is the Go Ape new governance structure?
Before transferring the large majority of their shares into an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT) for the benefit of all employees, Go Ape’s founders wrote down a statement of ambition for the company going forward. This statement is recorded as "‘The Founders’ Wishes".
It is based upon the core values that shaped the direction and decision making of Go Ape’s first 20 years. 

More information with  The Founders' Wishes   


  October 2021 - The 1BY30 Coalition

A coalition is formed in the United Kingdom. It brings together the leading organizations of the cooperative movement and employee ownership - Co-operatives UK and the Employee Ownership Association.
They are campaigning for the 1 by 30 - the one milllion owners: One million employee owners in British SMEs by 2030.
More than the whole of the European Union today.
In recent years there has been increased demand for professional advice and support relating to employee  ownership in the UK. This is why the coalition set up The Ownership Hub.
The Ownership Hub is developing resources and training for professional advisors to be able to support entrepreneurs and business to adopt employee ownership and and worker co-operatives at different stages of the business lifecycle.Worker co-operatives are the established model for creating business that are worker owned from start-up. The co-op model is also often used by young business to transition to worker ownership early on.
In addition, startups are frequently using employee share schemes, particularly stock options.

On the other hand, the picture is quite different in the framework of ownership succession. For business transmission to employees, the ESOP/EOT schemes are the most effective in many cases.

More information in  The Ownership Hub  

 

 


   September 2021 -  Employee ownership driving Scottish economic recovery

By 2030, the Scottish Government hopes the country will be home to 500 employee-owned companies, compared to just over 100 having switched to Employee Ownership Trusts currently.

Tens of thousands of new employee owners.

They are witnessing a real awakening as to the benefits that businesses becoming owned by their staff brings, not just personally but for the fact that it locks jobs, wealth and talent in Scotland.

Employee ownership’s part in the long-term recovery from the coronavirus pandemic cannot be overlooked.

Transitioning to employee ownership is typically done by entrepreneurs or family-owned businesses as part of their succession plans.

What are the benefits for sellers? What are the benefits for employees?

Let's see the facts: In our press review, a dozen real cases and testimonies this summer in the British press.

See more  

  May 2021 -  A disinformation campaign in France

An ever-increasing wave of employee buyouts has been surging around the world in recent months. It is a result of the pandemic. In the wake of the crisis, many SME owners now have a different outlook on life and want to pass on their businesses.
At present, one SME is being handed over to its employees every day in Great Britain, which equates to 85 people on average. One small or medium-sized enterprise every day. The employees become majority owners of the company, usually even holding 100% of the shares, as is the case in the SCOP, the workers'  cooperatives in France.
This is thanks to the ESOP plan and its British variant, the EOT (Employee Ownership Trust).
These are completely different from the employee share purchase plans as we know in large companies in Paris. Employees do not have to invest their own savings. Moreover, the latter would not be able to buy their company.
Thus, in the ESOP model, employees do not assume the financial risk personally.
In several countries, the cooperative movement is among the spearheads of ESOPs in SMEs. The same goes for the trade union movement. For example, Wales with the Wales Co-operative Centre and Scotland with the agency Co-operative Development Scotland.
In contrast, France currently offers a striking picture. Indeed, the ESOP gained a foothold in France through a campaign of misinformation organised through the press and political lobbying.
This campaign is led by the FAS, an organisation that groups a dozen active associations of employee shareholders into large groups in Paris. Find out more


Supermenteur  


   May 2021 - New legislation in Germany

The new legislation for employee share ownership was passed by the Bundestag on 22 April. It represents significant progress. The tax incentives are multiplied by four, i.e. EUR 1,440 per year and per person. We can expect to see many more companies turning to employee ownership, both large ones as well as SMEs and startups. Political decision-making has suddenly accelerated in Germany. However, we remain far removed from the demands of practitioners and international standards (see our press review). More information


   March 2021 - A French Success Story

Since the beginning of the year, the number of Employee Ownership Trusts in the UK has been growing at an increasing rate.

At this pace, the number of companies passed on to employees will double this year to 600 or 700. Since the formula was put in place in April 2014, just a few years ago, it has been a success.

In comparison, France set up a "takeover FCPE" system in 2006.

In France, too, the figure is rising sharply. Indeed, only two cases of company transfers to takeover FCPEs had occurred between 2006 and 2020, but this number could rise to three in 2021, i.e. +50%. This would place France not far from the +100% expected in Great Britain and in any case much higher than all other European countries.

The takeover FCPE was designed on the same principle as the FCPEs that are so successful in large companies. In both cases, these are employee share purchase plans.

Under the share purchase plans, employees are invited to invest a portion of their savings in company shares. To this end, they benefit from incentives (price discounts, company contributions, tax bonuses, etc). These plans are well suited to large companies, whose size is a factor in mitigating financial risk.

On the other hand, buying the shares of an SME is a much riskier operation. And the investment by employees in an SME is generally made during a business transfer, so a significant part of the company, often 100%, must be purchased. Generally, employee savings are not within the scope of such an operation.

The countries that have been most successful in organising an employee ownership policy in SMEs are those that have adopted financial mechanisms that are essentially different from share purchase plans.

ESOP plans in the United States and Employee Ownership Trusts in the United Kingdom are not employee share purchase plans. Employees do not take the risk of investing their personal savings. These employee share ownership plans are therefore much less risky. And yet they allow employees to become owners of their company, often 100% thereof.

There is nothing to prevent the same financial mechanisms being adopted in France. Nothing serious stands in the way of implementing an effective employee share ownership policy in SMEs, thus heralding a new French success story.

More information       


  February 2021 - How many employee shareholders in Europe?

The number of employee shareholders in Europe continues to rise.

This is indicated by the initial figures from the new Annual Census of Employee Ownership in Europe, which will be published next April.

The graph makes it possible to distinguish the evolution in listed companies, but also in all large companies (listed and unlisted), as well as in SMEs.


In large companies, employee ownership has suffered from the negative policies adopted by governments in countries like France or Denmark in the early 2010's.

Recently, policies have become more positive again, but negative shocks are still far from being forgotten. It's easier to break trust than it is to restore it. In Denmark, for example, tax incentives were abolished in 2011 and reinstated in 2016, but few companies have yet taken the risk of reinvesting in employee share plans.

In SMEs, the number of employee shareholders in Europe continues to stagnate at around one million people. With the exception of Great Britain, no European country has yet set up an employee share ownership scheme adapted to SMEs (exception workers' cooperatives). This in direct contrast to the USA, where ESOP plans alone have 14 million employee shareholders.

At the current rate, it will take Europe a little over 400 years to reach a number of employee shareholders comparable to that achieved today in the United States.

Come on, we can do better!


 January 2021 - Employee share ownership in SMEs – Great Britain's success

It is well known that the transfer of a company represents the most favourable moment in time and the most efficient operation for multiplying employee share ownership in SMEs.

This is what convinced the USA to implement the ESOP technique in 1974. In Europe, the first country to act in the same direction was Great Britain, with the launch of the Employee Ownership Trust (EOT) formula in April 2014.

Question: Is it a success?

  • From 19 transfers in 2014, it rose to 27 in 2015, then 33, 43, 56, 66 and finally 86 in the first eleven months of 2020 (Table 1). A total of 333 companies were thus transferred to more than 30,000 employee shareholders. To reach a comparable number of employee shareholders, it had taken France more than a hundred years, thanks to the formula of the workers' cooperative - the SCOPs (and even more in Italy with the cooperative di lavoro).
  • In a very large number of cases, as with the ESOP plan, these are 100% business transfers to employees. In other cases, it is a question of partial transfer.
  • The average size of the transferred companies is 91 employees, which is very representative of the size of the average SME. In a small number of cases, these are micro-enterprise transfers, with an average size of 7 employees. The average size of the "small" companies transferred is 25 employees, and the average size of the "medium" companies is 100 employees. Finally, there are 806 employees on average for "large" unlisted companies. All these figures are very much in line with the average size of the populations of companies of all sizes. The formula therefore shows a very high degree of adaptability, without bias in terms of the size of the companies.
  • The sectors of activity concerned are mainly high value-added and high-tech sectors (Table 2). Here again, the wide range of business sectors is a sign of the formula's great adaptability.

 

 

 

 

In short: A remarkable success !

Thus Great Britain is the only European country so far to have been able to set up an effective policy of employee share owneership in SMEs.

Yet it could be even better.

Thus in 1980, a few years after its launch in 1974, the ESOP plan already had some 5,000 business transfers to its credit in the USA. At the time, the population of Great Britain was one third of that of the USA. On the scale of Great Britain, the ESOP plan had therefore enabled a little over 1,500 companies to be transferred, compared to the 333 company transfers observed today with the EOT formula.

Why the difference in efficiency between the two formulas?

The EOT formula is a simplified derivative of the ESOP plan. It seems that in this case, as often, the original is better than the copy.

Indeed, there are two main differences between ESOP and EOT:

1. EOT is based on a tax exemption on dividends (distributed as bonuses to tax-exempt employees up to £3,600 per year), under special legislation. In comparison, the ESOP plan allows for the exemption not only of dividends but also of the company's profits. The ESOP formula therefore avoids both profit tax and dividend tax. And this, not by virtue of any particular legislation, but by virtue of the simple fiscal engineering of employee share ownership.

2. In the ESOP formula, employees can cash in their shares and sell them when they leave the company (usually upon retirement). In the EOT formula, they cannot, the trust holds the shares for an indefinite period of time, in perpetuity.

These two differences probably explain the much greater success of the ESOP plan.

Today, however, there is a worldwide debate on the respective advantages of the two formulas. ESOP or EOT? The question is being asked in Great Britain as well as in the USA, Canada and Australia.

Two formulas are better than one!  It might be appropriate in the USA to add the EOT formula next to the existing ESOP model. And it would no doubt be wise in Great Britain to introduce the ESOP formula in addition to EOTs.

In both cases, it should be easy to leave the choice of formula to the new shareholders. Once the trust has been set up, the choice of formula would be left to the new shareholders, allowing it to materialise either in the form of an ESOP or an EOT. There is no doubt that employee shareholding would find even more legitimacy and support.

Read more  


  December 2020 - Fiscal engineering

What company doesn't dream of doubling its profitability?

This is what the ESOP employee share ownership plan can achieve in most European countries, depending on the corporate income and dividend tax rates.

It is well known that each type of business ownership has its own particular forms of fiscal engineering. Whether it's the large international group, the individual boss or the family ownership, they all have their own methods.

On the other hand, it is generally overlooked that employee ownership provides particularly effective mechanisms for SMEs.

As a result, the existing tax system may encourage employee share ownership and the reduction of wealth inequalities. And this without any particular new legislation.

This particularity is at the root of the success of ESOP employee share ownership plans.

Indeed, the ESOP plan makes it possible to clear out the company's profits in the form of supplementary pension contributions for the employee-owners of the company. Once the profit has been disposed of, there is no longer any tax on the profit or on the dividends. It's as simple as that.

This is what makes the ESOP plan simpler and more effective than any other for employee ownership in SMEs and for providing them with equity capital.

This has been one of the two keys to the success of ESOP plans in SMEs in the US since 1974.

That is why there are 14 million employee shareholders in ESOP plans in the USA, compared with barely one million employee shareholders in SMEs in Europe, even though the US population is half as small as ours.

Fiscal engineering is often decried. In many cases, it reduces taxes to benefit private interests at the expense of the public interest.

With the fiscal engineering of employee share ownership, it's a different matter altogether. This benefits all employees and the public interest. Indeed, all studies show that it contributes to general well-being and the reduction of inequalities.

The fiscal engineering of employee share ownership is a virtuous fiscal engineering.

Read more  


  November 2020 - How to create an ESOP plan

For employee share ownership in SMEs, the ESOP is the simplest and most effective plan in the world.

Here's how to do it:

1. You are the main shareholder of XYZ Company and you want to sell your shares.

2. You create a "Foundation (or a trust) for Employee Share Ownership and Pensions at Company XYZ".

3. You sell your shares to the foundation. For the payment, you make credit to the foundation (or help it to obtain credit or other financing).

4. The following year, as every year, XYZ company makes a profit. This used to be taxed. But not anymore. The company calculates and pays the foundation a pension contribution equivalent to the profit before employee shareholding. From then on, the profit has disappeared. No profit, no tax.

5. The foundation receives the annual pension contribution. It is a non-profit organisation, so it is not taxed on its income. No tax there either.

6. The foundation creates an individual account for each employee. This registers each employee's rights to receive shares in Company XYZ when he or she leaves the company (usually at retirement age).

7. In addition, the foundation organises a system for employee shareholders to vote on items on the agenda of the annual meeting of shareholders of company XYZ.

8. Each year, the foundation receives the supplementary pension contribution of the employees who are members of the plan. This contribution is first used to repay the credit originally received to purchase the shares.

9. Then, the free shares are added each year in the form of "entitlements" to each employee's individual account, using a simple distribution key (often pro rata to wages).

10. Thus employees exercise their rights as shareholders and own the shares, except that they can only dispose of (sell) them when they leave the company. They are highly motivated to make everything work for the best. In fact, it has been observed that companies with ESOP plans work better than others.

An ESOP plan is as simple as that.

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  October 2020 - Even in France

14 million employee shareholders in the ESOP model in the US alone. Millions of employee shareholders in small and medium-sized businesses there, almost nothing here. Prosperity for them, peanuts here.
But what is really American about the ESOP model?
Is a Management Buy Out (MBO) an exclusively American phenomenon? Certainly not, it's finance, it's universal. Even in France.
Is a Leveraged Buy Out (LBO) an exclusively American phenomenon? Certainly not, it's finance, just as as two and two make four, it's universal. Even in France.
Is a fund or foundation where shares are held on behalf of employees an exclusively American phenomenon? Certainly not, it's universal. Even in France.
Is a shareholder who sells all or part of his shares to a foundation an exclusively American phenomenon? Of course not, it's happening everywhere. Even in France.
Are pension supplements deductible from corporate profits an exclusively American phenomenon? Certainly not, they are everywhere. Even in France.

Is a foundation where shares held on behalf of employees only become available when the employees leave the company an exclusively American phenomenon? See Austria, even in very large companies like Voestalpine or Erste Bank. See Sweden... Is it possible here? Clearly, yes. Even in France.


Superdupont

Thus, these are all the main ingredients of the ESOP model.
All this is possible in Europe as well. Without special legislation, with existing law. Even in France.
We are reminded that our friends at Equalis Capital in Paris were justly proud to announce a first a few years ago, a French ESOP (of the non-leveraged type, it is true). So, when will the first leveraged ESOP be launched in France?
The American aspect of the ESOP model is one aspect and one aspect only: they use it and we don't. Will we ever be able to stop this foolishness? Even in France?
How can this kind of employee share ownership plan be introduced in every European country? A group of European and American experts explain it in this issue.


   September 2020 - A whole library

The ESOP is the most iconic employee share plan in the world. It is so iconic that it is described as "the" Employee Stock Ownership Plan (which also brought some confusion).

No other model involves so many employee shareholders (14 million in the USA). It got the attention of the most famous employee ownership experts and researchers since it was launched in 1974.

Every year, these experts meet in San Diego, California, including many Europeans. It is the topic of most of the research and academic works about employee share ownership worldwide.

And it is the most effective and succesfull employee share scheme for SMEs.

A full dedicated library features more than 600 resources designed to help teaching and research  work about employee share ownership. All information about CLEO Library can be found here.

How can we introduce this type of employee share ownership plan in every European country? A group of European and American experts explains how in this publication.


 July 2020 - Employee share ownership for SMEs

Worldwide, there is a model for employee share ownership plans for SMEs a thousand times more effective than all the others. It is the ESOP. It is very suitable for SME owners, as well as for employees.

Why? Because it is based on today's financial techniques, not those of past centuries.

In this model, employees do not have to find the money, sacrifice their savings, take the risk.
Indeed, just as can be seen in the leveraged buyout techniques, it is the company and its shareholders that  provide the financing and the guarantees.

How can we introduce this type of employee share ownership plan in every European country? A group of European and American experts explains how in this publication

 

 


June 2020 - The three branches of employee share ownership

We need to be clear in Europe that employee share ownership is not a single model - in fact there are three main models of employee share plans.
1) Employee Share Purchase Plans (ESPPs). In this model, employees buy shares of the company they work for, usually at a discounted price. ESPPs are the most effective plans for large listed companies.
2) Stock Options, which are the most effective plans for startups.
3) The ESOP model. It is something completely different from the first two models and it is the most effective employee share plan for SMEs. In this model, employees become the collective owner of the company they work for. For this, they don't have to use their own resources or savings. The funding usually comes from external sources, typically banks (as in a leveraged buyout) or other sources as in the context of the corona crisis. The first beneficiaries of the ESOPs are thus not employees but companies. In the USA, this is a significant way of funding the whole economy. The ESOP model can help companies to tackle liquidity problems and bankruptcies, where employees will the ultimate beneficiaries - this is why it is an "employee" share plan.

Let's have a look at Europe as regards these three different models.
1) ESPPs are well known in Europe: Several European countries have been promoting these schemes for a long time and successfully so. They are mainly intended for the some 10 000 European listed companies, employing 36 million employees or 25% of employees in European private companies.
2) Stock options. The European Commission has just decided to launch a new strategy to encourage employee stock options for startups. Undoubtedly a significant step forward. It is focused on the some 18.250 European startups, employing some tens of thousands employees or 0.1% of all employees in private companies.
3) ESOPs. This model is essentially aimed at SMEs (and large non-listed companies). We calculate there are 1.7 million SMEs in Europe employing 54 million persons or 37% of employees in private companies, - and even 67 million or 46% if we include large non-listed companies.

Still today, employee share ownership in European SMEs is virtually unknown. It has been highly successful for 45 years in the USA and so the model for it already exists - the ESOP. European SMEs are missing out badly, and it could be a major tool to help tackle the crisis. The European Commission has made good progress on stock options for startups. We urge to make similar efforts for ESOPs in SMEs. The numbers involved are many time greater. More information

April 2020 - Pandemic

Appeal to all European
governments and institutions

Employee share ownership
in times of pandemic

Sign and react   


February 2020 - Contrasts in the UK

No this is not about Brexit.

Six new firms moved last month to the Employee Ownership Trust scheme, the highest number in a single month since the scheme was introduced into British law in 2014. Like the ESOP plan in the USA from which it is loosely inspired, the scheme aims to encourage the transmission of SMEs to employees.
On the other hand, while presenting itself as the best example for employee share schemes in the UK and employee ownership as the key point of its strategy, John Lewis department stores chain today faces the biggest crisis in its 156-year history.



January 2020 - France:  On the way for the 10%

France decided last year to reach a 10% employee shareholding target in French economy by 2030.
This basically means doubling the current level in large listed companies.
On the other hand, everything remains to be done in French SMEs.
Very ambitious objective!
A working group of experts is now proposing the set of 13 "strong and disruptive" measures to reach the target. More details


November 2019 - Germany: The Coalition decides that tax incentives will be doubled


In the course of the negotiations on the basic pension, the coalition has agreed to increase the tax-free allowance for employee participation in working capital from 360 euros to 720 euros. The Coalition Resolution of 10 November 2019 states: "Employee share ownership contributes to the accumulation of wealth of employees. In order to increase their attractiveness, the maximum tax-exempt amount will be increased from the current 360 euros to 720 euros. " Thus, the coalition takes up a long-standing demand of the German Association for Employee Participation (AGP) to improve the tax environment for employee capital participation.

With the increase in the allowance, AGP expects a significant effect on the accumulation of assets of employees who can already make use of the corresponding investment offers of their company. "To what extent more companies will offer participation programs for their employees in the future, remains to be seen, however, since the allowance in comparison to other European countries remains low. The European experience here shows a clear correlation between the level of support and the degree of penetration of employee capital participation, "says AGP Managing Director, Dr. Ing. Heinrich Beyer. The association therefore pleads for a further gradual expansion of the tax subsidy. A further increase could also strengthen the German start-up companies in the international location competition for qualified specialists.

 

November 2019 - Employee share ownership in SMEs


Employee share ownership cannot be effectively developed in SMEs by applying the same schemes as for large companies. Large companies have to raise more capital, they have to multiply the number of shareholders in this view, and it makes sense to involve many employee shareholders as well. In SMEs, the need for capital is limited, shareholders are few, and most often it does not make sense to allocate shares to many employees. In SMEs, collective employee share ownership schemes are far more efficient and, worldwide, the ESOP plan adopted in 1974 in the US is by far the most efficient of all.

The United Kingdom is the only country in Europe to have introduced employee share ownership schemes for SMEs with some success (but much less than in the US). For its part, the Labour Party has also made a proposal under the label of "employee ownership", which is controversial.

On the other hand, employee share ownership in SMEs, whether individual and direct as in large companies raises the question of devices to be able to exchange shares, as can be done on a stock market. In the US, the OTC Markets Group is pushing for this.


 October 2019 - Employee share ownership impacts top executives compensation


A research project at the University of Aix-Marseilles in France highlights the impact of employee share ownership on the level of compensation of top executives in listed companies.
Employee share ownership affects the organization of work, policies and management practices, leading ultimately to an impact on corporate performance.
The results of the study show that employee share ownership  plays a direct and indirect role on the determinants of executive compensation, with a significant moderating impact.
In addition, the presence of employee shareholders directors on the Board of Directors tends to limit executive compensation.

More information (in French)


 June 2019 - The USA is widening the gap
Studies are proliferating about employee share ownership in the US, bringing useful information for everyone in the world, including Europe.
The 2018 administration of the US General Social Survey, a long-standing survey of the US work force, included a segment on employee ownership.

It found that 20% of private-sector workers in the USA have some level of ownership in the companies where they work, including 11 million who participate in ESOPs and 25 million with some other form of stock-based compensation.
This is 36 million in total compared to 9 million in Europe.

The survey found that among those workers that hold company stock, the average value of that stock was $75,205.
In total $2,700 billion compared to 400 billion € in Europe.

The study's author, professor Douglas Kruse, noted that employee-owners are "six times less likely to be laid off." The study found that, over the last year, the surveyed non-employee-owners were laid off at a rate of 3.7%, versus 0.6% for the employee-owners. Among companies with employee engagement programs, the study found that companies with generous employee ownership plans had a rate of turnover in general (i.e., including voluntary turnover) of 6%, far less than the 14% rate for those with no stock plan.

This reality is far from the idea which was prevailing in the Juncker Commission in Brussels, that employee share ownership would be too risky and bringing additional uncertainty to workers.
The truth is that employee share ownership brings more wealth and stability. More information

 March 2019 - Congratulations from the Irish Parliament

The Irish Parliament likes this newsletter, he let us know by letter.

Every month, this newsletter highlights the significant facts of employee share ownership worldwide, as well as European policies.

The monthly press review is a fabulous source of information. It sheds light on proven facts and helps sort out fake news, delivering a story full of novelties and twists.

The progress and benefits of employee share ownership are becoming more and more evident.

Letter from the Irish Parliament


 December 2018 - Call from European startups

European tech startups are asking politicians to reform employee stock ownership rules to help them better compete with Silicon Valley peers in hiring.

Europe could be the world’s most entrepreneurial continent. But policies that currently govern employee ownership across Europe are often archaic and highly ineffective.

“Some are so punishing that they put our startups at a major disadvantage"...

More information


 November 2018 - European Parliament's Vote


The Parliament passed its Resolution by an overwhelming majority on 23 October in Strasbourg (589 for, 39 against and 10 abstentions).

This is thanks to the Report due to Ms Renate Weber, Romanian Member of the European Parliament (MEP), reiterating the Parliament's support to the goal of "employee share ownership for all" and the need for a European Action Plan.

Amongst all benefits, the Report particularly highlights the positive effect of employee share ownership on growth and employment.

Together with other MEPs, candidates to the 2019 Election and European Commissioners, Ms Renate Weber will conclude the Conference of 6 February in Brussels.

More information

 

 October 2018 - Employee share ownership? Which one?

How to make employee share ownership really work? If there is one thing that absolutely everyone believes in the UK, it is that employee share ownership is a very good thing. However, the new proposals due to the Labour Party provoke violent controversies.

What really matters is not just the shares but the rights, obligations and extent of ownership attached to them. Full rights or imitations? In the Labour Party version, "employee" ownership would not really be an ownership scheme: Employees would not be able to buy or sell the shares that would be notionally theirs...

 September 2018 - Legislative proposal in Germany

North Rhine-Westphalia Government wants to make employee ownership in start-ups much more attractive in Germany through higher tax incentives. A legislative proposal in this sense is submitted to the Bundesrat.

The current tax incentive would be increased from 360€ as it is now in Germany to 5.000€ annually. This way, Germany would be at a standard level for such incentives in Europe.

A European wave to promote employee ownership and stock options in start-ups can be observed in Europe recently. New legislation in this sense are already in force in Ireland, France, Sweden and the Netherlands, and projects are also in discussion in Austria, Luxembourg and Switzerland. More information


 September 2018 -
President Donald Trump

President Donald Trump signed historic new law bringing new incentives to promote employee-owned businesses. It is known as the "Main Street Employee Ownership Act".

The new legislation had co-sponsors on both sides of the political aisle, Democrats and Republicans.

It is the most far-reaching employee share ownership legislation to pass US Congress in over 20 years.

It is expected to double or even triple the growth rate of employee-owned companies over the next decade. More information

 June 2018 - Barometer of employee share ownership policies in European countries


20 European countries now have policies for the promotion and the development of employee share ownership, against 18 in 2017 and 15 in 2015. This is driving our barometer to its all-time high.
Austria, France, Ireland, The Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark, they all introduced new pieces of incentive legislation this year. In addition, France - already number one for employee share ownership in Europe - took the decision to double its employee share ownership by 2030, which would put it at the level reached today by the USA. An important signal for all Europeans.

More information



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 June 2018 - US Federal Reserve Bank on employee ownership


In an ongoing series of articles on the quality of work, the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston published a long article on employee ownership, showing how improved employee engagement benefits companies, workers, and local economies.

The article includes an interview with Douglas Kruse of Rutgers University that covers the background and latest research results about employee ownership and ESOPs, plus an interview with several employee-owners of Cape Air, including a video about employee ownership at the company.

More information  

 May 2018 - Discriminations in voting rights

As long term investors, employee shareholders benefit from positive discrimination in France since 2014: Voting rights are usually doubled, which means that when employee shareholders hold for instance 6%, their voting rights count for 12%. This contributes to the growing involvement of employee share ownership in corporate governance in France. Employee shareholders are represented in the Boards of Directors in 33 of the largest French companies.

At the contrary, employee shareholders' voting rights suffer negative discrimination in six European countries: Denmark, Sweden, Finland, The Netherlands, Switzerland and Germany. Typical cases here are companies issuing two classes of shares, A-shares with 10 votes and B-shares with 1 vote. Controlling owners hold high voting shares but employee share plans are based on low voting ones. This way, employee shareholders' voting rights are severely discriminated, in up to 37% of large companies in Sweden. Employee shareholders' voting rights are generally reduced by 30% to 60% in Denmark and Sweden, in comparison with the one-share-one-vote rule. More


  April 2018 - World's First Institute for the Study of Employee Ownership

Rutgers School of Management (New York) launches the world's first academic "Institute for the Study of Employee Ownership and Profit Sharing". The new global research hub will be dedicated to addressing economic inequality through capital shares. It will expand the existing research programs, develop promising scholars worldwide, and explore new collaborations, with the goal of building a more inclusive economy for workers and their families. More



  February 2018 - The most remarkable cases
The list of the most remarkable large European companies considering employee share ownership was just updated, with 113 most remarkable cases in 2017. They are located in Austria, Belgium, Switzerland, Denmark, Germany, Spain, Finland, France, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the UK. The list will be part of the coming "Annual Economic Survey of Employee Share Ownership in European Countries in 2017", to be released in March. Full list


  January 2018 - 10% in the hands of employees in France

The objective of 10% to be held by employee shareholders in France by 2030 was launched last month in Paris by the French Federation of Employee Shareholders Associations (FAS).
This may be compared with 4 to 6% held now in large French companies (depending on definitions), and to some 10% in the USA.
President Macron and the French Government will back this objective, seeing  employee share ownership as a key factor for the revival of a population of individual investors.
After eight years of negative policies under Presidents Sarkozy and François Hollande, this is a very good signal for employee share ownership in Europe.
France is back !

  November 2017 - Good news for employee share ownership in Europe

As all barometers, this one announces the future. The positive trend of our barometer since 2013 announced the resumption of growth in the number of employee shareholders in European companies. This one is actually happening. Very good news for all Europeans !
All recent policy developments in Europe pave the way towards higher incentives for employee ownership, which confirms the positive trend observed since 2013.
In addition to the two existing employee share schemes in Austria, a third scheme will be introduced on 1.1.2018 providing exemption of tax and social contribution up to 4.500 € annually. In France, the employers' social contribution on restricted share units will be reduced in 2018. New legislation in 2018 also in Ireland, in The Netherlands, in Sweden. In addition, Poland is preparing  promising legislation.
Twenty European countries now have incentive policies for the development of employee share ownership. This number had never been higher before. More information




  November 2017 - What's going on with the European Commission

The main obstacle to the development of employee share ownership across Europe is the lack of information about its benefits and how manage risks.

In a letter to European Commissioner it is recalled that the Commission is committed to launch a European information plan to raise awareness in this sense. A section on the promotion of employee share ownership has also been added to the Capital Markets Union Action Plan.

However, when it came time to vote on a budget to materialize, some surprising objections have emerged within the Commission.

The letter to Commissioner Marianne Thyssen calls on the Commission to fulfill its commitments. More


Marianne Thyssen


  October 2017 -  A big idea for tax reforms

It's time to expand the opportunity of the working middle class to participate in broad-based share plans.

Corporate tax reform that assures that middle class employees get a fair shake is the American way to go. Congress is at present considering about a half dozen employee ownership bills, all of which have components that could make the economy work better and more fairly.

Our key message is that whatever it does, Congress should make any tax reductions for corporations conditional on sharing the benefits with workers.

This is the repeated call from Professors Joseph Blasi, Douglas Kruse and Richard Freeman, world renowned for their research works on employee ownership. More


  September 2017 -  Is employee ownership contributing to China's stock market rally?

This is the question posed by the National Center for Employee Ownership in its last edition.

As stocks on the Shanghai rose to a 20-month high, analysts cited China's ownership reforms as contributing to investor confidence.

As quoted in China Daily, Gao Ting, head of China strategy at UBS Securities, cited reforms by China Unicom, the country's second-largest mobile phone provider, which include a diversified board of directors and employee ownership. Investor sentiment was boosted by signs of accelerated ownership reforms at State-owned enterprises.

  July 2017 - Austrian example

Austrian legislation for employee ownership was simple until now. Any benefit that an employee received from an employee share plan (as share price rebate, as free shares, matching shares, etc.) was free of tax up to 1.460 Euro annually.

This amount was doubled last year, to 3.000 Euro annually.

This is probably the best example of the "basic block", in a "building block" approach of legislation for employee ownership.

This simple piece of legislation enabled Voestalpine (50.000 employees, the Austrian steel industry, 15% employee-owned) to make employee ownership a key factor in its success.

A strong contrast with many other steel industries in Europe as Arcelor, Florange, Cockerill and others !

Now the Austrian Government (big coalition with Christian Democrats and Social Democrats) has just decided to increase the free annual amount to 4.500 Euro annually.

This will be conditioned to a new scheme: In place of individual direct employee ownership, it will be collectively managed through an Employee Ownership Foundation (Mitarbei-terbeteiligungsstiftung), as it is for Voestalpine.

Many Austrian companies, even the largest, have indicated that they are ready.

 

 

 

 

  June 2017 - Barometer of employee ownership policies in European countries


Eighteen European countries now have policies for the promotion and development of employee ownership. This number had never been higher before.

Except in France, all recent policy developments in Europe pave the way towards higher incentives for employee ownership. Norway doubled fiscal incentives on 1.1.2017. Poland prepares dedicated legislation. Ireland announces a new share incentive scheme for SMEs to be introduced in 2018, as well as The Netherlands with a favorable tax treatment of stock options for employees of innovative start-ups.
These new developments confirm the positive trend observed since 2013.

On the other hand, hesitation dominated in France, where the outgoing government suppressed in 2017 the positive provisions introduced by the Macron Law eighteen months earlier. This explains the relapse of the barometer in 2017.

The negative political decisions of France since 2009 unfortunately influence the performance of the whole of Europe. In France, they are at the origin of the heavy fall in the rate of democratization of employee ownership, the number of employee shareholders being reduced to three million compared with four million with unchanged policy.

 


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  June 2017 - Employee ownership and economic well-being


Employee Ownership —employees owning stock in the companies where they work—is a major aspect of the U.S. economy. But until now, little research has explored its impact on individual workers.

A new research on "Employee Ownership and Economic Well-Being" due to the NCEO in the USA presents some of the first in-depth analysis of the relationship between employee ownership and workers’ economic well-being.

The findings of this research are remarkable. Employee ownership is a market-friendly, anti-inequality policy that improves outcomes for companies and provides workers with higher wages, more generous benefits, and greater job stability. In short: Employee-owners lose less sleep over their financial future. More information


  May 2017 - Only half as many layoffs

Companies with employee stock ownership had only half as many layoffs as other companies during the last two recessions.
A new study co-authored by Rutgers School of Management and Professor Douglas Kruse establishes the first conclusive link between broad-based employee stock ownership and increased employment stability in the USA.
"If good-paying, stable jobs are the economy’s goal, then encouraging employee stock ownership in companies makes a lot of sense," said Douglas Kruse.
"Employee ownership is often seen primarily as a way to improve employee relations and increase productivity, but these results show there is an important add-on effect on job stability".
More information



 

  April 2017 - Pivotal Part

Employee share ownership should be a pivotal part of the Capital Markets Union, - this is the position  of the German Share Institute (Deutsches Aktieninstitut - DAI), responding to the public consultation organized by the European Commission. The Capital Markets Union (CMU) is a plan of the European Commission to mobilize capital in Europe. "Employee share ownership helps to stabilize the European economy as a whole" tells the DAI. "Studies from the US clearly show that companies offering their employees a stake of the business capital create more jobs than companies that do not have the same instruments in place. Employee shareholders accumulate more assets for retirement purposes, get better wages and are less likely to become unemployed compared to other employees. As income of private households currently depends highly on wages, employee shareowners benefit from raising capital incomes, which decreases wealth inequality in the society." More information


  April 2017 - Need for a European Action Plan

In its response to the public consultation on the Capital Markets Union, the European Federation of Employee Share Ownership points out the fact that the EU is strongly underdeveloped compared to the US considering employee share ownership, which contributes much more to the solidity and to the stability of capital markets in the US than it does in Europe. The underdevelopment of employee share ownership hampers also Europe in terms of productivity, growth, job creation, as well as in the fields of pensions or business transmission, especially considering SMEs. The CMU Action Plan should face this through two new measures: First, a dedicated European Action Plan should be set up to promote European convergence in this field. Secondly, the ignorance of the ESOP scheme is a dramatic handicap for Europe, leading to the fact that employee ownership in SMEs is practically unknown in Europe compared to the US. The CMU Action Plan should remedy this. More information



  February 2017 - The most remarkable cases
The list of the most remarkable large European companies considering employee share ownership was just updated, with 114 most remarkable cases in 2016. They are located in Austria, Belgium, Switzerland, Denmark, Germany, Spain, Finland, France, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the UK. The list will be part of the coming "Annual Economic Survey of Employee Share Ownership in European Countries in 2016", to be published in March. Full list

 

  January 2017 - Formidable engine - again and again
The stake held  by employees in large European companies continues its rise. It had never been so high before, with 3.20% in 2016 (see chart). Even through the European crisis, employee ownership  demonstrates again and again its status as a formidable engine of participation and development. Assets per person have doubled since 2009. These are the first indications to be drawn from the new "Economic Survey of Employee Share Ownership in European Countries", which will be published in March 2017.


  December 2016 - Barometer of Employee Ownership Policies
The new edition of the "Barometer of Employee Share Ownership Policies in European Countries" is just released.
Except in France, all recent policy choices in Europe pave the way towards higher incentives for employee ownership:
· Poland prepares a dedicated legislation.
· The Swedish government is considering the introduction of a favorable tax-qualified option regime for small and medium sized companies, which could take effect from January 2018.
· In Ireland, a new share scheme incentive focused on SMEs would be introduced in 2018.
These new developments confirm the positive trend observed since 2013. Most recent policy decisions regarding employee ownership in Europe are positive. More information


  November 2016 - Spanish employee-owned "sociedades laborales

    

The European Parliament's Committee on Employment and Social Affairs published a study on the Spanish model of sociedades laborales.
This business model is characterized by the majority of the company's capital being held by employee shareholders.
Initially in the 80's, its creation was linked to processes of crisis and industrial reconversion.
Since the mid 90's, it had an important boom in corporate processes, boosting enterprise creation.
Today, 66.000
employees are working for the 10.000 sociedades laborales, most of them being shareholders of the company they work for.
This is a typical business model for employee ownership in very small enterprises.
More information


  October 2016 - All is well in Paris

It is true that France is still number one for employee share ownership in Europe. All things are fine in Paris, my fair lady.
However, what a drop since 2011! The democratization rate of employee ownership fell from 45 to 37% and the number of employee owners in France returned to 3 million (instead of 4 million if policies hadn't been changed).
The imposition of a specific tax on employee share plans ("forfait social") had a disastrous effect. Not only in France but also by imitation in several other European countries. Denmark is exemplary, which removed all fiscal incentives for employee share plans in 2011 (with a new social democratic government) to restore them fully in 2016 (with a new conservative-liberal government).
A good example to make things even better in Paris! More information

  October 2016 - Risk and performance of employee share ownership in France
ERES Group publishes outstanding results based on the analysis of all broad-based  employee share plans in large French companies since 2006. After 5 years, employees having subscribed to an employee share offering between 2006 and 2010 were winners in 82% of cases (with the dividend, the discount and the average employer contribution of 50%) while ordinary shareholders would be winners in 60% of cases. What confirms that employee ownership is to be ranked into the category of "good risks". More information

  September 2016 - Economic freedom

A remarkable research work reports a strong correlation between employee ownership incidence and the index of economic freedom.

The author, Ricardo Machado of Porto School of Management (Portugal), aims to understand the determinants of the implementation of economic democracy, measured by the incidence of employee share ownership plans, within the European Union countries.

The full  publication about "The Determinants of Employee Ownership Plan Implementation in EU Countries - the Quest for Economic Democracy" is available for download here.


  June 2016 - European Conference on employee ownership policies

The European Conference on European policies for employee share ownership was held in Brussels on May 19, 2016.
The Conference supports the project of a European Action Plan to raise awareness about the benefits of employee ownership and participation in Europe.
The Final Report of the Conference and all materials are now available for download here


  June 2016 - Barometer of employee share ownership policies in European countries

The mass development of employee share ownership brings better motivation, productivity, profitability, higher growth, more and better jobs. This is good for all. But it depends on policy will to initiate the virtuous circle through appropriate fiscal incentives.
After 2008, some European countries took negative decisions, removing or decreasing fiscal incentives, which led to a decline of the number of employee shareholders. Some other European countries took the opposite way, applying new or higher incentives, which led to a higher number of employee shareholders.
All these policy decisions in various European countries, in a positive or a negative way, can be summarized through a single dedicated tool.
This is the reason of the setting up of the EFES "Barometer of employee share ownership policies in European countries".
Before 2009, the barometer showed a continuous increase, practically all policy decisions being positive. A negative phase occurred from 2009 to 2013. Since then, most policy decisions are positive again.
   


More information

More information and download

  April 2016 - Employee share ownership in SMEs
A first reliable study about employee share ownership in French SMEs was published last month. It is well known that employee share ownership in SMEs is underdeveloped in Europe, especially compared to the USA. This is due to the remarkable effectiveness of the ESOP model, in use in the USA for over 40  years, but not in Europe. The usual evaluation of the number of employee shareholders in SMEs is 1 million in Europe compared to 10 million in the US. The new study, ordered by Eres and BDO, brings the number of 250.000 in France, which confirms the former usual evaluations. More information

  January 2016 - French crusade
All actors of employee share ownership in France met for their "Grand Prix" on 15 December in Paris. They all agreed to launch a new "crusade" for employee share ownership in France. Several governments in the European Union chose for higher fiscal incentives, considering employee share ownership as an investment for the future and a key for recovering from the European crisis. So did the UK and Austria recently. The example is also coming from the USA, with employee ownership being one of the themes of the presidential election campaign. France should get back to the same way.

 
January 2016 - Formidable engine
Assets held by the employee owners in Europe were never so high: 370 billion Euro and more than 3% of the capital of all large European companies in 2015. This is more than 45,000 € per person  (more than 25,000 € if executive directors are excluded). Thus, even through the European crisis, employee share ownership is a formidable engine to share in results and growth, - assets per person have more than doubled since 2009. This is the first indication from the next "Economic Survey of Employee Share Ownership in European Countries" to be published in March 2016. More information

  December 2015 - Employee share schemes statistics provoke wide debate in the UK
The latest published share scheme statistics has sparked off a major debate over how best to rejuvenate UK employee share ownership, following the British ESOP Centre (see press review). "The UK has perhaps the best employee share plan legislation in the world", but it is still far from Mrs Thatcher aspiration, 30 years ago, for a Britain where owning shares would be "as common as having a car".
Now after 30 years of legislation in the UK and in France, the facts have spoken: Employee share ownership is twice more significant in France; this is where the employee share plan legislation was most effective. This is probably due to the fact that employee share plans in France are based on (blocked) shares, while they are essentially based on share options in the UK. As we already mentioned some time ago, after a spectacular football match: France-UK: 2-1



  November 2015 - Italian Post: Missed opportunity
The Italian government offered 40% of the shares of the Italian Post, on which 1.13% reserved for employees. Results of the IPO are very satisfactory for the Italian State, collecting 3.4 billion euros, with total demand exceeding 4 times the offer. Employees have received half of the reserved shares: 26,234 employees subscribed, less than 20% of all employees of the Italian Post. In an open letter, the CISL union had put forward its own draft collective ownership, combined with community representation of employees on the German model. The Italian Government did not want to go that way, nor did it choose for a real employee share ownership plan supported through fiscal incentives.  Yet will there be IPO bonuses for 12 top executives, up to half of their annual salary. Comparison: The British Government put Royal Mail on the stock market two years ago, while awarding a 10% stake for free to the 150,000 employees of the British Post.
The open letter of the CISL

  October 2015 - Employee share ownership is not a cuckoo
A dangerous and irritating situation is occurring about employee share ownership within the OECD. The OECD suggests that ESOPs and employee share ownership should be discouraged because putting all employees' eggs in the same basket, especially considering pension savings. The principle of diversification applies to employee share ownership as to any other financial investment. It is illustrated by the aphorism "do not put all eggs in one basket."
However, employee share ownership is not just a financial investment. It also has the character of an industrial investment. This character is most evident when the employees' stake  reaches 100% of the company's capital, which is the typical case of employee share ownership in SMEs. However, it is also present, although more incidentally, to the minority employee share ownership in large companies.
If the aphorism of eggs and basket frequently applies to the diversification of financial investments, another aphorism applies better to industrial investment:  "The bird lays all eggs in the same nest".  Among the few exceptions, the example of the cuckoo is well known. It must be said: Employee share ownership is not a cuckoo. More information




  September 2015 - 2.000.000.000 Euro to promote employee share ownership
Two billion Euro: On the scale of Europe, this is the estimated tax cost to the US Federal Government for ESOP-specific incentives in 2014 (US$ 1.9 billion). By comparison, a new study was just published on the impact of employee ownership and ESOPs on layoffs and the costs of unemployment to the Federal Government. The data show that employee-owners are far less likely to lose their jobs than non-employee-owners. In turn, these low job losses saved the Federal Government US$17 billion in 2014 alone, making clear that ESOP incentives have been an excellent investment for the taxpayer, for the Federal Government and for the US economy as a whole.
This is exactly what we need in Europe too: The same ESOP model, with the same fiscal incentives, for the same macroeconomic balance. The ESOP  (Employee Stock Ownership Plan) is the most effective model in the world for employee ownership in SMEs. It provides private owners with the best way to sell their company to employees, and for employees to become owners at low risk. More information

  June 2015 - German politics finally needs to act
Attention has to be drawn to the recent call published by the German Share Institute (Deutsches Aktieninstitut).
Whereas in other European countries like France (3.3 million employee shareholders) and Great Britain (2.2 million) the numbers of employee shareholders are counted in millions, in Germany only 800.000 employees benefit from employee share ownership.
In its call Deutsches Aktieninstitut therefore demands of the governmental parties to finally create higher tax incentives and better regulation to promote employee share ownership. Due to continuing low interest rates Germans will neither be able to maintain their savings nor obtain a sufficient amount of money for their retirement arrangements without more share investment.
Employee share ownership is a good way to get a first insight into saving with shares.
However, the number of employee shareholders is declining in Germany. In fact, it has never been so small. Fiscal aspects play a major role for the dissemination of employee share ownership. If Germany really wants to promote employee share ownership, it needs to adapt its allowances to common international levels and to increase it strongly. More information

  June 2015 - Call from 10 major German organizations
Ten major German organizations call for a new German Agenda for employee share ownership. More information

  May 2015 - Fiscal policies for employee share ownership
This is the map of European countries encouraging employee share ownership. In blue, the 12 European countries supporting employee share ownership through significant fiscal incentives. This is a minority of Member States in the European Union. However, this minority of 12 Member States of the EU represents the lion's share when considering European listed companies, stock market capitalization and employee share ownership: 72% of all European listed companies, with 72% of employees, 77% of the stock market capitalization, 83% of employee shareholders. See details in our new publication about "Employee Share Ownership for Building the Capital Markets Union".

  May 2015 - Capital Markets Union
The European Commission launched a Green Book and a public consultation on "building a Capital Markets Union".
It is remarkable that, together with the European Federation of Employee Share Ownership, several major organizations representing the full range of private actors of the Capital Markets Union converge on analysis and proposals about employee share ownership in Europe, as:
• EuropeanIssuers
The European Private Equity & Venture Capital Association
The Federation of European Securities Exchanges
Better Finance, the European Federation of Investors and Financial Services Users.
Details

  21.04.2015: Answering the European Commission’s Green Paper on the Capital Markets Union, EuropeanIssuers, the European Private Equity & Venture Capital Association and the Federation of European Securities Exchanges published the EU IPO Report: "Rebuilding IPOs in Europe; Creating jobs and growth in European capital markets".
The Report points out the fact that the number of employee shareholders was recently declining in Europe. As the EFES evidenced, these changes are clearly related to the regressive fiscal policies in many European countries.
However, European companies need investment, to grow, to enter new markets, to develop new products and to create jobs. A healthy European capital market attracting long-term investors (especially households, employees and pension savers) is a critical route to channel such investment. More generally, "the links between savers, the original providers of capital, and the financial markets, which allocate that capital, have become less coherent".
The Report recommends that policymakers set the goal of creating an equity culture in Europe. That Member States should be encouraged to use tax policy to encourage long-term investing, providing tax incentives to encourage investment for the longer-term in equity. That fiscal incentives should be provided to support the development of employee share ownership across Europe.

  April 2015 - European governments bet again on employee ownership
The table of all recent policy decisions regarding employee share ownership in European countries reveals a remarkable shift.
At the beginning of the financial crisis, several countries took negative decisions to reduce their expenses, in a pure short term vision. This bad signal came first from France, followed by Greece, Denmark, Ireland and The Netherlands, between 2009 and 2012.
Since 2012, most political decisions are positive again, as in the UK, in Spain, in Hungary, and in Austria where tax incentives will be doubled. Details

  April 2015 - New study finds ESOPs total return beats S&P 500 by 62%
A new analysis of the economic impact of S corporation ESOPs in USA examines trends in account balances, distributions to participants, total return, and the existence of other retirement plans. The study, performed by EY's Quantitative Economics and Statistics, finds that:
S corporation ESOPs are growing by many measures. They represented 22% of ESOPs in 2002 and 42% in 2012. The number of plans, participants, and net assets also increased over that time.
The total return for participants in S ESOPs from 2002 to 2012 was an 11.5% compound annual growth rate, 62% higher than the S&P 500 Total Returns Index's 7.1% growth rate over the same period. Details

  February 2015 - Divorce
Assets held by European employees in shares of their company increased to 301 billion Euro in 2014, a new record. However, for the third consecutive year in 2014, the number of employee shareholders decreased in Europe. This is clearly related to the regressive fiscal policies in many European countries. In contrast, the UK chose to double the fiscal incentives for employee share ownership, considering it is a key element of recovery and an investment for the future. Lower incentives have a clear consequence in continental Europe: The democratization of employee share ownership regresses, leading to wealth concentration in the richest hands. The following graph shows how dramatic is the divorce between continental Europe and the UK. While 30% of employees held shares of their company last year in the UK (the highest rate since the statistic exists), a sharp drop below 24% can be observed on the continent. More information

  January 2015 - Warning signal
For the third consecutive year in 2014, the number of employee  shareholders decreased in Europe. This should be a warning signal for everyone. In fact, the number of employee shareholders in continental Europe decreased by 500.000 persons (-8%) from 2011 to 2014, while the number increased by 200.000 persons in the UK (+8%). These changes are clearly related to the regressive fiscal policies in many European countries, while in contrast, the UK chose to double the fiscal incentives for employee share ownership, considering it is a key element of recovery and an investment for the future. This is the first information from our annual census of employee ownership in European companies. More information



The Virtual Information Center for employee ownership and participation offers a full picture of each country of the European Union. For each country, it offers a summary of dedicated legislation as well as a short information about fiscal, social, political and cultural aspect of employee ownership and participation. It is on the Internet and it is for free. More information

 
December 2014 - Italy on the right way
On November 30 the Italian Government approved the Parliamentary Motion presented by MPs Tidei, Galperto and Bargero about the promotion of employee share ownership in Italy. The document is largely inspired by the EFES positions and activities. Its aim is to promote employee share ownership through a new legislation and through a dedicated budget. See more in Italian

The study entitled "Employee Financial Participation in Companies' Proceeds" was published by the European Parliament in September 2012. Authors of the study were severely condemned by the Court of Justice of Brussels and the study had to be definitely removed by the European Parliament. Authors of the study are a consortium made of Ecorys and Case, represented by Professors Jens Lowitzsch and Iraj Hashi. In addition, the study seriously misled the Parliament on two major points. More information

  November 2014 - Back to fiscal incentives
It is well known that fiscal incentives are the key point for the development of employee share ownership. Australia: The Labor Government decided in 2009 to cut fiscal incentives for share option plans, leading to a disaster for employee ownership and entrepreneurship in Australia. Now they're back:  “We are reversing the changes that the former government made in 2009 which essentially stopped employee ownership in this country,” Prime Minister Abbott said. Denmark: Fiscal incentives on employee share plans were removed in 2012. Now they're back: Legislative amendments are presented in this sense to the Parliament. The Netherlands and Greece: Fiscal incentives were removed in 2012. When will reason come back there? France: Surprising Government's order removes the whole legislation which formerly encouraged employee share ownership in case of privatisations. At the same time, the British Government recently doubled fiscal incentives for employee share plans in the UK, as a key element of recovery. And former European Commissioner Michel Barnier just launched a call in the British and French press, telling that "Europe can only gain if we embrace employee share ownership", and calling the new European Commission to bring support in this sense. More information in our press review

  October 2014 - Manifesto 2014:   Fiscal incentives are indispensable prequisites  

Worldwide practical evidence and a wide range of academic research support the view that a proper legal environment and the provision of suitable fiscal incentives are indispensable prerequisites for any policy truly aiming the development of employee share ownership.
Moreover, such evidence and research also show that fiscal incentives always pay off medium/long term and in many ways.
Organisations promoting employee owner-ship around the world have demanded persistently and consistently supportive legislations including fiscal incentives for the common good (evidenced in additional growth and profitability, the spread of wealth, contribution to economic and social stability).
New fiscal incentives pave the way to new encouraging development, while political decisions reducing or cutting such incentives always lead to regression.


 

 

  September 2014 - To the new European Commission and Parliament

All over the world, from the United States to China and Africa, employee share ownership is highlighted and promoted as a factor for boosting activity, greater productivity and better results and social balance for all. This is also true in the UK, where fiscal incentives in this direction have been strongly improved recently.
The development of employee share ownership can be a major factor of investment and recovery, also for the European Union. For the EU, this is the right political choice to do.
Letter to President Jean-Claude Juncker 17-9-2014   

  September 2014 - EFES' Manifesto: Fiscal incentives are indispensable prequisites

Worldwide practical evidence and a wide range of academic research support the view that a proper legal environment and the provision of suitable fiscal incentives are indispensable prerequisites for any policy truly aiming the development of employee share ownership.
Moreover, such evidence and research also show that fiscal incentives always pay off medium/long term and in many ways.
Organizations promoting employee owner-ship around the world have demanded persistently and consistently supportive legislations including fiscal incentives for the common good (evidenced in additional growth and profitability, the spread of wealth, contribution to economic and social stability).
New fiscal incentives pave the way to new encouraging development, while political decisions reducing or cutting such incentives always lead to regression.
The EFES' Manifesto 2014 is soon to be published.

   

  June 2014 - Strong move in the UK
High fiscal incentives are the base of the successful policy to promote employee ownership through ESOPs (Employee Stock Ownership Plan) in the USA. In contradiction with Europe, this allowed American public policies to promote employee ownership in SMEs. Some 11.000 ESOP companies can be found in the USA compared to only 300 quite similar cases in Europe.
It is now generally admitted in the UK that such policy has also to be promoted here, leading to higher productivity, greater levels of innovation and outstanding financial performances. Finance Bill 2014 designs two new tax reliefs to encourage and support the shift to employee-owned companies:
Under the first new tax relief, the sale of a controlling interest in a business to an employee ownership trust, will be entirely free from capital gains tax.
Under the second tax relief, bonuses of up to £3.600 per tax year paid to employees of companies controlled by an employee ownership trust benefit from an income tax exemption.
These new incentives are still relatively modest compared to those for ESOPs in the USA but the UK is clearly showing the right way for all European countries.

  May 2014 - Transparency
It is usually considered in large European companies that employee share ownership has to be developed, leading to better performances and better governance. Top Executives are commonly the first employees to be encouraged in this way. More and more companies have "shareholding guidelines", requiring Top Executives to hold up to 100-300% of their annual salary in shares of the company, so as to align employees' and shareholders' interests. The 2.200 largest European companies employ some 8.800 Top Executives, each of them owning 13 million Euro on average in shares of his company. 77% of all large European companies are fully transparent about this (see graph). However, the lack of transparency is flagrant in a number of European countries: Greece, Luxemburg, Austria, Belgium, Germany and some others. A detailed chapter about this can be found in the European Survey of Employee Ownership in 2013.  More information

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  April 2014 - Listed and non-listed companies
It was sometimes told, based on the observation of specific examples, that non-listed employee-owned companies could have been more resilient than others through the financial crisis. Employee-owned companies might have fared better. This idea is even a cornerstone of the British Government's policy to build a wide "employee-owned business sector" in the UK. The picture is not the same when based on the systematic comparison of all large listed companies and all large non-listed employee-owned companies in Europe. The graph hereafter illustrates this through the case of employment in both types of companies from 2006 to 2013. A detailed chapter about this can be found in the European Survey of Employee Ownership in 2013. More information

                                                                                                                    Download

   NOW AVAILABLE !
                                                

                  EUROPEAN SURVEY 2013
   The whole information about employee ownership and
   employee share plans, top executives and common
   employees in European companies, corporate
   governance and profit-sharing, employee representation
   on boards and discrimination in employee shareholders'
   voting rights, and a comparison between listed
   companies and non-listed employee-owned companies.
   150 pages, 100 tables and graphs.  More info
   


  March 2014 - Discrimination in voting rights
There is no discrimination for or against employee shareholders' voting rights in most European countries. However, significant discrimination can be observed in six countries. Employee shareholders' voting rights are generally multiplied in France due to the fact that shares enjoy a double voting right when held for at least two years. At the contrary, employee shareholders' voting rights suffer negative discrimination in five other countries: Denmark, Germany, Finland, Sweden and The Netherlands. Typical cases there are companies issuing two classes of shares, A-shares with 10 votes and B-shares with 1 vote. Controlling owners hold high voting shares but employee share plans are based on low voting ones. This way, employee shareholders' voting rights are severely discriminated, in up to 45% of large companies in Sweden. More info

  February 2014 - Still more employee share plans in Europe
The EFES Survey of employee ownership in 2013 is soon available, showing that still more and more of European companies organize employee share plans. In 2013, 85% of all large European companies had employee share plans of all kinds, while 53% had "broad-based" plans for all employees and 63% had stock option plans... More

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  January 2014 - 266 billion Euros in 2013, just as before the financial crisis
In 2013, the capital held by employees in European companies increased by 32% to 266 billion Euro, just the same level as before the financial crisis. The stake held by employees rose to the top with 2.99% (see graph). This new increase was not mainly due to new employee share plans (some 30% of all large European companies launched new employee share plans, as usual). The main reason is due to the fact that share prices increased more in companies having higher employee ownership, leading mechanically to a higher average stake. This is remarkable. More

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  January 2014 - Policy support increasing again and again in the UK
Tax support for employee share plans will be doubled. Fantastic news for the millions of employee shareholders. Policy makers are increasingly embracing employee ownership as a key sustainable business model. Recent years saw a strong lobbying to favour "employee ownership" (in short: employees having controlling stake in SMEs) even at the detriment of "employee share ownership" (in short: employees owning minor stake in large listed companies). The British Government decided to offer £ 50 million in this sense and voices were even heard to express the idea that support for employee share ownership in large companies should be cut. However an additional £ 25 million will go to further encouragement of employee share plans. Amount of money employees can save in Government approved SAYE employee share plans will be doubled from £250 a month to £500 a month and for the SIP employee share plan it has increased from £1,500 a year to £1,800 a year.

  December 2013 - UK Employee Ownership Index
The UK Employee Ownership Index (EOI) has recently been re-launched and from June 2013, it is calculated by FTSE International. The index was created to test a hypothesis that businesses with substantial employee ownership perform well over the long term. The UK Employee Ownership Index is an index of UK public companies quoted on the London Stock Exchange. Strangely, the picture the new EOI brings about performance is quite different from the former Index... More

  December 2013 - Employee representation on boards in Europe
Employee representation on boards is highly sophisticated in many large companies in France, either in Boards of Directors or in Supervisory Boards. Altogether employee representatives are present on boards covering 51% of employment in large French companies. This is through unions or workers councils for 36% and it is for 29% through employee shareholders representatives (while both unions or workers councils and employee shareholders are present in 14% of cases). A detailed publication about employee representation on boards is now available… More

  November 2013 - Employee representation on Boards
Employee representation on Boards is usual in many large European companies, either in Boards of Directors or in Supervisory Boards.
Employee shareholders are represented on Boards in 13% of large French companies (but 29% in terms of employment). Employee shareholders representation on Boards is thus typical in French largest companies.
On the other hand, employee representation on Boards is usual for 36% of employees in large European companies (See Graph). This is the case for 95% of employees in large companies in Austria, Germany or Slovenia. In France, it is the case for 51% of employees in large companies (just over the European average), while it is only the case for 2.3% in the UK… and 0% in Italy.
The EFES database of large European companies gathered initially all information about employee share ownership in the 2.200 largest European companies (25% of all listed companies in Europe but 94% in terms of employment and 97% in terms of capitalization). The EFES database is now extended to corporate governance issues. A detailed publication about employee representation on Boards is now available.

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  October 2013 - European Trade Union Institute
A dedicated Internet site worker-participation.eu was set up as "the gateway to information on worker participation issues in Europe", a remarkable work by the European Trade Union Institute (ETUI). It is about employee participation which includes the following pieces: Trade unions, collective bargaining, workplace representation, board-level representation, European-level representation, representation in the area of health and safety, and finally employee financial participation. In the European unions' vision, employee share ownership belongs to employee financial participation, which has two main branches: Profit-sharing and employee share ownership. Profit-sharing is considered as "the simplest form of financial participation. This can be understood as a collective regulation that, in addition to the stipulated wage, provides a variable income dependent on enterprise profits" – Variable pay, in fact. Finally, employee share ownership appears in the European unions' vision as the last piece of this participative building. More information

  September 2013 - European Commission's Action Plan for employee share ownership
The European Commission recently published its new Action Plan. In summary, the following actions will be taken:
The Commission will analyse the subject in more details.
The Commission will identify which initiatives may be appropriate to encourage the development of trans-national employee share ownership schemes in Europe.
The Commission will identify and investigate potential obstacles to trans-national employee share ownership schemes.
Subsequently the Commission will take appropriate action to encourage employee share ownership throughout Europe.
Full details about this new action plan are available for download here.  

  July 2013 - Rectification about European Parliament's study
The European Parliament – Economic & Scientific Policy Department published a study named "Employee Financial Participation and Companies' Proceeds". This study published by the European Parliament was quoted by the European Commission as the most recent element of the "European background", in its call for tender for the implementation of the European Pilot Project for the Promotion of Employee Ownership and Participation… More information

  April 2013 - For the first time since the financial crisis occurred... 
… the number of employee shareholders in Europe didn't increase last year, and the democratization rate of employee ownership went down.
A new differentiation appears between top executives and other employees since the beginning of the crisis. The share held by common employees is continuously decreasing since 2009. At the contrary, top executives increased their share in companies' capital. As a consequence, the average capitalization held by each of the 8.845 top executives in large European companies raised to 9,1 million Euro in 2012, compared to the average capitalization of 11.500 Euro held by each of the 9,6 million common employee shareholders.
This picture of a first decrease in the democratization of employee ownership since the financial crisis may be related to some recent negative political orientations decided in a number of European countries regarding employee share ownership, for instance in Ireland, The Netherlands, France, or even in the UK.
In addition, nothing effective was made for the promotion of employee share ownership in Eastern and Southern Europe. These are the main conclusion of the new Economic Survey of employee ownership in European countries in 2012. More information

  April 2013 - Australia: Employee share ownership weakened by government legislation
Employee share plans have been widely hit over the last four years by government legislation resulting in a significant drop in employee ownership while adding complexity for companies. According to a new report by the Employee Ownership Australia and New Zealand (EOA) the number of employees participating in employee share plans and the amount of capital they are investing in these plans has been "substantially reduced". More information

  March 2013 - A new film on employee ownership in the USA
What does it mean to be an employee owner? We the Owners: Employees Expanding the American Dream tells the story of three employee-owned companies: New Belgium Brewing, Namasté Solar and DPR Construction. ESOP companies are the most typical way for employee ownership in the USA (an ESOP is an Employee Stock Ownership Plan). This model is particularly designed for business transfers to employees. In this sense, it is clearly the most effective in the world, being shaped as a pension plan with strong tax incentives for both family owners (selling the company to employees) and employees (buying usually 100% of the company for peanuts). More information

  February 2013 - New era for employee share plans in the UK
The British government has given the green light to substantial simplification and reform of all four approved share ownership schemes during the course of the next 15 months. This follows the exhaustive review of the approved schemes by the Office of Tax Simplification, which concluded that major changes had to be made quickly to head off strangulation of the employee share ownership sector by overregulation and excessive bureaucracy. More

  January 2013 - New support from the European Union in 2013
Both European Commission and Parliament will bring more support for employee ownership in 2013. The European budget was voted by the European Parliament, including a budget heading for a pilot project for the setting up of a Center for Employee Ownership in each Member State, to deliver information, education and promotion of adequate legislation. In addition, the European Commission announced its Action Plan to modernize European company law and corporate governance, including measures on employee share ownership. More details

  December 2012 - A new wave for employee ownership across Europe
A new wave boosting employee share ownership seems growing from major European countries. Great Britain: Employment Relations Minister Jo Swinson told that the British Government will do all in its power’ to extend employee share ownership substantially within the UK. "We have to eliminate the barriers which inhibit the installation of employee share schemes and employee ownership in UK businesses", she said. "Over the years employee ownership and employee share ownership have not been nearly as far up government agendas as they should have been. For the workforce is our human capital and must be encouraged accordingly", said Ms Swinson. "Much more employee share ownership was needed now in large and small companies alike, because such schemes were an important factor in economic growth" the minister told to the Employee Share Ownership Center in London. France: President François Hollande announced a new legislation for employee share ownership and participation. Germany: As promised by Minister Philipp Rösler, the German Ministry of Economics and Technology launched a new Internet portal for employee ownership. Italy: Waiting for a new law on participation and employee ownership. The Parliament appointed the Government at the end of June, but the white smoke is still awaited in Rome.

  November 2012 - British Government's plans to boost employee ownership sector
British Government announces its plans to boost employee ownership sector. The plans include assessing whether to establish an independent Institute for Employee Ownership, an ‘off the shelf’ model for setting up an employee owned business, work to examine the guidance on tax issues relating to employee ownership, a guide for staff and employers to request and agree an employee ownership takeover and work with the John Lewis Partnership to examine the barriers to funding for private sector employee owned companies. More details

  November 2012 - Employee owner or sub-employee owner?
To be or not to be? We are still in the UK of course. Every day brings its new ideas to boost employee ownership. Chancellor George Osborne announced the new "employee-owner" contract: Employees could be given shares in their companies in exchange for giving up certain employment rights under plans for a new type of employment contract. Storm of controversy! Would you trade your employment rights for shares? "Osborne's announcement is a big boost to employee ownership scheme", the Employee Ownership Association said. And again: "Employee ownership is now being embraced as the most prominent alternative to the over-dominant PLC model and its inherent short-termism." The National Center for Employee Ownership said Chancellor Osborne’s proposals were "awful", a “very bad idea” and that no “rational person” would give up employment rights for a small capital gains tax break. Finally, most employee ownership organizations agreed that the rights of workers couldn't be reduced in order to grow employee ownership. See press review for all details

  October 2012 - Employee Ownership Index
Would you like investing in a financial tool if it is not transparent? Hopefully not! The Employee Ownership Index is published in the UK by a law firm in London. It shows that companies in the EO Index outperform FTSE All-Share companies over the long term by an average of 10% each year since the EO Index began (see graph). Not bad!!! Our question to this law firm was: "Which companies belong to the Index?" Here is the answer: "I'm afraid we don't give out the names of companies in the index". Maybe the only stock index in the world whose components are unknown. Would you like to comment on this or ask your own questions, please use this link

  September 2012 - A new era of capitalism in the UK
The British Government announces a new era of capitalism. "Never before, employee ownership had so much attention in the UK", Minister for Employment Norman Lamb said. They are going "to shift employee ownership into the mainstream of corporate Britain". On the other hand, the British administration for Revenue & Customs (HMRC) launched a public consultation about employee share plans. Something should be done in priority about employee share plans in large companies, as the comparison with France shows. This is appearing from the EFES answer to the HMRC consultation

  September 2012 - Typology of employee ownership
Based on empirical and statistical observation, a typology of employee ownership can be identified: Up to 1% employee ownership appears to be insignificant or embryonic, over 1% it is becoming significant, over 6% it is strategic, over 20% it is determining, and over 50% it is controlling. Of course, here is a link with corporate governance issues. It is remarkable that employee ownership appears to be strategic, determining or controlling, not only in small and medium sized enterprises, but even in a high number of the largest European companies. More information

  July 2012 - Employee Ownership Summit 2012
British Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg together with Ministers Norman Lamb and Francis Maude organized the first Employee Ownership Summit on July 4 in London. "We are completely enthusiastic about employee ownership" Norman Lamb said. "Never before, employee ownership had so much attention in the UK." It is a fact that the British legislation for employee ownership revealed itself to be much less effective than the French one. More information

  July 2012 - Key recommendations to the British Government
Growing the economy is the British Government's most pressing priority. The Government adviser on employee ownership published its report, including his 28 recommendations to promote employee ownership in the UK. The recommendations focus mainly on the promotion of employee ownership in small and medium sized enterprises, at least 25% employee-owned. More information

  July 2012 - The Nuttall Review of Employee Ownership
 The British Government adviser on employee ownership publishes its report, including his 28 recommendations to promote employee ownership in the UK, in line with the British Governments' aim of shifting employee ownership into the mainstream of corporate Britain. The Nuttall Review of Employee Ownership

  France - UK: 2 - 1
Employee ownership is developing and growing in all European countries. The UK and France were the leading countries in this move. On average, companies in the UK and in France launched their first employee share plans at the same time, around 1995 (including Britain's John Lewis in 1929).
Today, most large companies have broad-based employee share plans in both countries. While 53.4% of companies are doing so in Europe, it is 80 to 90% in the UK and in France.
However, some 15 years after the first plans were launch, results look quite different in the UK and in France. Considering the capitalization held by employee owners, it is 2.83% in Europe, but it is 5.04% in France compared to 2.49% in the UK – only one half. In addition, the number of employee owners is much higher in France than in the UK. Today, France tells 4 million employee owners compared to 10 million across Europe, while it is only 2.6 million in the UK.
Finally, the democratization rate of employee ownership (the percentage of employee owners amongst all employees) is still much lower in the UK than it is in France. As a consequence, it has to be noticed that employee owners' involvement in corporate governance seems growing stronger in France than in the UK.
As a conclusion, it is obvious that the legislations both countries implemented for some 30 years led to significant differences, the French one appearing as more effective than the British. More information

  June 2012 - The European Parliament at work
During the public hearing we organised in the European Pa rliament on March 22, we asked for a dedicated budget heading of 2.5 million Euro for the promotion of employee ownership across Europe. A clear, simple, cheap proposal. It will allow information centers about employee ownership to be organised in every member state of the EU. This is the key-point to combat obstacles to multinational employee share plans, a condition for "a single market for employee ownership". Now the Parliament is working. We hope an effective decision will be taken. More information

  June 2012 - Democratization rate of employee ownership in Europe
The democratization rate of employee ownership is calculated as the proportion of employee owners among all employees. It was continuously rising in European companies for 30 years and even through the recent financial crisis (see graph). It was 30.1% in 2011, which means that one-third of all employees are now co-owners of their company. This rate of democratization should still increase to 50-60% in the near future. More information

  May 2012 - Report of the public hearing in the European Parliament
    
The Report of the public hearing is now available. The public hearing in the European Parliament was held on March 22 thanks to Pervenche Berès, Chair of the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs and with Commissioner for Internal Market Michel Barnier.
A budget proposal was laid on the table of the Parliament for supporting the development of employee ownership in all European countries…
Download the full Report

  May 2012 - Survey of Employee ownership in European countries in 2011
The new Survey is now available. It is based on the census of employee ownership in each of all 2.505 largest European companies, employing 32,8 million people in 2011. Content: Main findings of census 2011, more than 50 tables and graphs, democratization ratio of employee ownership in various European countries, relative shares of Top Executives and other employees, list of most remarkable cases... More information

  A letter from François Hollande and another from Nicolas Sarkozy
A letter from François Hollande answering to the French federation of employee shareholders' associations. Download Hollande
Letter from Nicolas Sarkozy

  April 2012 - Commissioner Barnier: Employee ownership, symbol of social cohesion
Employee ownership is a symbol of the social cohesion which Europe needs in this time. It has to be supported at all levels. This was the conclusion expressed by the European Commissioner for Internal Market Michel Barnier and the President of the Commission for Employment and Social Affairs of the European Parliament, Pervenche Berès, after the public hearing held in the European Parliament on March 22. A budget proposal was laid on the table of the Parliament for supporting the development of employee ownership in all European countries… More information

  April 2012 - Employee ownership in European countries in 2011
Capital held by employee owners in European companies raised to 232 billion Euro in 2011, not so far from its highest in 2007, and the share held by employees in their companies increased to 2.83%, going back to its positive trend (see graph hereafter). More information

  March 2012 - Employee ownership in European countries in 2011
The most recent numbers show that employee ownership was continuously progressing across Europe since the financial crisis. This is the main conclusion of the new "Economic Survey of Employee Ownership in European Countries in 2011". The conclusion was the same in 2010, this is thus a confirmation.
In 2011, 9.9 million employee owners held 232 billion Euro in their companies' shares compared to 9.5 million holding 197 billion Euro one year before. The number of employee owners increased more in Spain, Sweden, Denmark and France, while it was decreasing in Italy, Greece and Portugal as well as in Germany, Belgium and Ireland.
The survey brings exhaustive information. It is based on the census of the 2.505 largest European companies employing 32.8 million people in 2011. More information

  February 2012 - Public hearing in the European Parliament on March 22
The European Economic and Social Committee recently launched a call on the European institutions and governments for a renewed initiative supported by the EU budget through a dedicated budget heading.  Such a budget should help to set up and finance a European Center for Employee Ownership in each European country, to deliver information, training and advice to employees, enterprises and the public at large. The public hearing in the Parliament on March 22 will be the opportunity for a budget proposal.
Program of the hearing    Budget proposal

  December 2011 - Employee share ownership and the EU corporate governance framework
In 2011, the European Commission published a Green Paper and they organized a public consultation about the EU Corporate Governance Framework. Question 23 was about employee ownership: "Are there measures to be taken, and is so, which ones, to promote at EU level employee share ownership?" Many companies, enterprises organizations, unions, organizations of the civil society and public authorities answered the consultation. About employee share ownership, the Commission  received 252 answers from 34 countries. It is remarkable that answers are globally positive. In fact, the global quote is positive at 65%. However, it is sad that the question was ambiguous: Many people answered positively, supporting the idea that employee ownership should be promoted by the EU, while others gave negative answers fearing that the EU could restrict their freedom in the field (for example, most Swedish companies gave the same hard negative answer). More information

  December 2011 - Curriculum Library on Employee Ownership (CLEO)
CLEO, is the largest online academic repository of teaching and background materials on employee ownership. CLEO offers over 500 materials (e.g., books, articles, cases, teaching modules, etc.) to help with research and teaching on a broad range of topics on employee ownership; more recent newly developed works and educational cases, syllabi, and curriculum; teaching modules and reading collections with suggested relevant materials. More information

  November 2011 - The EU Corporate Governance Framework
The European Commission organized a public consultation about "The EU Corporate Governance Framework". All contributions are now public, including ours. Question 23 is about employee ownership: "Are there measures to be taken, and is so, which ones, to promote at EU level employee share ownership?" Of course we answered positively, arguing that "Employees' interest in the long-term sustainability of their company is going to be increasingly a crucial element of trust and corporate governance. Not only can employee owners contribute greatly to increase the proportion of long-term shareholders, but we will also see that employee ownership itself will be more and more perceived as a trust indicator." We are delighted to see that so many organizations too gave encouraging answers, including international unions like ETUC or UNI. All contributions are available here, while the EFES' one can be downloaded here

  November 2011 - Euroshareholders
Euroshareholders is the organization of European shareholders associations. It was founded in 1992 while the European Federation of Employee Share Ownership was founded in 1998. Both organizations developed a good cooperation for many years, considering a number of common objectives regarding corporate governance in Europe, shareholders' rights and equal treatment of all shareholders, harmonization at the EU level on shareholders issues, financial education and scientific research on capital market and finance. Both organizations recently decided to reinforce their links. The recent general meeting of Euroshareholders in The Hague welcomed the EFES as a new associate member, while Euroshareholders will reciprocally join the EFES. More information

  October 2011 - New call from the European institutions
The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) held "the week of employee financial participation" some days ago in Brussels. The EESC is the body that gives representatives of Europe's social partners and civil society a formal platform to express their points of views on EU issues. A new call was launched for developing employee ownership in European companies.
  Each Member State of the EU should made available "an optional simple, uniform incentive model, with the same tax arrangements and incentives throughout the EU". This is mainly targetting an harmonized and easiest way for multinational employee share plans.
  The "ESOP model" for business transmission to employees in SMEs should be implemented in the European Union, as it is successfully in the USA since 1974. This is the only relevant way to develop employee ownership in SMEs.
  A dedicated budget heading should be voted by the European Parliament, allowing the setting up and financing of a European Center for Employee Ownership in each European country, for delivering information, formation and advices to employees, enterprises and the public at large.

  September 2011 - Two particular organizations in the UK
Two particular organizations has had a major influence on the popularity of employee ownership in the UK. The first was founded in 1979, with the help of the John Lewis Partnership, Scott Bader and other companies, and originally established as a consultancy, known as Job Ownership Ltd. It was the brainchild of Robert Oakeshott, who died in June this year. Robert was a founder member of the  European Federation of Employee Share Ownership in 1998. It changed later its name to the Employee Ownership Association, acting as "the voice of co-owned business in the UK". The second organization known as ifs ProShare was founded (originally as ProShare) in 1992 by HM Treasury, the London Stock Exchange and a consortium of major companies. It provides "a voice for the Employee Share Ownership (ESO) industry in the UK".

  September 2011 - Talvivaara
The employees of Talvivaara Mining Company resolved on 18 June 2011 to establish a Group personnel fund to manage the earnings bonuses paid by Talvivaara. The fund will invest a substantial proportion of its assets in Talvivaara shares. The fund is managed by personnel representatives elected by the employees. Personnel funds are a typical way in Finland for employee share ownership in large companies.

  August 2011 - European Top Executives massively buying own company shares
With the fire sale of shares on the stock exchange, a strong phenomenon has developed in  recent weeks: European Top Executives are massively buying their own company shares.
This can be seen in the hundreds of releases of "insider dealing". In Italy roundup of Eni, Enel, Mediobanca, IntesaSanpaolo, Indesit and dozens of others. Top Executives buying millions of shares. The same in Germany with Metro, BASF… In Sweden with Husqvarna… In France  Air Liquide, Alcatel-Lucent ... Same at Barclays, Shell... All major companies are affected.
In two words: The short-termists sinking into panic, long-term investors and Top Executives at first take the opportunity to buy cheap.
What about the ordinary employee? What's good for Executives should be good for employees too.
Unfortunately, any legislation promoting a simple and convenient employee ownership model is still lacking in too many European countries.
What are the worst performers of the European class in this area? Portugal, Italy, Greece, Spain. Yes, we find here the same list of countries that are stigmatized in the crisis of Euro interest rates. These countries need structural changes, including the development of employee share ownership. Also in the back of the classroom: Belgium, The Netherlands and most Central and Eastern European countries.
The consequence of this lack of legislation: In all these countries, only 10 to 15% of employees are shareholders of large companies, compared to 30% on average in Europe. For good students, it rises to 25, 30 or 50%. These are Norway, Switzerland, Finland, Great Britain, Sweden, France. It is remarkable that over the last10 years, employee share ownership has become an ingredient of the "Nordic model".
Recently, the European social partners have launched an appeal to governments. The European Economic and Social Committee took this initiative. The Committee brings together European business representatives, trade unions and civil society. The opinion is clear and unambiguous.
Aimed at large enterprises, each European country should introduce into its legislation a "simplified model" of employee share ownership, making its development stronger and easier.
Aimed at small and medium sized enterprises, each European country should encourage the transfer of business to employees, following the example of what the U.S. has established since 1974 with the "ESOP model", allowing employees to buy their business without paying a cent, with a long-term credit.
The strength and consistency of employee share ownership will be more and more one of the factors and one of the characteristic elements of good governance in European companies, of better economic performance and regained trust.
The opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee is available on page https://www.efesonline.org/EESC/EN.htm

  July 2011 - New research on the impact of employee ownership
A new research in the USA on the impact of employee ownership is the largest study ever on the connections among various forms of shared capitalism, organizational culture, and company performance. On the other hand, an important collection of essays edited by the economists Richard Freeman, Joseph Blasi and Douglas Kruse and published last year by the National Bureau of Economic Research documents several crucial points: About half of all private-sector workers already have some kind of sharing arrangement with their employers; sharing tends to make employees happier, more productive and better off, as long as they do not take on too much risk by over-investing in the company they work for, and companies often benefit as well, showing improved performance along several different dimensions. In addition, a large sample of publicly traded companies in the United States from 1999 to 2008, offers evidence that companies with employee ownership showed greater employment stability in face of economic downturn. Read more

  May 2011 - Exercising Employee Shareholders' Rights in European Companies - Dircredito European Project
Dear Friends,
For all of you who participated to the project or attended to our Conference in Rome, let me give my warmest thank you.
As many among you already know, we agreed that it could be useful to disseminate the contents of our project as much as possible, by leaving on the Internet also the complete filings of the Conference, by text as well as on Audio Video uploaded on You Tube. This way those who could not attend may receive the same information, and feel the mood from this unique meeting.
Go on www.employeeshare.eu and surf! You can find and download also the "INCONTRI" special issue as well as the articles published by Italian Press.
Time flows: it has been very interesting to meet in Rome in September 2010 in order to exchange experiences, nine months later it could be even more interesting to listen again to our presentations and to the Round Table debate, keeping in mind the evolution of facts in this period.
A special thank to all of our speakers for giving the authorization to publish texts and Audio Video, thus making it possible to build this unique long time lasting file.
Guido Antolini Dircredito Project Manager

  April 2011 - Employee ownership was continuously progressing across Europe since the financial crisis
The number of employee owners was nearly 10 million in 2010 in large European companies (out of 32.6 million employees). The number of companies that have employee ownership was increasing (91.7%), as well as those having share plans for all employees (53.7%) and those with stock option plans (64.1%).
However, significant differences can be seen between countries: A significant increase in the number of employee owners in Spain, Poland, France and the Nordic countries (Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland), contrasting with a significant decrease in Belgium, Ireland and The Netherlands.

Overall, the capitalization held by employee owners rose back to 192 billion Euro in 2010. In % held, there was a slight decline for the first time for many years (from 2.82% to 2.71%). However, the share held by Top Executives has increased, while it is the "common" employees who have seen their share shrink.
All details are to be published in May in the next "Economic Survey of Employee Ownership in European Countries in 2010". Download

  March 2011 - A European Single Market for employee ownership
European Commissioner Michel Barnier organised a vast consultation about the new "Single Market Act". The single market is all about bringing down barriers and simplifying existing rules across Europe. It would also include a European single market for employee ownership. Read more

  March 2011 - Employee ownership improves company performance
There is a lot of social science evidence today that shows the combination of meaningful broad-based employee ownership with a team-oriented corporate culture improves company performance. Many research works have been done in the U.S. for long. A first econometric work is now also available about French companies: According to the Center for Strategic Analysis, the social performance of a company having employee share ownership is 52% higher than that of companies which have neither employee share ownership nor employee savings plan. Read more

  February 2011 - voestalpine Employee Participation (Austria)
Since the year 2000, the management and the works council of the voestalpine Group have been engaged in the joint development of an innovative concept that surprised many at the time. The idea was to let the employees participate in the company through shares owned by them, to turn them into a stable core shareholder by pooling their voting rights, and to allow them to benefit from the success of voestalpine as individual shareholders. Read more

  February 2011 - Presidency of the European Union Council – Conference on employee ownership
The conference expressed its support to the European Economic and Social Committee, asking for:
Regarding large companies: Each European country should make available "an optional simple, uniform incentive model, with the same tax-arrangements and incentives throughout the EU".
Regarding SMEs: Each European country should strongly encourage business transmission to employees as the USA did since 1974 – this is the concept of a "European ESOP model" for SMEs.
The report of the conference is now available. Read more

  February 2011 - Center for Strategic Analysis of the French Republic
According to the Center for Strategic Analysis of the French Republic, the social performance of a company having employee share ownership is 52% higher than that of companies which have neither employee share ownership nor employee savings plan. The effectiveness of employee share ownership has to be reinforced by ensuring the representation of employee shareholders. Read more

  January 2011 - Controversy about employee ownership in the UK
John Lewis Partnership was usually described as the best reference regarding employee ownership in the UK. How does it work really? Across government a siren call is sounding, promoting the John Lewis model of employee ownership as a way of modernising public services. "But John Lewis is not what it purports to be", an expert said. "It’s not an employee run company. The interesting thing when one looks carefully at the documents that lay behind that structure it is very difficult to discern who it is that has responsibility for the appointment and removal of directors of the trustee company. In a sense that is almost a self-serving oligarchy in that it’s the board of directors on the company that appear on the panel that appoint and remove the directors and the shareholders of the trust." More

  January 2011 - New study shows broad-based Stock Option Plans improve performance
One of the most comprehensive and convincing studies to date on the effect of broad-based option plans on company performance was recently released. Looking at non-executive options and the subsequent firm operating performance as measured by the firm's industry adjusted ROA, the authors found that "both the existence of a broad based option plan and the implied incentives of an option plan exert a positive effect on firm performance..." By contrast, companies with grants focused on executives did worse. More

 Welcome amendments to the Prospectus Directive for employee share plans will be in force by July 2011
We have previously reported on proposed amendments to the Prospectus Directive - in particular to the exemption from the requirement to publish a prospectus in relation to an offering made under an employee share scheme. The amending Directive has now been published in the Official Journal of the European Union and will take effect from 31 December 2010. It must be implemented by Member States within 18 months. Pinsent Masons outlines the main changes as they relate to employee share plans

 December 2010 - Twelve Bogus Reasons Not to Do an ESOP (and Seven Good Ones)
Over the years, we have heard a lot of unconvincing reasons not to do an ESOP—and some very good ones, too. Unfortunately, too many business owners decided not to do an ESOP for the wrong reasons. Our goal is not to convince anyone to implement an ESOP (or any other employee stock plan). Employee ownership can grow and prosper only if companies put in these plans for the right reasons... Twelve Bogus Reasons Not to Do an ESOP (and Seven Good Ones) - from the NCEO

 September 2010 - European Economic and Social Committee
The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) is the body that gives representatives of Europe's social partners and civil society a formal platform to express their points of views on EU issues. It has a key role to play in the Union's decision-making process. It is now preparing an own-initiative opinion on Employee Financial Participation. This SOC/371 opinion can be downloaded here in all languages
The concept of financial participation by employees is experiencing an astonishing upturn in Europe. However, only a handful of countries have seen financial participation by employees introduced on a scale that can be considered as representing a significant proportion of the working population. The following points therefore need to be highlighted:
-  The European Commission's approach – The models should be open to all employees and should not replace existing forms of remuneration, but instead supplement them. Additional substantive measures are needed to promote such broad-based models.
-   Europe 2020 – Employee participation boosts the competitiveness of European companies by rooting them down in the region, raising productivity and promoting sustainability. Its role an entrepreneurial instrument should be highlighted.
-  Promoting a European model – The modular "building block approach" provides the starting point for a European model.
-  Business successions in SMEs – The "Employee Stock Ownership Plan" (ESOP) is a collective employee capital participation scheme, run by a trust, which for the past 50 years has proven to be a successful instrument for managing company succession in the USA.
-  State intervention and participation – Recommendations: Expansion of employee participation to compensate for state support (for example, the case of Opel). Promotion of employee takeovers through lending activities by banks which have received state guarantees.
-  Use of optional tax incentives to promote employee participation – Tax incentives are not an indispensable precondition for employee participation, but they have undoubtedly had a positive impact in the countries that offer them.
The opinion will prepare the ground:
-  For a recommendation of the European Council on a European platform for employee participation, based on the modular "building block approach".
-   The incorporation of employee participation in the Regulation of the Council on the European Private Company Statute, as well as in the activities connected with the "Small Business Act".
-  The development of a concept for the European Investment Bank, encouraging it to link any increases in loan volume for SMEs to the introduction of employee participation, especially the ESOP approach for  financing company successions.

 June 2010 - Encouraging times for employee ownership in Europe
The French annual survey about employee savings was just published: Employee savings rebounded in 2009. The new British annual survey 2009 came at the same time: Share schemes popularity booms in the UK. There's been a big increase in share ownership through employee savings schemes. The EFES' own Annual Economic Survey 2009 confirms for all European countries. On the other hand, social partners are preparing a new opinion about employee financial participation in the framework of the European Economic and Social Committee. Read more

  May 2010 - European conferences in Rome and in Brussels
Two major European conferences will be held in Rome on September 16-17 and in Brussels on November 26, 2010. The conference in Rome is about "Exercising employee shareholders' rights in European companies". Which are the good practices? Which models, which obstacles across Europe? Could it be more effective? The conference in Brussels will be part of the programme of the Belgian Presidency of the European Union – "Ten years of public policies for employee ownership in Europe – past, present, future". Read more

  May 2010 - A cat is a cat
A cat is a cat. This is the present debate in the European Internet Forum on Employee Ownership.  The financial crisis brings new political awareness about employee ownership which increasingly appears the best option for its contribution to healthier corporate governance, long term vision and stability. The old concept of employee financial participation appears now obsolete and confusing. It's easy for you to join the Forum. Read more

  May 2010 - Gnashing of teeth in France
The transposition of the Shareholders Rights Directive sets teeth on edge in France. The member states of the European Union have to transpose the Directive into their national legislation. This one aims to facilitate and encourage effective shareholder control in EU companies. However, France failed to implement it in due time. Furthermore, the transposition project by the Ministry of Justice brings new difficulties and obstacles. Read more

  March 2010 - Democratizing employee ownership
Every large European company has 4 Top Executives on average, each holding 6.475.000 € in his company in 2009. Most large European companies have now employee share plans. Most of them express the idea that employee ownership should be increased in order to align employees and shareholders' interests. However, most companies began with share plans for Top Executives. This is to be compared with 9.3 million common employee owners, each holding 10.000 € in 2009. Many discussions occurred recently about Executives' remunerations. What about ownership? More

  March 2010 - Employee shareholders rights in European companies
Which are the good practices? Which models, which obstacles across Europe? Could it be more effective? A European Report will be written with the support of the European Commission and a European Conference will be held in Rome on September 16-17, 2010. It will contribute to open a new door for social dialogue and corporate governance items. Here the new dedicated website

  March 2010 - European employees took advantage of lower share prices

                                                                                    2009                 2008                 2007                 2006
Employee owners                                                            9.3 million         9 million            8.4 million
Employees' share in ownership structure                           2.86%               2.79%               2.75%              2.43%
Capitalisation held by employees                                   166 billion €      249 billion €       291 billion €       213 billion €
% European companies having employee ownership         91%                 83.8%               81.4%               77.4%
% European companies having broad-based plans            53.1%               50.9%               49%                 45.2%
% European companies having launched new plans          30.3%               35.3%               26.5%


In short: European employees took advantage of lower share prices to increase their share. This is the main conclusion of the new Economic Survey of Employee Ownership in the European Countries in 2009 which will be soon published. More

  March 2010 - Go ahead
Employee ownership is a hot debate in the campaign for national election in the UK (see press review). From Paris, the new European Commissioner for Internal Market, Michel Barnier expressed his own positive will: "I am going to make a set of proposals for better corporate governance: Better transparency, better say from shareholders about executives' remuneration, better place for employee ownership…" Go ahead Michel !!… More

  February 2010 - Happy end in Italy
Each European country is now busy with the transposition of McCreevy Directive about shareholders rights. In a first stage, this transposition put Italian employee shareholders associations in danger.  Fortunately, the new legislation finally maintains their role.

 - new common logo for workers' cooperatives in France
The French Confederation of Workers' Cooperatives launched a new common logo for all French workers' coops. More

  January 2010 - 2010 a key year
2010 will be a key year in Europe for employee ownership at political level. After the European Parliament, it is now time for the new European Commission to be appointed. We sent a letter to the new Commissioners… More

  December 2009 - Exercising employee shareholders' rights in European companies
Which are the good practices? Which models, which obstacles across Europe? Could it be more effective? A European Report will be written with the support of the European Commission, and a European Conference will be held in Rome in June 2010. More

  December 2009 - Australian Employee Buyout Centre
The Australian Employee Buyout Centre is in the process of starting up. Its mission is to preserve, protect and enhance jobs through employee ownership. More

  December 2009 - You can make your contribution
We will be able to continue our information work thanks to your support. This is why we call for your contribution. More

  November 2009 - Conference chaired by Lech Walesa in Warsaw
Employee ownership is back on the agenda in Poland. A conference was held in Warsaw with the European Federation of Employee Share Ownership on November 16. Pictures of the conference

  November 2009 - Maybe a historic step
Crisises are typical moments for new ideas. Last summer, we saw German unions changing their minds about employee ownership, considering it as a tool against the financial crisis, and demanding capital stakes in troubled companies. "Arbeitnehmer sind die besseren Aktionäre" (the best shareholders are employee shareholders)!
Now it is in the USA: Last month, the United Steelworkers (USW) and Mondragon Corporacion Cooperativa announced a framework agreement for collaboration to establish workers cooperatives.
Unions are usually quite reluctant about employee ownership. This is normal. It is well the unions' role to defend workers against risks. Ownership is a risky matter, and this is also true for employee ownership.
Highlighting the differences between Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs) and union co-ops, USW President Leo Gerard said, "We have lots of experience with ESOPs, but have found that it doesn't take long for the Wall Street types to push workers aside and take back control. We see Mondragon's cooperative model with "one worker, one vote" ownership as a means to re-empower workers and make business accountable to Main Street instead of Wall Street."
Votes, accountability… This is about governance, pointing out that ownership is not only a risk but also the ability to have a say. Probably your risk is even higher when you don't have any say.

  October 2009 - Effervescence in Italy about McCreevy's Directive on shareholders' rights
Effervescence in Italy. For now, each European country is in the process of transposing the "McCreevy's Directive" on shareholders' rights. In Italy, the transposition threat to remove the associations of shareholders. The federation of shareholders' associations CONAPA convenes its congress on November 10. Detailed information  Letter to Minister Sacconi  Letter to the Treasury and to the CONSOB

  October 2009 - New course in Germany, discussions in Italy and Poland
Things are changing quickly. Until recently, Germany was quite reluctant about employee ownership. It's only just since April that a new legislation was in force and employee ownership is already again on the agenda, with German trade unions promoting employee ownership as a tool against the financial crisis, and demanding capital stakes in troubled companies. However, employers' organisations seem more cautious. Whatever next !? Same situation in Italy: Minister Sacconi convened social partners to a roundtable about employee financial participation, getting positive reactions from the unions' side but cautiousness from employers. In Poland, Vice-Prime Minister Pawlak prepares a new privatisation phase based on employee ownership. Who's next?

  September 2009 - New course in Germany, new course for Europe
Until recently, Germany was quite reluctant about employee ownership. Things are now changing. The German Ministry of Employment & Social Affairs launch a dedicated website and an excellent brochure promoting employee ownership. German trade unions are discovering employee ownership as a tool against the financial crisis. Demanding a capital stake in a troubled company is fast becoming a powerful rallying cry - "Arbeitnehmer sind die besseren Aktionäre" (the best shareholders are employees !). Now that most big European countries feel positive, the whole political picture could change in a positive way for employee ownership at European Union level.

  July 2009 - Proposal to the new European Parliament
After 10 years of (no) European policy, time has come to assess the situation and to re-launch a dynamic policy for developing employee ownership across Europe. 150 Members of the European Parliament and leaders from all political parties expressed their support to the Employee Ownership Manifesto for the 2009 European elections. Healthier economy, sustainability, better governance are the key points in most supporting messages from all parties. Proposal to the new Parliament

  June 2009 - 150 Members of the European Parliament
150 Members of the European Parliament and candidates from all political parties answered our Manifesto for the European elections. The last ten years saw a strong development of employee ownership in European companies. Strangely, this happened while a European policy for the promotion and the development of employee ownership was completely lacking. It is time to reconsider things and to relaunch a real European policy. This is a role for the new European Parliament. Detailed information

 
June 2009 - Employee ownership or not employee ownership in the auto industry
For the first time Washington is looking to employee ownership in a unique form at Chrysler -- employees will have a stake in the company. However, what is it really? Employee ownership or not employee ownership? The United Auto Workers union will own 55% of Chrysler. What future for a union-controlled industry? Which place for employee ownership in the auto industry bailout? Same question for German unions and Opel in Europe. Detailed information

  Eighth European Meeting of Employee Ownership – Brussels, 18 May
The Eighth European Meeting of Employee Ownership will be held in Egmont Palace, in the center of Brussels on May 18, 2009. Registration and practical information

  March 2009 - Your country compared to others in 2008
Each European country can easily be compared to others regarding employee ownership in 2008, thanks to a set of ten graphs, using fully comparable information. Download country files

  February 2009 - Manifesto for the 2009 European Parliament Elections
The Employee Ownership Manifesto presents 6 practical proposals to all candidates to the new European Parliament and to the European Commission. All interested people are invited to express their support and answer our questions. Knowing that the European Union doesn't have the necessary competency in the matter, most proposals are addressed to the states. All reactions are published on the dedicated website. We already received a number of interesting reactions from MEPs and others: Glenis Willmott, Stephen Hughes, Brian Simpson, Bernard Lehideux, Robert Goebbels, Frédéric Lefebvre and others. Detailed information

  February 2009 - Economic Survey of Employee Ownership in European Countries in 2008
Assets held by employee owners fell to 240.2 billion Euro in 2008, compared to 283.3 billion in 2007, a serious decrease of 15.2%; however this was still quite more than the 206.2 billion in 2006. Employees share in companies capital stabilized on 2.63% in 2008, compared to 2.64% in 2007 and 2.32% in 2006. Europe had 9,1 million employee owners in 2008 compared to 8.5 million in 2007. This is a first information from the Survey of Employee Ownership 2008. The survey brings an exhaustive information about 2.533 European groups, gathering 259.000 companies and 32.4 million employees. See below a first graph showing that employee share plans continue to multiply among European companies. The full Annual Survey will be published on May 18, 2009, it is time for subscription! Subscription order

 
February 2009 - Eighth European Meeting of Employee Ownership
The Eighth European Meeting of Employee Ownership will be held in Egmont Palace, in the center of Brussels on May 18, 2009. Detailed information

  February 2009 - New legislation in Germany
Finally they did !! The Bundestag voted the new legislation for the promotion of employee ownership on January 22. Detailed information

  January 2009 - Crisis as usual
Is the present crisis so different from others? No future, the end of the world, the end of the free enterprise economy, the end of (employee) ownership? As usual, the biggest crisis we've ever seen. As usual doomsayers and happiness mongers as well. As usual most were surprised while many had predicted. As usual bankruptcies, scandals, even surprising frauds, some billionaires suicides. Gesticulations as usual  and reflection. As usual some cry for freedom while others for more regulation. As usual, many look backwards while some look forwards. Get here a long-term vision of financial crisises 1929-2008

  January 2009 - Restructuring and rescuing distressed companies
Bailout plans are multiplying, involving employee ownership. However, all companies cannot be saved. Last month, Tribune Company went bankruptcy in the USA. One year ago, it was acquired through an ESOP (employee stock ownership plan) for 8.4 billion dollars. Tribune employees won't be losing anything from the company's employee ownership stock plan. However a bad story for ESOPs. What about the automotive crisis? Is employee ownership the future of automotive companies? Which future for employee ownership? This is a new big debate in the US. After the ESOP Foundation launched its "Employee Ownership Blog" some months ago, it is now turn for the US National Center for Employee Ownership. Both blogs give the opportunity to some of the most experienced experts to discuss the point: Michael Keeling, Corey Rosen, John Logue and John Hoffmire

  January 2009 - Faux pas at the European Commission
The recent call for proposals concerning employee ownership was corrupted. A double complaint was addressed to the European Ombudsman. Detailed information

  December 2008 - Time to buy (bis)
"Workers of the world unite. Don't down your tools but buy a slice of the action. There couldn't be a better time to start learning to love equity - owning shares and investing in business... It is counter-intuitive but with the stock market at rock bottom, this is a great moment for the British worker to swap being a wage slave for owning shares through employee share schemes or investing on the stock market. Taking part in cooperatives or partnerships could be explored too..." (British press). Just as we already pointed in October, it is remarkable that most debates about employee ownership are going in the same way: Time to buy.

  Panic at the European Commission
Difficult time to face. Too difficult for the present European Commission, at least regarding employee ownership. Ignorance, incompetency, what else? This has to be changed. We call for a renewed Commission with real competency in the matter. Letters were addressed to José Manuel Barroso and to Nicolas Sarkozy. See detailed information

  November 2008 - A political roadmap for employee ownership in Europe
A political roadmap for Europe was proposed in the framework of the French Presidency of the European Union. What should be done at European level to promote the development of employee ownership?  Should we set up a European model? The picture of  employee share plans in large European companies is highly fascinating. It is a general movement, involving all large companies in all countries. However, when considering the European states, it is still everyone for himself. What can be done for Europe? Which European model? Download

  Employee ownership for all
Employee ownership for all: This is the common theme linking all these articles about employee ownership in the world's press last month. Most discussions about the financial crisis, share options and executive pay. "Share options and participation for all" seems to be the way in France, Germany and others as well. Tax benefits for employee-owned companies are requested in Spain… See press review

  October 2008 - Time to buy
It is remarkable that most articles about employee ownership in the world's press tell about similar information: Time to buy. For a former Prime Minister, Maltese dockyards should be transferred to a workers' cooperative rather than to foreign ownership. Austrian Airlines: Unions ask for strategic employee ownership which could even be a reason to choose Air France-KLM's offer rather than Lufthansa. Alitalia: Big unions are more reluctant here than Austrian colleagues, but Pilots Union asks for significant employee ownership. Ireland: Eircom's Employee Share Ownership Trust, which alreay owns 35pc of the telecommunications firm, is considering a stake in its majority owner Babcock & Brown Capital. France: Long struggle to rescue Ledar Papermaker through a new workers' coop. Successful new employee share plans for AXA, Société Générale, EDF… Finally, the question is also coming from the USA: "Maybe it's time for Chrysler's employees to buy the company."

  September 2008 - Employee ownership in tough times

"Investing employee retirement money in company stock is not just risky: It's idiotic" (in American  press). Yet in present times, numerous French companies are launching new global plans (see press review)… Many American companies are bought by employees through ESOPs… German government has now just decided for a new supportive legislation in 2009… French employees didn't reduce their employee savings so much, yet President Sarkozy encouraged them to spend it and to boost consumption… The chairman of British employee-owned retailer John Lewis Partnership promises no job cuts in tough times… All idiots?

  Finland – Germany - Spain

Finland brings a good example of employee ownership development in 2008. Compared to 2007, employees' share in capital raised from 1.56% to 1.89% (+21%) on average in the 61 largest Finnish companies. Due to troubles on financial markets, the market capitalisation of the 61 companies decreased from 215 to 213 billion Euro (-1%), while employees' shareholdings grew from 3.3 to 4 billions Euro (+20%). This is based on our survey of employee ownership in European companies, being now updated for year 2008. Things are not so good in Germany: Employees' share in capital appears to be unchanged in 2008 compared to 2007 (1.72%) – It is time for a better legislation. Things are even worst for Spain: Employees' share in capital decreased from 1.57% in 2007 to 1.45% in 2008.


  June 2008 - New research confirms employee-owned companies more productive

A new recent research on "Employee Ownership and Participation Effects on Firm Outcomes"  conducted by Brent Kramer, a doctoral candidate at the City University of New York, “provides strong evidence that majority employee-owned businesses have a significant advantage over comparable traditionally-owned businesses in sales per employee.” More information 

  June 2008 - Private Equity and employee ownership
Over the past decade, management and employee share ownership has become a standard way for  the private-equity industry. It can even be said that management and employee share ownership has become an established part of the private-equity toolkit. More information

  May 2008 - First Annual Economic Survey of Employee Ownership in European Countries
The Survey reveals that employee ownership is progressing at a quicker rate and with greater depth across Europe than expected. When considering recent trends, employee ownership is predicted to double within the next 5-10 years, from currently 8.2 million employee owners to 16 million and from currently 26.2% of all employees in large European companies to 40-50%, and finally capitalisation held by employees is predicted to rise currently from 2.35% to 4 - 4.5%. This is a sudden development in most European countries. However, some countries began earlier while others dawdled on the way. They can easily be compared to each others. Each country file can be downloaded and the full Annual Survey is now available. More information

  Seventh European Meeting of Employee Ownership - Brussels, 23 May 2008
The Seventh European Meeting of Employee Ownership was held in the prestigious Solvay Library, just near the European Parliament. Most presentations and documents are now available. More information

  The European Employee Ownership Top 100 in 2007
The new rankings or European top companies regarding employee ownership are now available for year 2007. More information

  March 2008 - Europe – USA and the hedge funds
USA: Some days ago, we got the "Statistical Profile of Employee Ownership" from the National Center for Employee Ownership in the USA. Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs) are the most popular employee ownership scheme in the US – they have now 9.774 ESOPs, with 11.2 millions employee owners, holding 630 billions Euro in assets. Looking at all other employee ownership schemes besides ESOPs, they have some 25 millions employee owners, holding more than 1.000 billions Euro in assets.
Europe: Considering the 2.500 largest European companies, we have now 8.2 millions employee owners across Europe, holding 260 billions Euro (see our first "Annual Economic Survey of Employee Ownership" will be soon made public).
Europe and USA: Employee owners hold now some 1.260 billions Euro, quite similar to the global capitalisation of all hedge funds across the world in 2007 (US$ 1.700 billions = 1.160 billions Euro).

  New legislation in Slovenia
On February 29, the Slovenian Parliament voted a new legislation for employee share ownership and financial participation. This is a first major change in the new Member States of the European Union. Most of them promoted  employee ownership when they privatised, 15 years ago, but nothing was done to support employee ownership in the longer term. Hence this strange situation, employee share ownership expanding in the first 15 countries of the European Union, while declining in the new ones.

  February 2008 - 80% of all European largest companies have employee share plans
80% of all European largest companies had employee share plans in 2007, coming from 50% in 2000,  20% in 1994, 10% in 1986... A quick and recent development. All European countries are involved without any exception. However, some of them began earlier while others dawdled on the way. We present the full picture in a set of graphs, so you can see what it is for each country. See graph

  Brussels, 23 May 2008 – Seventh European Meeting of Employee Ownership
The Seventh European Meeting of Employee Ownership will be held in Brussels on 23 May. The meeting will be the place for the publication of the ranking of the European Employee Ownership Top 100 for year 2007 and the full analysis of employee ownership across Europe in 2007. Would you like to attend – get detailed information here

  January 2008 - Promising year 2008
A lot of things seem promising for a new political impulse to employee ownership across Europe. Germany is going fast to a new legislation, Austrian Government is working hard, Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker of Luxemburg launched a call some weeks ago, the new All Party Parliamentary Group on Employee Ownership is in place in UK, some new Member States seem opening doors, for instance Slovenia (going to a new legislation for employee ownership in 2008), and the next French Presidency of the European Union could be a good opportunity.

  December 2007 - 14 European countries in 2007 – and Austria
Compared with a set of 14 European countries, employee share ownership seems low in Austria. We made a presentation last month in Vienna on invitation of Vice-Chancellor Wilhelm Molderer and Minister of Economics and Labour Martin Bartenstein, comparing employee share ownership in 14 European countries. This is based on most recent numbers, those of year 2006/2007 – a photography of European employee ownership in real time. See presentation

  All-Party Parliamentary Group on Employee Ownership in UK
British Parliament decided to set up a permanent All-Party Parliamentary Group on Employee Ownership. This looks a major political step for employee ownership in UK. The Group organised first a public inquiry, allowing us to express our requirements regarding employee ownership not only in UK but for the whole European Union. See inquiry

  November 2007 - Employee share ownership in business succession planning
It is known that ESOP – one of the most typical employee ownership scheme in USA, was particularly designed for business succession. In Australia, the Australian Employee Ownership Association (AEOA) has been vigorously promoting the role that employee share ownership can play in business succession planning. To support the development of employee share ownership in the SME sector, the AEOA has set up a special "resources" page to assist business consultants with advising on ESOP-based business successions and the expansion of employee equity in private companies. The articles, case studies and web-links appearing on this page will be useful for informing retiring business owners wanting to transition their business to their employees as part of a succession plan, as well as for those wanting to implement shared ownership of private businesses generally. See this new resources web-page
 
  Employee Ownership Blog
Creation of the Employee Ownership Blog in USA. The Employee Ownership Blog is dedicated to fostering an open discussion about employee ownership in the US while keeping readers informed of new developments on the legislative front and linking to relevant articles. Access to the blog 

  October 2007 - A trade unionist in the world of employee ownership
David Wheatcroft is a British trade unionist and an experienced practitioner in the employee ownership field. He just published a new paper: "Caring and sharing – the co-owned route to better care", a personal account of how an employee owned company – Sunderland Home Care Associates – was formed and has flourished. Of course such company is not listed – the paper tells how a regulated internal share market is used for employees who wish to sell or buy shares. Another aim of this report is to show national and local policy makers why the co-ownership model has so much to offer public services. Download  

  Soon coming - The European Employee Ownership Top 2007
Last year we set up a full database of employee ownership in all widest European groups, including detailed description and history of all share-based and option schemes in each group. Our database is presently being updated for year 2007. So we'll be able to see how employee ownership evolved from 2006 to 2007 in all 27 countries of the European Union. This year the database will cover all 2.500 widest European groups, on which 1.200 are already updated. In these 1.200 companies, we can mention that capitalisations held by employees rose by 29,8% in 2007. Of these capitalisations, executives held 19% in average and common employees 81% (but executives held 67% in Spain, 29% in Germany, 17% in Finland). Last year, many companies designed and launched new employee share and options plans. 44% did so in Denmark, compared to 39% in Ireland, 35% in Finland, and only 22% in Germany, 15% in Spain, 8% in Portugal… The database will be soon completely updated and we will publish our rankings for year 2007 and our detailed analysis through a publication and a conference in March 2008. Would your company be a sponsor for this publication and event? Sponsoring

  September 2007 - Employee share ownership - what's in it for you?
Is buying shares in your company a wise investment and a good way to keep your eye on management? In this interview for Rhodia Alliance OnLine (Rhodia's association of employee shareholders), we talk about the advantages of owning a stake in your company, whether criticism of your management is a bad career move, and we break down some of the mysteries and financial ins and outs of share ownership. More details

  New European Report
The European Foundation in Dublin just published a new report about financial participation of employees in the European Union. Conclusion: "There has been a clear trend of rising levels of financial participation over the five years between 2000 and 2005. In all countries there has been an increase, in some cases notable, in the percentage of employees participating… This indicates that the percentage of workers involved in financial participation schemes in Europe, although still low, is on the increase, suggesting that the phenomenon will probably become more significant in the near future." More details

  Political debate about employee share ownership in Germany

Two different proposals are discussed in Germany. The Christian Democratic Party has published a paper with a list of proposals to promote financial participation on the company level. The proposal of the Social Democratic Party has a different objective: They propose to establish a so called “Germany Fund”. A common proposal of the two governmental parties – that means a compromises – could be expected in autumn. More details

  Request to the new Member States of the European Union

EFES requests all new Member States to adopt a legislation allowing employee share plans based on international standards. Most countries answered positively. More information

  July 2007 - 2007 surveys in France and United Kingdom
France publishes its Sixth Annual Survey on employee savings plans. In 2007, 84% of Executives and 82% of employees consider employee share ownership as a good thing for companies (it was 79% and 80% in 2002). Download French Survey  UK released the results of its annual SIP (Share Incentive Plan) and SAYE (Save As You Earn) survey – the most common plans, a succesful story. More information about UK  

  And now Germany
From its start one year ago, Angela Merkel's Government plans to make up the time Germany had lost regarding employee share ownership. Both political parties of the big coalition had their own working groups. Now both proposals are on the table. Socialist SPD thinks to indirect employee ownership, free of risk, through a big "German Fund", managing employees savings and investing in German companies. Christian Democrat CDU/CSU is more inclined to favour direct employee share ownership. See more information in press review.

  Request to the new Member States of the European Union

EFES requests all new Member States to adopt a legislation allowing employee share plans based on international standards (annual employee share purchase plans, 20% discount price free of tax and social security, up to 5.000 Euro or 10% annual wage, 3 years blockage). We already got answers from Slovenia, Estonia, Latvia and the Czech Republic. More information

  June 2007 - Request to the new Member States of the European Union
EFES requests all new Member States to adopt a legislation allowing common employee share plans. Most new Member States have a bad opinion about employee share ownership and they don't have any adapted legislation. This makes things difficult, not only in these countries but in the European Union as a whole, because most new Member States being not interested or even hostile, political interest for employee share ownership fell dramatically also in Brussels !! More information

  Russian Employee Ownership Association
An international conference on employee ownership in Russia was held on June 7-8, 2007 in Rostov-on-Don, Capital of South Russia (city of Essenin, Tchekhov, Soljenitsin, etc), being hosted by the Rostov State Economic University. The Conference decided to set up a new Russian Association for Employee Ownership, and EFES will help.
More information

  May 2007 - Explosive development about employee ownership in the world's press (May 2007)
7.560 articles about employee ownership in the world's press in April. When we launched our press review for the first time in October 2005, we got 597 articles. In March 2006, it was 1.090. In March 2007, last month, it was 2.090… Now with 7.560 articles, we have to change our methods. See press review below.

  Fever in USA, employee ownership schemes are especially topical
For the second time in a few weeks, employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs) figured prominently in high-profile deals. $8.2 billion deal for Chicago Tribune (21.000 workers – they will have 60% in hands). $5 millions deal for Chrysler with a possible bid by the United Auto Workers reviewing a proposal for employees and the union to buy 70 percent of Chrysler via an employee stock ownership plan… See more information in the press review below.

  Netherlands Participation Institute

New website for the Netherlands Participation Institute which promotes employee ownership in the Netherlands on http://www.snpi.nl/

  Bangladesh: New worker-owned garment factory
The Institute of Integrated Rural Development promotes worker ownership in the textile industry and in roadside tree plantations More information  

  April 2007 - Employee ownership in largest European companies
87% of all largest European groups have employee share ownership and 82,6% have plans to develop it more, while 49% have broad based plans (all employees plans). Employee share ownership is significant in 40,3% (employee owners holding more than 1%). On the other hand, 69,6% use stock options. Our database of employee ownership in European companies is now complete. It gathers the numbers and the detailed history of employee share plans in the 2.000 European widest groups, in 27 European countries. This is 29 millions employees (corresponding to 100-120 millions people, some 25% of the whole European population, if you consider that a family sizes 3-4 persons). The database can be used for benchmarking about countries, branches or a defined list of companies as well. You can ask us here for conditions

  The European Employee Ownership TOP 2007
Would your company be partner of the European Employee Ownership TOP 2007? The database will be updated. It will also be expanded to Romania, Bulgaria and probably Turkey. The ranking of the TOP employee ownership companies will be published through a celebration conference at the end of the year, a dedicated website and a publication. Call us for partnership

  March 2007 - The European Council of Finance Ministers calls for more employee ownership
European companies must give workers a bigger share of their soaring profit or risk igniting a “crisis in legitimacy” in the continent’s economic model, Germany’s finance minister warned on last Ecofin Council of Ministers. The idea of using initiatives, such as employee share ownership schemes, to increase the link between profit and worker benefits was discussed, the debate having even some “Thatcherite overtones” – a reference to the former British prime minister’s promotion of employee share ownership schemes. Here more information 

  The CoCo Report: Work, Happiness and Employee Ownership
Companies where workers have a say in decisions and a stake in ownership are more productive because staff are happier, according to a new report in the UK. The study found absence levels were lower and workers were more committed in "co-owned" companies. The British Government was urged to introduce tax incentives to encourage the launch of more  co-owned companies. Download the full report 

  First Investment Fund based on the employee share ownership index
In December, Euronext together with the French Federation of Employee Shareholders' Associations launched its Indice de l'Actionnariat Salarié (Employee Share Ownership Index). They launch now a first investment fund based on the index. Here more information

  February 2007 - Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises
The UK's Accounting Standard Board announced a major relaxation of the requirements for Share Based Payments for smaller companies. Here more information

  Netherlands Participation Institute
Pascale Nieuwland and Marjon Westerhof are the new Directors of the NPI. Here more information

  January 2007 - The European Employee Ownership Top 100 in 2006
The rankings of European biggest companies considering employee ownership are now available. The Top 10 companies for capitalisation held by employees are: UBS, Total,
Novartis, Mondragon, Deutsche Bank, Société Générale, BNP Paribas, Crédit Agricole, AXA, Bouygues. Employees hold 6,16% of those companies, which means 43.357 Euro by employee in average.
Click here for The European Employee Ownership Top 100 rankings in 2006

  Sixth European Meeting of Employee Ownership
The Sixth European Meeting of Employee Ownership was held in Brussels on December 14-16. Click here for all presentations of the conference

  Insolvency, Employee Rights & Employee Buyouts - A Strategy for Restructuring
A new report by Anthony Jensen, Ithaca Consultancy and The Common Cause Foundation

  Three new original research works about employee ownership and participation in Europe
Patrick Guiol & Jorge Munoz made the demonstration that participative management contributes to better public health (French report)
Eric Kaarsemaker gave a theoretical and empirical treatise about employee ownership and human resource management and the Dutch context
Marco Caramelli made an attitudinal cross-cultural approach about the effects of employee ownership in large multinational companies

  New British guidelines on employee share plans in 2007
The Association of British Insurers updated its guidelines on executive remuneration and employee share plans. Click here for detailed information

  Job Ownership Ltd (UK) changed
Job Ownership Ltd decided to change its strategy and name. It is now the Employee Ownership Association on http://www.employeeownership.co.uk/

  November 2006 - With the participation of one of the candidates to the French Presidency
Publication of the first ranking of the TOP 100 European employee ownership companies, during the Sixth European Meeting of Employee Ownership - Brussels 14-15 December 2006.
Click below for: Programme and practical information
  Whole information   These companies will probably belong to the first TOP 100 ranking

  PEPPER III Report
The European Commission opened doors for a European policy regarding employee ownership, with PEPPER I Report (1991) and PEPPER II (1996). Now the Inter-University Centre Split/Berlin publishes the PEPPER III Report, describing employee financial participation in the new Member and Candidate Countries of the European Union. Download here

  A European Commission's disaster
This is how an expert describes his participation to a European Commission's group of experts on financial participation. Download here

  October 2006 - Come in Brussels for the celebration of the TOP 100 European employee ownership companies
On the menu of the Sixth European Meeting of Employee Ownership (Brussels 14-15 December 2006): Announcement of the TOP 100 for year 2006 and celebration of companies at the Brussels Stock Exchange Palace.
For the first time, a complete survey of employee ownership will be available, for all countries of the EU. A number of companies case studies from various countries. Unions' testimonies. Obstacles to employee share plans. Reactions of a panel of high political representatives. Many services providers in the field will be present. Click below for:
Whole information
Registration form
Programme and practical information
Reimbursement of your travel and accommodation expenses

  Your company in the European TOP 100 ?
Which companies will be at the top of the TOP 100 for year 2006? Companies of the TOP 100 will be celebrated during a gala dinner in the Brussels Stock Exchange Palace on December 14 evening.
These companies will probably belong to the TOP 100

  New reports about employee ownership in European countries
New reports were recently published about employee ownership in Austria, in France, and in Germany

  September 2006 - Sixth European Meeting of Employee Ownership
The Sixth European Meeting of Employee Ownership will be held in Brussels on December 14-15-16, 2006. The meeting will announce the ranking of all Europe's widest employee ownership companies: The European Employee Ownership Top 100 - 2006. For the first time, a complete survey of employee ownership will be available, for all countries of the EU. Click here for detailed information and draft programme

  Your travel and accommodation expenses could be reimbursed !!
Thanks to our sponsors, EFES will be able to cover your travel and accommodation expenses for the Sixth European Meeting of Employee Ownership. Click here for detailed information.

  A new platform for employee ownership in Austria
A new platform published a strong study on employee ownership and participation schemes in Austria. See on Plattform Mitarbeiterbeteiligung Österreich

  July 2006 - Top European companies set up a lobby group
Design and management of multinational share plans are very difficult and expensive. The management of multinational schemes is confronted with a huge range of constraints and changeable national rules for which managers and directors of schemes are poorly equipped and frequent use of expensive legal advice is necessary. Many improvements or exemptions could be achieved, hence lower complexity and costs. The first meeting of the lobby group allowed participants to define priorities. Click here for detailed information.

  The European Employee Ownership Top 100 2006
It will be designed with respect to two rankings of Europe's largest companies, considering employee ownership.
EUROPA EMP 100: Companies are ranked by number of employees. Ranking Europe's largest companies that are 50% or more employee-owned through an ESOP, Share Purchase Plan, or other Broad-Based Ownership Plan, or as a workers' co-operative.
EUROPA CAP 100: Companies are ranked by equity held by employees, in millions Euro. Ranking Europe's largest companies that are partly or totally employee-owned through an ESOP, Share Purchase Plan, or other Broad-Based Ownership Plan, or as a workers' co-operative.

  April 2006 - International Survey on Employee Share Ownership and Work Values
The CREGO - Research Center in Management of the University of Montpellier II, is carrying out an international survey on employee share ownership and work values. The goal of this research is to give some insight to several practical issues like the one of the effects of employee ownership on employee motivation and organisational commitment or the impact of cultural values on employees’ perceptions and behaviours towards employee ownership. The survey is aimed at all employees (both shareholders and not shareholders) of traded companies which offer some employee share ownership plan. Filling the questionnaire, takes about 15 minutes and the information gathered is strictly anonymous and confidential. You are invited to take part, clicking here.

  30.06.2005: The Mondragon Co-operative Research Conference 2005 was held in Mondragon on 28 June.
We noticed 3 remarkable papers:

- Entry, exit and the business cycle. Are coops different? by Virginie Perotin, Leeds University Business School.
- The business of co-operative education: Master of Management - Co-operatives and credit unions, by John Chamard, Stephen Dutcher and Tom Webb, Saint Mary's University. Tom Webb took part in the first stages of our EOLE Programme.
- Challenges and opportunities for Mondragon co-operatives in the face of globalization, by Isabel Uribe and Ignazio Iribar, Mondragon University.

  05.03.2005: USA - The ESOP Association Urges President's Advisory Panel on Federal Tax Reform to Promote the Ownership Society Through Employee Ownership
WASHINGTON, March 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, The ESOP Association submitted comments and recommendations to the President's Advisory Panel on Federal Tax Reform that encourages the Advisory Panel to be consistent with President Bush's goal to encourage and promote an "Ownership Society" in the United States. See on http://www.esopassociation.org

  18.02.2005: Committee for Effective Employee Ownership: practical guidelines for employee ownership
In 2004, the National Center for Employee Ownership (NCEO); the Beyster Institute at the Rady School, UC San Diego; and the Global Equity Organization (GEO) created the Committee for Effective Employee Ownership (CEEO). The CEEO's primary goal is to devise principles intended to help companies and investors make appropriate, economically sound choices about the distribution of equity among employees. In addition, the CEEO seeks to provide general guidelines on how companies can best use broad employee equity ownership plans to create more productive and rewarding workplaces. The CEEO bases each of the principles in this document on objective research by scholars, advisors, and the National Center for Employee Ownership; the principles are not simply our opinion or philosophy. The CEEO does not propose these principles as the basis for laws or regulations. Instead, it believes that market-proven benefits of responsible employee ownership can prove themselves without rhetoric. In order to make this happen, business and investment leaders need a deeper understanding of how these various approaches to employee ownership operate. The findings of the CEEO are available at www.nceo.org/ceeo       You can also get the full document available here in pdf (49 pages).

  17.09.2004: Report of the High Level Group of Experts on cross-border obstacles to financial participation of employees for companies having a transnational dimension
The need to reduce, through concrete measures, the obstacles to the introduction of financial participation throughout the Union for enterprises established in several countries has been stressed by the Communication of the European Commission proposing a general framework for promoting financial participation in Europe in July 2002. The report of the high level group of independent experts set up against this background deals with the various forms of financial participation used in the European Union, the obstacles to cross-boarder spread of financial participation and the proposals that would help to reduce the obstacles and promote financial participation at Union level.
Available in pdf format in : EN / FR / DE

  JUNE 2004: FOR THE NEXT RENEWAL OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION
In 1998, when the European Federation of Employee Share Ownership was< set up, it was said that some 10% of American employees held shares of their enterprise; they are now 23,3%. Some weeks ago, the Australian Government launched a programme to double employee share ownership in Australia, from 5,5% of employees today to 11% in 2009.
Today, performances studies have multiplied and we can now consider with no doubt that when it is practiced in good conditions, employee ownership brings to enterprises a gain of performances estimated at 2% of additional annual growth on average. On the European Union scale, this would represent millions of additional jobs. In this way the development of employee ownership could be an important factor for the Lisbon Strategy.
Today, we are far from a European awareness and a strong mobilisation. Scepticism or indifference still dominate in many European countries. The contrast is obvious in comparison with the United States, Australia and other parts of the world. A political willingness of the European Union has still to crystallize.
We recommend that Europe gives itself a voluntary objective of industrial policy : reach 10 % of employee ownership in the whole European Union in 2010. In this way, a whole combination of means have to be implemented at the Union level, in the Member States and in the regions.
We particularly insist on the followings :
1. The implementation of a community organ (agency ? institute ? committee ?) for the promotion and the development of employee ownership. In this way, we applaud the proposal of the European Commission Experts Group, chaired by Jean-Baptiste de Foucault, to install a European Committee for Financial Participation of Workers.
2. An adapted legislation must be applied in each country of the European Union. In this way too, we applaud the proposals of the Experts Group of the Commission chaired by Jean-Baptiste de Foucault.
3. Enterprise transfer and salvation of failing enterprises are situations where employee ownership has proved its worth. Employee buyouts schemes should get particular support. These formulas are not only to be supported for themselves but also because they are favourable to the diffusion and promotion of employee ownership, in all enterprises of the Union's countries.

  20.04.2004: The Australian Government recently announced a scheme to double employee share ownership (ESO) in Australian workplaces from 5.5 per cent now to 11% in 2009. They set up a very good website on: http://www.workplace.gov.au/Workplace/WPDisplay/0,1280,a0%253D0%2526a1%253D517%2526a2%253D634,00.html

  02.02.2004: Owners At Work draws the attention on the prestigious award that the Ford Foundation presented to John Logue, Director of the Ohio Employee Ownership Center. See on http://dept.kent.edu/oeoc/PublicationsResearch/OwnersAtWork.htm
... and these are now growing together our OEOC and EFES trees !!!.

.

  19.03.2004: Letter to all European Governments. On the occasion of the forthcoming renewal of the European Commission, EFES calls for a transfer of the competence related to employee ownership and employee financial participation along with the management of the sub-programme on employee financial participation of budget-line B3-4003 to DG Enterprise.

  04.03.2004: A main conference on employee financial participation in Europe, Paris, April 28-29, 2004. Organised by the French organisation "Europe et Société". Most speakers beeing EFES members: Erik Poutsma, Jean-Claude Mothié, etc. Here the draft programme in pdf. Registration on line on www.europeetsociete.com Contact: Jacques Moreau, Executive Manager, europeetsociete@wanadoo.fr

  26.02.2004: The European Commission has released its new Action Plan setting out Europe’s agenda for entrepreneurship in the years to come, published here in the 11 Community languages.

  13.02.2004: EFES Secretariat in Brussels got the visit of two Polish students in the framework of a Leonardo Programme led by the University of Cracow (Prof essor Ryszard Stocki). They spent 31/2 months in Brussels, helping EFES to build our Polish website and to translate all documents of the European Union concerning employee ownership and financial participation of workers. A good experience for EFES. Below Maja Bobruk and Ola Michalik with some members of the teams of EFES, EFES Belgium and L'Associatif Financier. Just click for a better view:

  02.02.2004: Mondragon Corporación Cooperativa renewed completely its website. It is now full of information in English, French, German, Spanish and Basque. See on http://www.mondragon.mcc.es/

  28.01.2004: Marco Caramelli (University of Montpellier, France) is developing a cross-cultural study of the attitudinal effects of employee stock ownership plans He looks for support.

  22.01.2004: Conference on employee financial participation in Europe, Paris, April 28-29, 2004. Organised by the French organisation "Europe et Société". They are still looking for speakers from EO companies in UK, Spain and other countries. Some EFES members are already registered as speakers: Erik Poutsma, Jean-Claude Mothié, Marc Mathieu. Here the draft programme in pdf. Registration on line on www.europeetsociete.com Contact: Jacques Moreau, Executive Manager, europeetsociete@wanadoo.fr

  07.01.2004: Employee ownership continues to be widely growing in the US. 23.3% of all employees working for for-profit companies report owning stock in their companies (this is 23 million employees); the number is 12,0% in companies employing less than 50 employees; it is 25,1% in companies between 50 and 499 employees; it is 38,7% in companies employing more than 500 people. How much do employees own actually: the mean is 84.409 $, which is 99,6% of their average annual pay. You find the complete results of this survey on page http://www.nceo.org/library/widespread.html

  5.9.2003: There are still many legal and political obstacles for employee share ownership in Europe. You find here the August issue of the European Financial Services Regulation. EFSR is a monthly magazine specialised in financial and legal cross European matters. In this month’s issue, EFES made a contribution attempting to address the various legal and political obstacles that promotion of employee financial participation encounters in Europe. The article calls for a more active involvement of the European Commission. It points the obstacle due to the dual management of the DG Enterprise on one hand and the DG Employment & Social Affairs on the other. This could be changed with the installation of the new Commission in 2004.

  BELGIUM WILL ENCOURAGE THE USE OF THE SPANISH MODEL OF THE"SOCIEDADES LABORALES"
Some ten years ago, Spain set up a new original corporate model - the Sociedades Laborales - employee owned companies. This model allowed Spain to start with 17.000 new companies, creating 105.000 new jobs within the last ten years, in all regions, all sectors in industry and services. A major success ! Most are small and medium-sized enterprises. Many of them are resulting from transfers of businesses or rescue plans. More recently, a lot of them are also new starters.
This model is based on the best practices in employee ownership.

A new Belgian government was installed in July 2003.
Following an information given by EFES (we organized an international conference at the Belgian Parliament), Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt confirms that Belgium will encourage the use of the Spanish model.

Prime Minister's letter is available in 4 languages (NL/EN/FR/ES) (pdf).

  THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE ARE NOW DISCUSSING OF EMPLOYEE SHARE OWNERSHIP AND PARTICIPATION (January 1, 2003)
Let's first remember: In 1999 we launched a call to put employee share ownership on the European political agenda. Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt promised to put the point on the table during the Lisbon Summit, and he did.
The promotion of employee financial participation was then on the European Social Agenda and the European Commission had to make a communication and an action plan; the Commission published its communication on July 5, 2002 (see here below).
The European Parliament and the European Economic and Social Committee are now discussing of the Communication and preparing their own opinion.


  EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE
The EESC set up a dedicated working group and the draft opinion of the EESC is well advanced, Mario Sepi (Italy, CISL) doing a very good work as the EESC Rapporteur. The preliminary draft opinion is here available in English, French, Spanish, and Italian (PDF). The EESC will decide on its opinion in its Plenary Session of February 26-27, 2003, after that the Section for Employment and Social Affairs will have discussed of the draft opinion on February 5. This is of high interest, the EESC beeing the voice of the European social partners.

  EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT
Winfried Menrad (Germany) is the Rapporteur. He already produced some good working documents. You can see the most recent working document here in English and in French (PDF), or in other languages (Spanish, Danish, German, Greek, Italian, Nederlands, Portuguese, Finish, Swedish), clicking on page http://www.europarl.eu.int/meetdocs/committees/empl/20021209/empl20021209.htm
The Parliament will hold various working sessions on the point, going to a conclusion in May or June 2003.

  New Employee Ownership Legislation in UK (November 2002)
A new Employee Ownership Legislation was passed in UK Parliament on November 7th and will take place from 6th of April 2003. It will provide tax concessions for companies who transfer shares to an employee trust. Small and medium sized companies seeking to become partly or full employee owned will benefit from the new legislation. It also ensures that employee representatives can be appointed as trustees of trusts set up to manage employee share schemes. Full details are on the Inland Revenue web site www.inlandrevenue.gov.uk/shareschemes

  News from Washington (October 2002)
We were in Washington from October 6 to 11 for the First International Conference of the Capital Ownership Group, with some 100 participants.
The COG is the global forum of Employee Share Ownership, whose EFES is the main European component. The objective is to promote employee share ownership as a main actor for "Fix globalization - Make it more inclusive, democratic, accountable and sustainable".Were present for EFES: Adrian Celaya, David Erdal, Henk Kool, Marc Mathieu, Erik Poutsma, Vic Thorpe, Pierre Vanrijkel, David Wheatcroft.All main US employee share ownership organizations were present, as well as people from Australia, South Africa, China, Colombia, Chili, etc.The participation of Mark Levin, of the Cooperative branch of the ILO (International Labour Organization, an UNO Agency) was relevant, as well as those of various people representing American trade unions and their pension funds. Clearly, there is a place for a global EO organization, acting at world level, and pressing the world organizations - ILO, World Bank, IMF, etc - in favour of employee share ownership and participation. The global level is now the field where a lot of debates take their full place : sustainability, Corporate Social Responsibility, Corporate Governance, etc.COG's team: Deborah Olson, John Logue, Dan Bell, Steve Clem and others.

  News from Italy (October 2002)
We were invited to a very good conference held in Milano on Monday October 14.
It was organized by Fabi and Fiada (our friends Fabrizio Garberi, Gualtiero Di Re, and others) and Banca Popolare di Milano, 70 people attending. We were able to see how far they are in Italy from considering the need or urgency of a legislation on financial participation or employee share ownership. Probably progress will be done in this way in the following months thanks to Fabi and Fiada. ( Fabi is the trade union of bank employees; Fiada is the Italian Federation of EO Associations).

  BUDAPEST, February 28-March 2, 2002
SUCCESS OF THE FIRST CONFERENCE OF THE CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPEAN NETWORK FOR PROMOTING EMPLOYEE OWNERSHIP AND PARTICIPATION
The conference held in Budapest on February 28-March 2, 2002 was the main event and an important part of the project initiated by the European Federation of Employee Share Ownership to develop a network of individuals and organisations interested and active in promoting employee ownership and participation in the ten applicant Central and Eastern European Countries.
There were 55 participants on the conference from 18 countries, particularly all candidate Central and East European Countries (Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia , Slovenia – 10 countries except Latvia) and some EU Member States (Belgium, France, Luxemburg, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, United Kingdom) and even from the USA.
The conference gave the possibility to assess the situation concerning employee ownership and participation in the applicant CEE countries, to exchange information on the legal background and best practices on national and company level in the Member States and in the USA. This was the first time that representatives of almost all candidate countries were present and actively contributing to a joint initiative.
Within the framework of a workshop participants outlined the goals of the network for the next 3 years and for the coming year, expressing the great need for the continuation of the joint effort. The major aim of this joint effort is establish and maintain an active, and sustainable network, which is capable to connect all, who are committed to and interested in promoting employee ownership and participation. It should contribute to the dissemination of information about policy, research, and best practices in systematic and regular way, and as widely as possible in the ten applicant CEECs and in the Member States. To this end all the materials presented during the conference and the results of the planning workshop will be available soon in the website of the CEEO Network – www.efes-ceeo.net

  THIRD EUROPEAN MEETING OF EMPLOYEE SHAREOWNERSHIP THE HAGUE (NETHERLANDS) 25-28 APRIL 2001
ORGANIZING THE INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGES OF INFORMATION ON EMPLOYEE OWNERSHIP AND PARTICIPATION
This main event of our programme 2000/2001 was a success, involving more than 100 participants of 19 countries. Our p rogramme 2000/2001 is mainly dedicated to the ORGANIZATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGES OF INFORMATION ON EMPLOYEE OWNERSHIP AND PARTICIPATION. The European Action Programme issued from the European Workshop of 30 April 1999 at the European Parliament, Brussels, placed the focus on this main priority. A particular accent was put on the implication of the social partners, trade unions as well as employers.
The European Commission together with the European Foundation for the Improvement of the Living and Working Conditions opened the meeting, announcing new major developments in European PEPPER policies in 2001. Professor Erik Poutsma was the main author of PEPPER II Report, and he is the main author of the new report that the Foundation and the Commission will publish in May on "Recent trends in employee financial participation in the EU".The Commission announced a "Communication on Financial Participation" and an action plan to be published later in 2001. These will be prepared through a wide consultation of all interested actors.
Members of the European Parliament Philippe Herzog (France) and Ieke van den Burg (Netherlands) made strong presentations supporting employee ownership and participation.
All main organizations implied in international exchanges of information about employee ownership and participation were present, explaining their activities and projects:
- the European Foundation in Dublin (the European research institution representing Member States and social partners);
- the International Labour Organization;
- the NCEO;
- the Capital Ownership Group;
- the GEO - Global Equity Organization;
- the International Associationfor Financial Participation.
Evelyne Pichot made a clarifying presentation on the new status for the European company: click here on PICHOT.
EFES held its Board meeting and Second annual general meeting of members. Report of the Board, accounts 2000 and budget 2001 were approved as well as the action programme for coming months. Some minor changes were decided in the Board and Executive Office.

  Employee ownership:  SAM/Dow Jones launches a new " responsible "  EO stock index
Sustainability Assets Management (SAM), the Swiss rating cabinet which manages Sustainability Dow-Jones Index jointly with the Dow-Jones company, has just launched the " Dow-Jones Employee Ownership Index ", a new stock index devoted to European companies having the best policies regarding employee share ownership.  According to the official release published by Dow-Jones, "employee share ownership presents many advantages of which companies are increasingly conscious, in particular while allowing, in a flexible way, to interest employees durably in the economic health of their company (...) Employee shareholders become more conscious of the strategic decisions and their implications."  The index counts 30 European securities of 10 countries (among which SAP, British Airways, Crédit Suisse, DaimlerChrysler, Royal Dutch Petroleum and United Utilities) and 6 French companies (Rhodia, Dexia, Société Générale, Aventis, Bouygues, Lafarge, and Technip).  Selected companies were chosen among the 600 companies of the DJ Stoxx 600 according to their answers to a questionnaire on employee ownership; the criteria are: the features of the employee share ownership program (30% of the note), its magnitude compared to the total number of employees and the capital (20%), the commitment of management in the program (20%), the quality of the communication around the program (20%) and finally the transparency of information (10%).  Let us note that bank ABN AMRO in Frankfurt makes it possible to invest in this index, calculated by Dow-Jones in a daily way.
 

Information:  http://www.sam-group.com/e/susindex/eoindex.cfm
 

  THIRD EUROPEAN MEETING OF EMPLOYEE SHARE OWNERSHIP THE HAGUE (NETHERLANDS) 25-28 APRIL 2001
ORGANIZING THE INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGES OF INFORMATION ON EMPLOYEE OWNERSHIP AND PARTICIPATION
This is the main event of our programme 2000/2001. Just click here for the PROGRAMME OF THE MEETING (pdf ADOBE).
Our programme 2000/2001 is mainly dedicated to the ORGANIZATION OF INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGES OF INFORMATION ON EMPLOYEE OWNERSHIP AND PARTICIPATION. The European Action Programme issued from the European Workshop of 30 April 1999 at the European Parliament, Brussels, placed the focus on this main priority.
The project aims to organize the exchanges of information on employee ownership and participation, in particular legislation and practices. A particular accent will be put on the implication of the social partners, trade unions as well as employers.
The initiative is highly innovative:
- in Europe, there are scattered information efforts, but none at such a scale, or with the same degree of involvement from the various actors in more than 20 European countries (EU and associated countries).
- in the United States, significant initiatives have been taken and information exchanges are expanding quickly, although they essentially address the needs of American firms.
The Third European Meeting of Employee Shareownership will:
- develop a system of information exchange adapted to European needs (methods, content, management, dissemination and exchanges) by using existing European and American know-how;
- a very broad consultation of all those concerned in Europe, in particular the social partners, and a large mobilisation, in order to develop tools that could satisfy the needs of all interested parties;
- involve, for the first time, more than 20 countries (all of the countries of the European Union and the partner countries of Eastern and Central Europe) in a joint effort to exchange information on workers’ financial participation.
The THIRD EUROPEAN MEETING was prepared through an international seminar of experts in Paris on 8-9 December 2000 (see more details hereafter), and a follow-up meeting will take place in Brussels in October 2001.
Furthermore, a lot of specialised net-meetings will be held during the programme. The organization and the results of the programme will be spread particularly through the implementation of a big European internet portal giving access to information databases and to links with the relevant sites in Europe and in the world. The programme will associate all member organizations of the EUROPEAN FEDERATION OF EMPLOYEE SHAREOWNERSHIP, as well as the social partners of the European countries. It will be co-financed by the European Commission, and by public and private sponsors.

  23.2.2001: SOCIAL PARTNERS
Involving social partners, trade unions and employers organizations is a priority for EFES. We registered a database of 350 social partners of the European Union countries, being now able to send them our electronic newsletters. To be registered as a European social partner in this database, please call us.

  EFES BOARD SEMINAR OF EXPERTS, Paris 8-9 December 2000
The Board of EFES held an international seminar of experts in Paris on 8-9 December 2000 to prepare the next Third European Meeting of Employee Shareownership (The Hague 26-27-28 April 2001).
T
he seminar allowed the Board to be informed of the main initiatives and projects of international exchanges of information on employee ownership and participation:
- the NCEO and the "International Equity Compensation Database" project
- the Capital Ownership Group (COG)
- the Global Equity Organization (GEO)
- the International Association for Financial Participation (IAFP)
- the projects coming from the European Commission and the European Foundation in Dublin.
The seminar was highly productive and it opened large perspectives of cooperation between EFES and the other organizations. The report of our experts seminar is available, clicking here on: PARIS.

  EFES MAIL NEWS N°6 – 11.10.2000
The programme 2000/2001 of the EUROPEAN FEDERATION OF EMPLOYEE SHAREOWNERSHIP (EFES) will be dedicated to: “organizing the international exchanges of information on employee ownership and participation” and the Third European Meeting of Employee Shareownership in The Hague in April 2001. This will be prepared through an international seminar of 36 experts in Paris on 7-8-9-10 December 2000, and a lot of specialised net-meetings (you’ll be invited to take part). A particular accent will be put on the implication of the social partners, trade unions as well as employers. All this, with the support of the European Commission – Social Affairs.

  EFES MAIL NEWS N°5 - 24.10.2000
We have the great pleasure to inform you that EFES - the EUROPEAN FEDERATION OF EMPLOYEE SHAREOWNERSHIP will collaborate in the conference in Paris on November 17 and 18 by the EUROPEAN EMPLOYMENT LAWYERS INSTITUTE (IES), on the subject: " Employee shareholding in Europe: Mode of management of modish management? Profit sharing or power sharing? "

EFES MAIL NEWS N°4 – 10.07.2000
EFES PROGRAMME 2000/2001
The executive office of EFES (EUROPEAN FEDERATION OF EMPLOYED SHAREHOLDERS, FOR EMPLOYEE OWNERSHIP AND PARTICIPATION) had a good meeting in London, 20-21 June and we discussed a lot of decisions.
We'll have two main action programmes for year 2000/2001:
1. Under management of EFES secretariat, a programme with our first priority: "organizing the exchanges of information about employee ownership and participation" (website, international database, newsletter, etc). Preparatory experts meetings in November/December 2000 (maybe in Paris), a big meeting at spring 2001 (maybe in The Netherlands), follow-up expert meetings in autumn 2001 (+ statutory internal meetings of EFES).
2. Under management of the Hungarian organization (with EFES partnership), a programme with our second priority: the European networking and the CEEC's.
Would you like to take part or to co-operate, please let us know.
On the other hand, we have the great pleasure to inform you that the Belgian Government gave to EFES his recognition as an international association, by a King's Arrest of 1.2.2000. So the legal organization of EFES is now complete, with good statutes, clarity on procedures, elected board of directors, executive office, president and secretary general. All what we need to make of EFES the large and open federation we want, with employee owners, companies, trade unions, experts, etc, all those people who are looking to promote employee ownership and participation in Europe.


  EFES/FEAS MAIL NEWS Nr 3 – 15.11.1999
SUCCESS OF THE SECOND EUROPEAN MEETING OF EMPLOYED SHAREHOLDERS,
WARSAW 12-13 NOVEMBER 1999
The success of the Second European Meeting (12-13 November in Warsaw) was of first importance, just as the First European Meeting in May 1998 in Brussels.
- The meeting was held in the splendid rooms of the Polish Parliament and people had come in great numbers from Poland, and from the other European countries and the USA.
- The meeting was opened by the President of the Polish Parliament, a lot of members of the Polish Government took part, as well as the Head of the Delegation of the European Union in Poland, and the President of the main Polish trade union (SOLIDARNOSC) was present to express the support of his organisation.
- The European Partnership day on 12 November allowed the participants to make their evaluation of the introduction of employee ownership and participation in the CEECs and to draw the policy framework for European partnership for EO and participation.
- The first General Meeting of members of EFES (EUROPEAN FEDERATION OF EMPLOYED SHAREHOLDERS, FOR EMPLOYEE OWNERSHIP AND PARTICIPATION) was held on Saturday 13 November, with 29 members present or represented.
- The project of statutes for EFES as an international non-profit organisation was adopted.
- The new Board of Directors of EFES was elected, with 21 people representing 13 countries.
- The Executive Office of EFES was elected, with 7 people coming from the United Kingdom, Hungary, France, Poland, Belgium, Italy and The Netherlands, and the Executive Office named its President.
- Finally, the Secretary General of EFES was elected unanimously.
- Robert OAKESHOTT and Ron GILBERT were applauded as the first Honorary Members of EFES.
- Lastly, the participants held a workshop to discuss the European Action Programme of EFES to promote PEPPER policies troughout Europe.
We call all people, employee owners and all persons, companies or institutions, unions, managers and others : please, become a member of EFES (see membership form joined), in order to promote employee ownership and participation and to form as representative a federation as possible in all the countries of Europe.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF EFES :
1. ASSOCIATION OF EMPLOYEE SHAREHOLDERS OF BBL, represented by Pierre VANRIJKEL, Director, BELGIUM
2. Evgenie KOSTOURKOV, member of OWNERSHIP FOUNDATION, BULGARY
3. Erik MAALOE, professor at the AARHUS SCHOOL, DENMARK
4. Gorm WINTHER, professor at the GREENLAND UNIVERSITY, DENMARK
5. ALEXANDER CORPORATE FINANCE OY, represented by Erkki HELANIEMI, FINLAND
6. Serge CIMMATI, member of the FRENCH FEDERATION OF ASSOCIATION OF EMPLOYED SHAREHOLDERS, FRANCE
7. Patrick GUIOL, of the CNRS – UNIVERSITY OF RENNES 1, FRANCE
8. Raymond GUILLAUME, former employee shareholder of ELF/TOTALFINA, FRANCE
9. MRP - HUNGARIAN FEDERATION OF EMPLOYEE OWNERSHIP, represented by Janos LUKACS, Executive Director, HUNGARY
10. CGIL – CONFEDERAZIONE GENERALE ITALIANA DEL LAVORO, represented by Walter CERFEDA, National Secretary, ITALY
11. Mauro BOSSOLA, member of the FIADA – ITALIAN FEDERATION OF ASSOCIATIONS OF EMPLOYED SHAREHOLDERS, ITALY
12. NETHERLANDS PARTICIPATION INSTITUTE, represented by Henk KOOL, Executive Director, NETHERLANDS
13. UNIA WLASNOSCI – POLISH FEDERATION OF EMPLOYEE OWNERSHIP, represented by Kris LUDWINIAK, Director, POLAND
14. UNIA WLASNOSCI – POLISH FEDERATION OF EMPLOYEE OWNERSHIP, represented by Jacek LIPINSKI, President, POLAND
15. SINERGIA – SINDICATO DA ENERGIA, represented by Armenio SIMOES MATIAS, PORTUGAL
16. DEZAP – SLOVENIAN FEDERATION OF EMPLOYEE OWNERSHIP, represented by Bozidar LEDNIK, Executive Director, SLOVENIA
17. DRUSTVO DELNICAR – INSTITUTE FOR EMPLOYEE OWNERSHIP, represented by Gojko STANIC, Vice President, SLOVENIA
18. JOB OWNERSHIP Ltd, represented by David ERDAL, Executive Director, UNITED KINGDOM
19. David WHEATCROFT, member of the CENTRE FOR EMPLOYEE OWNERSHIP AND PARTICIPATION, UNITED KINGDOM
20. Deborah Groban OLSON, member of the NCEO – NATIONAL CENTER OF EMPLOYEE OWNERSHIP, President, USA
21. CECOP – EUROPEAN CONFEDERATION OF PRODUCERS’ CO-OPERATIVES, represented by Rainer SCHLUTER, Secretary General, EUROPEAN UNION


  EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF EFES
Janos LUKACS, HUNGARY
David ERDAL, UNITED KINGDOM
Kris LUDWINIAK, POLAND
Henk KOOL, NETHERLANDS
Pierre VANRIJKEL, BELGIUM
Mauro BOSSOLA, ITALY
Patrick GUIOL or Serge CIMMATI (to be confirmed), France
 
The Executive Office called Pierre VANRIJKEL to be its President.
 

EFES MAIL NEWS 2  - 11.11.1999
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT STRENGTHENS PROVISIONS ON EMPLOYEE OWNERSHIP IN 2000 BUDGET
As reported previously, EFES has established constructive relations with members of the European Parliament of varied political and national backgrounds, who have joined our efforts to strengthen the cause of employee ownership and participation in the European Union and applicant countries of Central and Eastern Europe.
Up to 1999, the EU budget contained a short and very general phrase in budget line B3-4000 on ‘Industrial relations and social dialogue’ on financial support to ‘pilot projects to promote workers’ financial participation ‘. After suggestions by EFES, the European Parliament has now specified, in its first reading of the 2000 budget, that it will
‘… also cover expenditure to promote good examples and networks, as well as studies and further training measures to implement the proposals in the Commission report on PEPPER II’
It is expected that this amendment will be reconfirmed in the second reading of the budgetary process in December. For the first time, the Commission’s PEPPER report (Promotion of Employee Participation in Profits and Enterprise Results) is mentioned in the budget. This will then be a firm basis to stimulate the European Commission to intensify and broaden its own activities and those of organisations like FEAS, researchers and other important actors in the promotion of ESOP.
This amendment reflects the conclusions of the First European Workshop on Employee Ownership and Participation of April 99, where the participants drafted a European action plan calling for the development of models of good practice, exchange of information, training and research at the European level.

  FIRST STEPS…
We launched our first call to set up a European Federation in 1997. On 7 & 8 May 1998, we held the FIRST EUROPEAN MEETING OF EMPLOYED SHAREHOLDERS, under the Presidency of Belgian Prime Minister Jean-Luc Dehaene and  Deputy Prime-Minister Janusz Tomaszewski of Poland. 248 people were present, coming from 28 countries, and they took the decision to create the European Federation. After that, a first board of around 30 people was held,  to organize the federation and discuss the project of its statutes. On 30 April 1999, we had our FIRST EUROPEAN WORSHOP FOR EMPLOYEE OWNERSHIP AND PARTICIPATION at the European Parliament, Brussels, with an EUROPEAN ACTION PROGRAMME as a conclusion. Finally, the statutes of EFES were adopted by the first general meeting of members, during the SECOND EUROPEAN MEETING OF EMPLOYED SHAREHOLDERS, in Warsaw on 12-13 November 1999. The Belgian Government gave his recognition to EFES as an international not-for-profit organization by a King’s Arrest of 1.1.2000.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

For information and contact
EFES - EUROPEAN FEDERATION OF EMPLOYEE SHARE OWNERSHIP
FEAS - FEDERATION EUROPEENNE DE L'ACTIONNARIAT SALARIE
Avenue Voltaire 135, B-1030 Brussels
Tel: +32 (0)2 242 64 30 - Fax: +32 (0)2 791 96 00
E-mail: efes@efesonline.org
Web site: www.efesonline.org
EFES' objective is to act as the umbrella organization of employee owners, companies and all persons, trade unions, experts, researchers, institutions looking to promote employee share ownership and participation in Europe.