EUROPEANCHAPTER

On June 21, 2024, Howden announced that 656 employees have invested in the company through its 2024 Internal Share Offer (ISO), increasing the total number of employee shareholders to about 5,200 across 48 countries. Howden, the second largest employee-owned business by turnover in the UK, attributes its sustained growth and success to its employee ownership model, which also benefits its charitable Foundation. The company’s model is highlighted by recent research showing higher productivity and profitability in employee-owned businesses, and Howden is actively supporting the employee ownership sector by sponsoring the UK Employee Ownership Awards 2024.

A phantom stock plan is an employee benefit that provides the financial benefits of stock ownership without actual stock, tracking the company's stock price and paying out any resulting profits. These plans can be structured as appreciation-only, which pays out based on stock price increases, or full-value, which includes the value of the stock and any appreciation. Although phantom stock plans offer flexibility and align employee incentives with company performance, they do not provide actual ownership or voting rights and are taxed as ordinary income, requiring careful legal and tax compliance.

New data from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) shows a widening geographic inequality in company share schemes, with only 3% of households in Scotland participating compared to 5% in London and 7% in Inner London. This disparity is even more pronounced in Northern Ireland, the North East, and the West Midlands, where only 1% of households are involved. Additionally, the gender gap in access to share schemes has doubled, with men now four times more likely than women to benefit, highlighting a significant "equity inequality" that needs addressing for broader economic growth and productivity.

Boku Inc. has announced an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) on September 11, 2024, to seek shareholder approval for a new executive share plan. The plan, designed to reward exceptional performance, will grant restricted share units to the executive team, with vesting conditions tied to the company's stock price performance over the next several years. Shareholders can participate in the EGM via teleconference and are encouraged to submit questions in advance, with further details available on the company's website.

In the UK, there is broad support across political parties for encouraging employers to offer shares to employees, with various statutory and non-statutory arrangements available. The Liberal Democrats propose giving employees in listed companies with over 250 employees the right to request shares, aligning with the Share Incentive Plan (SIP), while Labour has previously suggested an "Inclusive Ownership Fund" for employee benefits. The Conservative Party, though not explicitly detailing future plans, has recently enhanced the Company Share Option Plan (CSOP) and launched consultations on several related topics.

Despite a slight reduction in the gender pay gap in the UK, a PwC report indicates it will take 45 years to close at the current rate of change. The mean hourly pay gap dropped from 12.2% to 11.8% between 2022-23 and the median pay gap fell from 9.2% to 9.1%, but since 2017, the average gender pay gap has only reduced by 1.6%. Experts stress the need for immediate action from employers to address systemic barriers and promote gender pay equity, while acknowledging that societal factors also contribute to the persistence of the gap.