Performance awards are a strategic tool used by organizations to retain and motivate valuable employees, incorporating performance criteria (market-based or pure performance-based). They incentivize employees to excel and align stakeholders' interests, fostering collaboration. However, challenges arise if not designed and administered properly, including increased complexity and costs. Overly complicated structures may hinder employee understanding and compromise the primary objective of incentivization.

Join our expert panel to explore performance conditions and achieve the right balance in award design and effectiveness.

Attendees will learn:

• The role of performance awards in retaining and motivating valuable employees.
• The significance of performance criteria in incentivizing employees and aligning stakeholder interests.
• The challenges associated with designing and administering performance awards, including complexity and cost implications.

Communicating effectively with employees from different generations, geographies, job roles, salary levels, and work environments can be challenging. However, through case studies and global insights, this session provides practical tools and techniques to overcome this challenge.

The expert panel offers relatable guidance to connect with all employees and succeed in fostering engagement.

Attendees will learn:

• Practical tools and techniques to effectively communicate with a diverse workforce
• Real-life case studies the highlight successful communication strategies employed by organizations worldwide
• Insights on leveraging technology, active listening, empathy, and inclusivity to enhance communication and foster employee engagement

Over the past two years, we've experienced the Great Resignation and the Great Reset due to COVID-19. Now, companies are focused on the challenges and opportunities of AI, hybrid working, and skills shortages.

This session considers whether UK-based and global companies are looking for alternative sources of labor as they plan for the future.

Attendees will learn:

• The impact of inflation and cost of living crisis on global equity plans
• What the best employers are doing to attract, retain, incentivize and reward talent
• What the future of work looks like including the impact of AI on the labour market and employer proposition to employees

Corporate transactions can have knock-on effects for outstanding equity awards and plans.

This session explores best practice on the approach and communication of these changes to awards, including the administrative and timing challenges encountered when reflecting award adjustments on broker platforms.

The expert panel will discuss their experiences, including managing awards during the re-domiciliation from a UK to a US parent company, and the equity award challenges resulting from a $11.7 billion acquisition.

Attendees will learn:

• The common pitfalls when adjusting awards post-transaction including which transactional adjustments can trigger tax and regulatory issues for issues that have granted in multiple countries
• How to provide accurate, bespoke, meaningful and concise communication of the changes to participants
• How to prepare equity award databases to reflect adjusted awards, dealing with rounding and black-out periods

US-listed companies, including both US-based issuers and foreign private issuers, are required to adopt the SEC-mandated clawback policy by August 8. This policy applies to all companies listed on US stock exchanges such as NYSE or Nasdaq.

In addition to adopting a compliant policy, companies, especially non-US companies, must implement additional procedures to determine which employees fall under its scope and to ensure policy enforcement.

This panel discussion will delve into the practical implications of these new requirements, particularly for global companies. The expert panel will explore how these requirements align with other evolving practices on clawback and malus provisions in international jurisdictions.

Attendees will learn:

• • Valuable insights on navigating these changes and aligning your company's practices with global standards for all companies listed on US stock exchanges, including US-based issuers and foreign private issuers
• • The practical implications of implementing additional procedures to determine employee scope and ensure policy enforcement
• • The alignment of these requirements with evolving practices on clawback and malus provisions in international jurisdictions

With global employee populations on the rise, so is the demand for globally compatible compensation plans. As issuing various forms of equity compensation from foreign plans to employees becomes more common, it is important to carefully review the plans prior to issuance.

When expanding a share scheme into new territories, an appendix will usually suffice to ensure the plan meets the respective domestic country's tax efficient rules, but our panel has encountered some common issues affecting employees in Canada, the UK and the US.

Attendees will learn:

• The current taxation rules and issues which require close attention when reviewing foreign plans
• Simple fixes and discuss the issues that may not be possible to fix in each country
• How to navigate new UK legislation to ensure the foreign plan is compliant