Capgemini has launched its 11th global employee share ownership plan (Esop), covering 97% of its workforce, including most of its 175,000 employees in India, as part of efforts to align employee interests with company performance. The Esop, offering up to 2.7 million shares (1.56% of outstanding shares), aims to sustain employee ownership at around 8% of the company's share capital, with investment options protecting employees against potential losses during the non-tradable period. Despite a 2.6% revenue decline in H1 2024, Capgemini maintained a 12.4% operating margin and increased organic free cash flow, reinforcing its financial stability as it rolls out this initiative.

As IPO activity is anticipated to increase in 2025, private companies planning for an IPO must carefully prepare their executive compensation programs to ensure successful transitions and sustained engagement. Pre-IPO considerations include addressing potential "cheap stock" issues through frequent valuations, proper recordkeeping, and alignment with SEC requirements, while also reviewing equity and bonus structures to incentivize executives. Post-IPO preparations often involve adopting a new equity compensation plan, granting IPO-related awards, formalizing executive agreements, and potentially implementing an Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP) to align incentives for broader employee engagement and long-term success.

The Rutgers University Institute for the Study of Employee Ownership and Profit Sharing has launched the University Consortium on Employee Share Ownership, a global academic network of 11 institutions aimed at advancing the study and practice of employee share ownership. The consortium will focus on research, teaching, policy analysis, professional education, and community engagement, connecting new initiatives with established resources to enhance scholarship and program development. Supported by the Ford Foundation, the consortium includes institutions such as Oxford University, UC San Diego, and Saint Mary’s University, and will collaborate with organizations like the National Center for Employee Ownership to grow and expand its impact.

Remote has launched Remote Equity, a solution designed to simplify global equity compensation by enabling companies to create and manage legally compliant stock option plans for international talent. Partnering with Carta, Remote Equity integrates with Carta's cap table management solutions, providing synchronized draft option grants, seamless document generation, and country-specific insights to streamline cross-border equity offerings. This collaboration enhances equity compensation accessibility, reduces legal complexity, and supports a holistic view of global compensation programs for both employees and contractors.

New Zealand's government is proposing to increase tax-exempt thresholds for employee share schemes as part of the Taxation Bill for 2024-25, benefiting startups and tech companies by adjusting for inflation. Under the proposed changes, the maximum annual value of shares provided to employees would rise from $5,000 to $7,500, and the maximum discount on shares would increase from $2,000 to $3,000, effective April 1, 2025. This initiative is aimed at supporting recruitment and growth for early-stage companies, aligning employee incentives with company goals, and ultimately boosting the economy.

British digital bank Monzo recently saw employees sell shares to investors, including Singapore's sovereign wealth fund, in a transaction valuing the company at £4.5 billion ($5.9 billion). This follows a March funding round that valued Monzo at £4 billion, marking continued investor confidence as the digital bank reports its first full-year profit and plans expansion in Europe and the U.S. This secondary sale aligns with a broader recovery in European fintech valuations, as seen with Revolut's $45 billion valuation in August.

Zoom Video Communications is scaling back its employee stock compensation plan, joining other tech firms like Salesforce and Workday in addressing concerns over high levels of stock issuance leading to shareholder dilution. CEO Eric Yuan noted that issuing large amounts of equity is unsustainable, with plans to reduce stock grants and phase out the performance equity plan over the next two years, substituting some equity compensation with higher cash bonuses. This trend reflects broader industry challenges, as tech firms adjust compensation strategies in response to fluctuating stock values and investor concerns over dilution.

OpenAI has compensated its employees generously, with stock compensation ranging from $400,000 to $2,000,000 per employee in the first half of 2024, following a $6.6 billion funding round that valued the company at $157 billion. OpenAI projects explosive revenue growth, aiming to scale from $4 billion in 2024 to $100 billion by 2029, although this aggressive expansion comes with high compute costs that are expected to reach $5 billion this year alone. Given the lucrative compensation and opportunities to cash out equity, several longtime employees have left, capitalizing on their wealth and demand in the tech sector, highlighting challenges OpenAI may face in retaining talent amid mission shifts.

Stellantis has launched the second wave of its "Shares to Win" employee share purchase plan, expanding it to 18 countries and making it available to nearly all of its 230,000 employees worldwide. Following the successful initial wave in 2023, this plan offers employees a 20% discount and a 100% matching contribution up to €1,000 to promote greater ownership and connection to the company. Stellantis aims to grow employee ownership from 1.8% to 5% over the next few years, aligning with its commitment to employee involvement under the “Care” pillar of its Dare Forward 2030 plan.

Employee Share Schemes (ESSs) are increasingly popular in advice businesses for talent retention, though their feasibility depends on a firm's size and structure. Integro Private Wealth, for example, has introduced an ESS to attract and retain talent, especially in wealth management, where long-term client relationships are crucial. While ESSs offer financial security and engagement for advisers, smaller firms face implementation challenges due to scale and structure, which leads some to consider mergers to enable broader employee ownership.