Stock options. Shares.

[Meridianman]

Does your company make you an “equity pilot” by making company stock a part of your compensation package?

Do you get stock grants or Stock options? If they are options, are they qualified or nonqualified? Taxed as normal income or capital gains?

Are they called “Shares schemes” in the UK?

What percentage of the total compensation package do they represent?

How are they distributed among the employees?

How are the option strike prices set in the subsequent years after the initial group?

Got ‘em?

Like ‘em?

Want ‘em?

Don’t want the risk?

Prefer higher pay?

[The Guvnor]

I'm a great believer in ESOP (employee share ownership plans) for all employees; from the Chairman to the tea lady.

In order to be effective, they have to involve actual payment for the shares by employees.

That done, you can be certain that each and every employee will keep a sharp eye on costs - and the wasting of resources by his/her colleagues - as, at the end of the day, it's his pocket that's affected.

In turn, this means that when the company does well, everyone that created that success benefits; and when it doesn't, then again everyone participates.

In today's corporations, there seems to be too little involvement of employees in their companies - it's simply a 9-5 job and there seems to be little concern about the company, its development and future.

Just my 2c worth!