Majority of Best 100 Places to Work Have Broad Employee Ownership

Once again, a majority (56%) of the 76 companies that have stock on the Great Place to Work Institute's Best 100 Companies to Work For" list have one or more broad-based employee ownership programs. Last year, the percentage of companies was exactly the same. Eight of the companies had ESOPs, 18 had broad-based options or other individual equity awards and an employee stock purchase plan (ESPP), 10 had just an ESPP, 5 used company stock as a 401(k) match or a stock bonus plan (one of these also had broad options, two also had an ESPPs, and one also had broad options), and two other companies had most of their stock directly owned by most of their employees. Four were majority employee owned (W.L. Gore & Associates, Quad/Graphics, Publix, and TDIndustries, and PCL Construction).