Happy Employee Ownership Month!
The first of October signifies, among other things, the start of gourd season, pumpkin spice flavoring, Halloween decorations, leaves changing, and bidding a (hopefully) fond farewell to summer (and a sad farewell to Jamboard—if you’ve ever participated in an Innovative Communication Coalition meeting or the Communications Committee Crash Course, you get it). But here at the NCEO, it marks the start of Employee Ownership Month (EOM). Since the 80s, Employee Ownership Month has given us the time and space to step back and celebrate employee ownership in all its transformative power.
This year, I find myself with renewed gratitude for employee ownership in general and in awe of all it can do. In both my experience as a former employee-owner and in working with our various networking groups, I continue to see firsthand how employee ownership has improved the day-to-day work and lives of employee-owners nationwide. This was also evident in the energy and stories shared at our recent Fall Forum. And, as our research continues to bear out, ESOPs and employee ownership are still one of the most powerful means of creating retirement security for working Americans.
I encourage you to use this month especially as an opportunity to promote the meaning of employee ownership for your company both internally and externally. Sharing your story can help bring more awareness of the benefits of employee ownership and what that means for the local economy as well as help lift up the whole community with greater awareness and understanding.
If you are still looking for ideas on what to do this Employee Ownership Month, be sure to check out the newly revised EO Month Toolkit. Our webinar on Last-Minute EO Month Activities is full of ideas that can be implemented without much prior planning.
From all of us at the NCEO, we wish you all a very happy Employee Ownership Month, filled with celebration!
How are you celebrating Employee Ownership Month? Use #EOMonth and #EOM2024 on social media to share!