Loren Rodgers
One of the perks of my job is that I get to talk a lot with people from employee-owned companies, and I have noticed two themes in my conversations with CEOs around the country in recent weeks.
Timothy Garbinsky
It's no secret that workplace attitudes are changing. Many workers in all sectors and at all stages of their careers are learning that many parts of their jobs can be done from home. Others are beginning to feel there’s a disconnect between the value of their work and the amount of respect or compensation they receive. All of this points to somewhat of a cultural shift, not only in the nature of work itself, but in the way workers are treated.
Corey Rosen
Fifteen of the 19 winners in the medium- and large-company categories of B Lab’s Best For the World awards for workers are employee-owned (and almost all are NCEO members). B Lab provides certification for companies complying with its standards for meeting various social and environmental goals. The companies are Atomic Object, Butler/Till, Cooperative Home Case Associates, KeHE, King Arthur Baking, New Age Industries, Chroma Technology, Future State, Gardener's Supply, Global Prairie, Hallam-ICS, Ingage Partners, Namaste Solar, Revision Energy, and Tier1 Partners.
Loren Rodgers
As you've probably heard by now, our 2021 Fall ESOP Forum will now be exclusively an online event. While this news is disappointing to all of us who were eager to reunite with the ESOP community in person, we’re very excited for the Forum’s virtual shift and all the ways we’ll connect in our online format. Both of us were excited to travel to San Diego: As the NCEO’s board chair and CFO of member company Realityworks, Mary was planning to lead a team from Realityworks and was also looking forward to having face time with service providers and other ESOP peers. Loren, among many other things, was looking forward to meeting some of the new NCEO staff in person for the first time!
Corey Rosen
An excellent article in the Wall Street Journal on August 5, For Black and Latino Workers, Equity Rewards Are Elusive, discussed how research consistently shows that people of color are much less likely to accumulate equity in their companies than other workers. Quoting General Social Survey data, the article noted that Black and Latino workers who report having stock in their companies have about half of what white workers do. A 2020 survey from Carta, a stock plan administration company, found that in startups, Black employees account for just 2% of all the equity grants.
Loren Rodgers
The Certified Equity Professional Institute (CEPI) at Santa Clara University is accepting applications for the 2021 Marilyn Perkins J. Classen Memorial Scholarships. CEPI Senior Director Alex Florea noted that "this is a great opportunity for individuals in the equity compensation industry to earn their CEP designation." The two $5,000 awards support study and certification as a certified equity professional (CEP). Applications are available online and will be accepted until August 20.
Loren Rodgers
Since the Main Street Employee Ownership Act (MSEOA) was signed into law in August 2018, the NCEO and others in the field have questioned whether its implementation matched Congress's intent to promote employee ownership. See, for example, our blog post Proposed SBA Regulations Appear to Weaken the Impact of the Main Street Employee Ownership Act.
NCEO
Every year, my colleagues and I at Chartwell look forward to the NCEO's events, and this year's Fall ESOP Forum is no different. We couldn't be more excited to finally reconnect with all of our ESOP friends at this year's Forum.
Timothy Garbinsky
One of my favorite things about the employee ownership world is that it's always growing and moving. In addition to being a net positive for workers, businesses, and the economy in general, EO is also an exciting environment to work in, with lots of opportunities to get involved. And these opportunities aren't rigid or cookie-cutter—you can work at a national organization or local one, you can get involved in policy and advocacy, or you can work directly with companies. Whether you work full- or part-time or are a volunteer, the sphere around employee ownership is as flexible as employee ownership itself is for owners and companies.
