Kimberly McCourtney
Financial literacy isn’t a luxury—it’s an essential. It gives people the tools to make smart decisions, build independence, and move toward the goals that matter most to them. As the saying goes, without knowing, there can be no doing.
Corey Rosen
The Annual Economic Survey of Employee Share Ownership in European Countries, 2024 (PDF) from the European Federation of Employee Share Ownership shows that while the number of employee share plans has increased, the percentage of employees participating in these plans has decreased somewhat. The report is primarily focused on large publicly traded companies in Europe. Most of the plans that are broad-based are some form of stock purchase plan. The report says that 6.7 million employees participate in employee ownership plans in Europe, or about one in five employees in all large public companies. Nonmanagement employees own an average of 1.7% of the shares in these companies.
Megan Bonwell
This July, the NCEO will host Is an ESOP Right for You? in San Diego, bringing together leading experts to explore ESOPs as a succession strategy. The two-day event (July 14–15, 2025) at Hotel Republic features an impressive lineup of speakers with diverse backgrounds in employee ownership.
Corey Rosen
Matthew Licina
Facing a budget deficit, Washington Governor Bob Ferguson is looking to potentially eliminate the state’s employee ownership program, which just got underway in 2024 and is similar to one in Colorado. Representative Adison Richards, a Democrat, has introduced HB 2047, a bill that would eliminate the program and its funding.
Ramona Rodriguez-Brooks
My colleagues and I at the NCEO are often asked to help connect companies to each other. Whether connecting business owners to ESOP sellers; connecting HR directors, CFAs, or ESOP communication committees to their peers; or identifying potential ESOP company-made holiday gifts, we've tried to help bridge those gaps wherever possible.
Kimberly McCourtney
Employee-owned companies offer a unique workplace experience in which benefits extend beyond just salary and traditional perks. Because employee-owners have a stake in the company’s success, businesses structured this way often prioritize employee well-being, financial security, and professional growth.
Corey Rosen
In Why Does the Department of Labor Allow ERISA Regulation Through Litigation By Plaintiff Lawyers?, a September 2024 post on his private blog FID Guru, Daniel Aronowitz, the nominee to head the Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA), urged Congress to reform ERISA litigation rules. He wrote, “Congress must act with ERISA litigation reform. In the 1990s, the trial bar was filing frivolous securities fraud cases against public companies, using investors with as little as one share of stock. Congress acted with the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (PSLRA), creating a higher pleading standard to combat securities fraud abuse. It has not been a perfect solution, but at least Congress tried to reduce frivolous litigation.”
Corey Rosen
California Republican Senator Suzette Valladares has introduced SB-713, a bill that would:
Corey Rosen
Massachusetts Senate bill S. 1950, An Act to Promote Employee Ownership, would exempt capital gains from the sale of a Massachusetts business with 500 or fewer employees from capital gains taxation. The bill was introduced by Democrat Julian Cyr and referred to committee. Long-term capital gains in the state are taxed at 5%.
