EXCLUSIVE: Merlin Entertainments has launched an international sharesave scheme for 9,500 eligible employees.
The scheme, which was launched on 13 January and closed on 3 February, was open to staff in 22 countries, including the US, Japan, Germany, Italy and New Zealand.
The visitor attraction operator, which owns Alton Towers, the London Eye, Legoland and Madame Tussauds, became a publicly-listed company on the London Stock Exchange in November.
Merlin Entertainments previously provided a CEO Award Plan, which rewarded employees who demonstrated outstanding performance, excellent customer service and contribution to charitable causes, by giving them shares in the organisation.
Almost 3,000 global staff joined the three-year sharesave scheme. Nearly 1,500 participants were from the UK.
Rob Horrocks, group compensation and benefits director at Merlin Entertainments, said: “The decision to roll it out globally, we believe, was the right thing to do.
“Our previous [CEO Awards Plan], which was awarded to staff who performed well, was hugely successful.
”This launch was right at the top of the list of things we wanted to achieve.”
The organisation communicated the scheme to staff using invitation packs, a welcome video from chief executive officer Nick Varney in multiple languages and a booklet containing all the details of the share scheme.
Horrocks added: “Communication was run with the Merlin [Entertainments] theme in mind to get as many employees signed up as possible.
“Senior management believe having employees with a stake in the organisation really does make a difference to how they view Merlin [Entertainments], and their commitment to the organisation.”
