Less than a quarter (23%) of respondents hold shares or share options in their current employer, according to the Employee Benefits Salary survey 2017, which surveyed a total of 249 respondents in November-December 2016.
This figure has changed little since the Salary survey was conducted in 2009 and 2008, when 26% and 25% of respondents, respectively, received shares as part of their remuneration package or through an employee share scheme.
In the 2017 survey, there is a slight discrepancy between the proportion of respondents who identify as female who hold shares or share options in their organisation (18%) and the proportion of respondents who identify as male (33%).
The proportion of respondents who hold shares or share options in their current employer
Sample: All respondents (234)
No: 77%
Yes: 23%
Among all respondents, almost a third (30%) receive shares through an all-employee sharesave scheme, and just over a quarter (26%) receive shares through a long-term incentive plan (Ltip). This figure rises to 42% among male respondents, while 11% of female respondents receive shares through an Ltip.
The most common all-employee share incentive plan (Sip) through which all respondents receive shares is one that offers matching shares (21%). This is closely followed by a Sip offering partnership shares (19%). Just over one in 10 (13%) respondents who hold shares in their current employer do so through a Sip offering free shares.
The type of scheme through which respondents receive or buy shares/share
Sample: All respondents that hold shares or share options in their current employer (53)
All-employee sharesave/SAYE scheme: 30%
Long-term incentive plan (Ltip): 26%
All-employee share incentive plan (Sip) offering matching shares: 21%
All-employee share incentive plan (Sip) offering partnership shares: 19%
All-employee share incentive plan (Sip) offering free shares: 13%
Company share option plan (Csop): 11%
Enterprise management incentive (EMI): 8%
Phantom share scheme: 6%
Other: 6%
