More than half (51%) of eligible employees are now taking part in a sharesave scheme via their employer, up from 34% in 2013, according to research by industry body IFS Proshare,
The annual IFS Proshare Sip and SAYE survey found that total monthly employee contributions to sharesave schemes rose by £28 million in the space of 12 months.
It also found that more than a million employees now participate in a share incentive plan (Sip), through both partnership and matching shares, rising from 960,000 in 2013.
John Collison (pictured), head of employee share ownership at IFS Proshare, said: “With a bullish FTSE and a number of recent high-profile share scheme maturations paying out large bonuses, it is not surprising that so many employees are now looking to become share owners.
“With new rules regarding self-certification in operation and a move to digitise the necessary paperwork, 2014 promises to be an important year for employee share ownership.”
