PricewaterhouseCoopers, NASPP Survey Shows Global ESPP Participation Declining

In a survey of 350 multinational companies in a variety of countries (the 2012 Global Equity Incentives Survey), PricewaterhouseCoopers and the National Association of Stock Plan Professionals (NASPP) have found that in ESPPs, there has been "a steady decline in global participation from 2007 through 2012. In particular, the majority of companies that previously reported employee participation rates of 26%-50% now have 0%-25% of eligible employees participating in their ESPPs. Of those companies that have historically offered an ESPP, in the past year a large majority (82%) continued to offer the plan. However, 9% of companies chose to eliminate it in the past year, while 38% eliminated their ESPP in the past 2-3 years." The 2012 Global Equity Incentives Survey also reports on a variety of other issues, particularly on how global companies are complying with local laws.