Employee Ownership Blog

Corey Rosen

Employee Equity Investment Act Introduced in Both Houses with Bipartisan Support

Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Marco Rubio (R-FL), along with Representatives Dean Phillips (D-MN) and Blake Moore (R-UT), have introduced the Employee Equity Investment Act (EEIA). The bill would create an investment facility within the Small Business Administration's (SBA's) Small Business Investment Company (SBIC) program to provide loan guarantees for investment funds devoted to expanding employee ownership.

Right-pointing arrow Continue Reading

Corey Rosen

Colorado Expands Tax Credit for Employee Ownership Conversions

The Colorado legislature has passed (by margins of 54-2 in the House and 26-9 in the Senate) a bill (HB23-1081) to expand its tax credits for converting to employee ownership. Governor Jared Polis has strongly supported the legislation and is expected to sign it. Under prior law, companies converting to ESOP ownership could get a tax credit for up to 50% of costs for conversion, with a maximum credit of $100,000 for conversion expenses; the dollar limit is now increased to $150,000. For worker cooperatives, prior law provided a credit of up to 50% of conversion costs, with a maximum credit of $25,000; the dollar limit is now increased to $40,000. Conversions to other qualified forms of employee ownership now also qualify for a credit of up 50% of the costs, up to a maximum credit of $25,000. Finally, the bill provides a tax credit of 50% of the costs, up to a maximum credit of $25,000, for a qualified employee-owned business expanding its employee ownership by at least 20%.

Right-pointing arrow Continue Reading

Loren Rodgers

Just-Launched “Shares Laboratory” to Study Equity Compensation

The Institute for the Study of Employee Ownership and Profit Sharing at Rutgers University announced on April 18 that it is launching the Shares Laboratory. The lab will use "big data" and a model of the national labor force to conduct research, monitoring, and policy-relevant work on all forms of equity compensation.

Right-pointing arrow Continue Reading

Corey Rosen

Washington Governor Signs Most Comprehensive Bill Yet on Employee Ownership

By a unanimous vote, both chambers of the Washington State Legislature have passed S.B. 5096, “An act relating to expanding employee ownership.” On May 9, Governor Jay Inslee signed the bill. The law creates the most ambitious state employee ownership program yet. It includes the following provisions:

Right-pointing arrow Continue Reading

Lindsay Isaac

Communicating ESOP Literacy

On April 12, people from 23 employee-owned companies gathered online to talk about business literacy, stock value, and ESOPs for employees. Beginning with some thought-provoking ideas from volunteer leaders of the Finance Working Group and from NCEO staff, the group split up into breakout rooms to talk, peer-to-peer, about challenges and solutions to improve business literacy at their respective companies.  

Right-pointing arrow Continue Reading