Employee to owner

An employee owned business is one in which the employees, rather than external shareholders, hold the majority of the shares either directly or through an employee benefits trust which buys the business on their behalf.

Employee ownership should be considered by:

• Business owners who want to retire or sell the business for a fair price without jeopardising its future
• Business owners who want to raise finance for the business tax-efficiently and motivate employees by transferring some ownership
• Public agencies that want to mutualise services through employee ownership